Middle Cities
Middle Cities
Jeff Slobotski & Shonna Dorsey
The Middle Cities podcast interviews Midwest based changemakers and thought leaders who are committed to creating opportunities for others.
Garry Clark of the Greater Fremont Development Council
Jeff Slobotski and Shonna Dorsey talk with Garry Clark, President and CEO of the Greater Fremont Development Council, about his work leading significant economic development efforts in rural Nebraska and helping entrepreneurs.
Dec 9, 2020
27 min
Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird
Jeff Slobotski and Shonna Dorsey talk with Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird of Lincoln about the role of innovation and entrepreneurship in local government and within the Lincoln community. Mayor Baird was elected in May 2019, and previously served as a planning commissioner and city councilwoman.
Sep 24, 2020
18 min
Nancy Williams of No More Empty Pots
Shonna Dorsey and Jeff Slobotski sat down for a conversation with Nancy Williams, CEO and Co-Founder of No More Empty Pots. No More Empty Pots is a grassroots nonprofit corporation that connects individuals and groups to improve self-sufficiency, regional food security, and economic resilience of urban and rural communities through advocacy and action. To help support this effort, No More Empty Pots collaborates with an array of public and private organizations, businesses, communities, individuals, and entrepreneurs.
Sep 10, 2020
24 min
Rick Turoczy, Entrepreneur, Mentor, Advisor (and more) of the Portland Startup Community
Millwork Commons sat down with Rick Turoczy, Entrepreneur, Mentor, Advisor (and more) within the Portland Startup Community. The Millwork Commons team is conducting a series of interviews with local and national entrepreneurs, creatives, community leaders, and other experts about the difficulties and opportunities created during the 2020 global pandemic.
Sep 10, 2020
20 min
Paul Jarrett of Bulu
Our fourth episode features Shonna Dorsey and Jeff Slobotski spending time with Paul Jarrett. Jarrett is the CEO & Co-Founder of Bulu, the industry authority in creating private-label Subscription Box businesses for the world's largest retail brands. Paul and his Co-Founder, Stephanie launched Bulu's flagship program, Bulu Box in 2012 as the 6th Subscription Box to the market. Paul quickly gained recognition as a trailblazer and has been featured in Entrepreneur Magazine, Forbes, PBS, Inc., CBS News, and many other major media outlets. Paul is well-known as an Ecommerce and consumer packaged goods expert, as well as a memorable keynote speaker.
Apr 23, 2020
15 min
Tom Chapman of Chapman & Company
In our third episode, Jeff sat down, virtually, with Tom Chapman, Founder of Chapman & Company, to hear his thoughts on the current state of entrepreneurship and innovation as it relates to his studies at Chapman & Company. Chapman & Company believes in building better ecosystems for entrepreneurs. Despite growing interest in developing entrepreneurship in communities, there is still a lot to be understood about its measurement. Chapman & Company's approach is to work to identify the entrepreneurs in the ecosystem early and find out what they need to be successful. Talking with entrepreneurs is the quickest way to identify what gaps may exist within the community.
Apr 18, 2020
14 min
Andy Saladino of Amplify Arts
In our second eposide, we sat down with Andy Saladino, Executive Director of Amplify Arts, to learn more about the work that he and the team are doing within the community. Amplify Arts wants to build an Omaha that is recognized across the country as a destination for artists and creatives of all disciplines; where artists are valued for their contributions and have the capacity to forge their own path toward a sustainable career.
Sep 30, 2019
15 min
Steve Gordon of RDQLUS Creative
In our debut eposide we sit down with Steve Gordon, owner of RDQLUS Creative and one of our region's most dynamic creators.
Apr 15, 2019
20 min