“Context Matters.” In this episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast, I sit down with Kurt Nelson, PhD. Kurt earned his bachelor’s degree and his MBA at The University of Iowa. He is a business owner and co-founder, along with Tim Houlihan, of Behavioral Grooves, one of the world’s top podcasts on behavioral science. In honor […]

In this episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast, I sit down with Mike Monteiro, the co-founder of Mule Design. Mike has authored three books on design and speaks frequently about the craft of design and the importance of ethics. As Mike says, “designers are ultimately responsible for what they put fourth in the world.” Mike […]

“We’re all human.” In this episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast, I sit down with the host of IPR’s “Talk of Iowa,” Charity Nebbe. We discuss her approach to her show, the importance of collaboration, and the impacts of the current pandemic at the local and national level. We touch upon Iowa City’s connection to […]

In this episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast, I sit down with my friend Nick Scappaticci, co-founder and CEO of Tellart. Tellart formed over 20 years ago is an experience design firm filled with fantastic explorers, inventors, and storytellers. In 2016, Tellart was recognized for their contributions to interaction design and received the Cooper Hewitt […]

In this episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast, I sit down with Vero Rose Smith, artist, educator, and curator living in Iowa City. We caught up with Vero before she moves to Chicago. We discuss her approach to art and education, art in the public domain, and how everyone has a tree story.  We touch […]

In the first episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast, host Matt Arnold sits down with Alex Dezen (MFA 2010, The University of Iowa). They discuss support, collaboration, influences, and what one can learn from being on tour with Cheap Trick. Alex talks about how the music business has changed, the importance of discipline in the […]

Welcome to The Iowa Idea Podcast. Join host Matt Arnold for in-depth conversations with artists, designers, entrepreneurs, and civic leaders, as he explores how they approach their craft and represent a modern version of the Iowa Idea.This podcast is rooted in the concept of the Iowa Idea, which was originally conceived at The University of […]