In this episode of the Iowa Manufacturing Podcast, we sit down with Jeff Kappen — Associate Professor at Drake University, Founding Partner of Bâton Global, and co-author of Am I Doing This Right? — for a dynamic conversation that spans global strategy, industrial policy, and the future of manufacturing in Iowa and beyond.
Jeff brings a rare combination of academic insight and hands-on consulting experience to some of the most pressing questions facing today’s manufacturing leaders. Together, we explore the real implications of reindustrializing America: What does it take to protect and optimize supply chains in a world defined by rapid change and global interdependence? What are the unintended consequences — the strategy externalities — of trade policies like tariffs?
Iowa stories for your inbox
Justin, David, & Kaylee cover Iowa news, agriculture, business and tech. No clickbait. No rage. No agenda. Support our vision and subscribe!
We also discuss how AI, automation, and workforce development are reshaping Iowa’s manufacturing landscape. Jeff challenges us to think long-term about national industrial strategy, education, and immigration, and how companies can not only react to disruption but lead through it. He also shares Bâton Global’s signature four-pillar approach: Insight, Innovation, Integration, and Impact — a framework designed to turn strategic vision into sustainable results.
Finally, Jeff offers a sneak peek at his upcoming keynote at the Central Iowa Business Conference, where he’ll be diving even deeper into the forces reshaping business today.
If you’re in manufacturing, policy, or business strategy, this episode is your front-row seat to the conversation that every leader should be having.