This week’s guest is Jon Bennion. In 2004, Jon published Big Sky Politics, a comprehensive history of Montana campaigns and elections. He is out this year with an updated edition. Jon is also the executive director of the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation.In this conversation, Jon talks about Montana’s political and electoral history, and highlights a few key turning points. He talks about the things that drive political change and about his own political journey, including a time running for office. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.anewanglepodcast.com/subscribe

This week is the August edition of Incentives & Instincts, a recurring series in which Justin speaks with economist and friend Bryce Ward about some of the broader challenges facing our society. Last month, they began a conversation about gratitude and civic virtue. And today, is part two of that conversation.In this episode, Justin and Bryce talk about civic virtue and how being in physical community can cultivate that virtue. They discuss how to integrate conversations about virtue at home, and give listeners a glimpse into an ongoing monthly bonus segment for subscribers called The Parent Trap. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.anewanglepodcast.com/subscribe

This week’s guests are Danny Spoon, Bill Wright, Matt Fete and Stephanie Goble, who are all involved with a new initiative to improve rural healthcare in Montana. The RESOLVE collaboration is a partnership between Providence and the University of Montana College of Health.The group starts out explaining the rural health care crisis in Montana and how those factors led to the development of RESOLVE. They discuss workforce development, building trust in rural communities and the places where using AI might be a good idea. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.anewanglepodcast.com/subscribe

This week ANA brings you part two of Justin’s conversation with Crissie McMullan and Jason Wiener, who together launched AI Realists, a nonprofit focused on helping communities shape AI policies.Picking up where they left off last week, the trio talk about citizen assemblies, public opinion surveys, data centers and a central mission of AI Realists: combating our big tech fatalism. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.anewanglepodcast.com/subscribe

This week’s guests are Crissie McMullan and Jason Wiener. Together these two launched AI Realists, a nonprofit organization aimed at helping communities shape AI policies. AI Realists is producing events and conducting outreach across Montana.In this conversation, Crissie and Jason share their paths to AI and how they have been both inspired and worried by the technology. They talk about how people tend to feel helpless when it comes to AI reform and speak at length about how their focus currently is on how state governments can play a role. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.anewanglepodcast.com/subscribe

This week’s guest is Tana Burke, founder and CEO of Sky Cycle, a Montana-made startup seeking to insert wellness and exercise into the airport experience. Tana launched Sky Cycle in 2022 and the product is now ready for takeoff.In this conversation, Tana talks about taking Sky Cycle from concept to reality and the various partnerships she forged to make it happen. She breaks down the airport business and helps us understand how and why airports are increasing their investments in traveller wellness. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.anewanglepodcast.com/subscribe

Today is the July edition of Incentives & Instincts, a recurring series in which Justin speaks with economist and friend Bryce Ward about some of the broader challenges facing our society. Today’s topic is gratitude, inspired by an experience Bryce had during a speaking engagement a few weeks ago.In this conversation, Bryce outlines economic progress, particularly in Montana, despite how bad the economy can seem. The two get into the differences between zero-sum and positive-sum thinking, and the necessity of human-to-human interaction when cultivating civic virtue. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.anewanglepodcast.com/subscribe

This week’s guests are Ria Overholt and Steve Gaskill who talk with Justin about Missoula Villages, a neighbor-powered network that brings older citizens together through events, activities and a help exchange. Networks like Missoula Villages are springing up across the country and fill an important unmet need for support and community.In this conversation, Ria explains the concept behind Missoula Villages, which in large part aims to keep people connected as they age. Steve talks about the science behind social connections and the benefit of having a community for tackling seemingly small tasks when they start to become bigger, like changing a lightbulb or doing yard work. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.anewanglepodcast.com/subscribe

This week’s guest is Bridger Pierce, president of Warm Springs Productions. Warm Springs is a full service production house focused on television series. Warm Springs commenced operations in 2008 and has produced content for the History Channel, National Geographic, the Discovery Channel and many other prominent outlets.Bridger talks about growing up in Manhattan, Montana and working for a stint in D.C. He explains Warm Springs’s start in hunting shows to its expansion into creating content for major outlets and dabbling in religious and history-based productions. And, he talks about working with talents like Kevin Costner and Dennis Quaid, and how the key to building trust is finding a topic the stars are passionate about. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.anewanglepodcast.com/subscribe

This week’s guest is Vu Le, a prominent and irreverent voice in nonprofit leadership. Vu recently published his first book, Reimagining Nonprofit and Philanthropy, and has been posting weekly at his blog, Nonprofit AF, for many years. Vu recently visited Montana to speak about nonprofits and philanthropy.In this episode, Vu describes nonprofits as air - something people don’t appreciate until they’re gone. He discusses the differences between nonprofits and for-profits, gets into the scruples over overhead and the ways in which nonprofits can be reimagined. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.anewanglepodcast.com/subscribe