This episode features a conversation with Milind Pant – CEO of Amway. Founded in 1959 and based in Ada Michigan, Amway is a global consumer goods manufacturer and direct selling company. Amway is now one of the largest private companies in the United States. We speak with Milind about how Amway navigated the pandemic, the importance of inclusive entrepreneurship to its success, and his lessons on leadership.

Recorded on June 17, 2021

This episode features a conversation with Garrick Rochow – President and CEO of Consumers Energy. In December 2020, Garrick stepped into the CEO role for Fortune 500 Consumers Energy. A great alumnus of WMU Haworth, we speak with Garrick about his role transition during the pandemic, leadership lessons, the future of energy in the United States, and Consumers Energy competitive positioning as a leader in renewables.

Recorded on April 1, 2021

This episode features a conversation with Peter Meijer – US House of Representatives for Michigan’s 3rd congressional district. Peter has experienced a whirlwind start to his time in Congress with a pandemic, insurrection, impeachment, and new administration. Peter shares with us his first impressions of Congress, insights on leadership as a freshman representative, and his policy priorities for West Michigan.

Recorded on March 23, 2021

This episode features a conversation with current and former students from our Leadership and Business Strategy (LBS) program. We speak with Megan Miller (Deloitte), Kordell Smith (VMware), and Tyler Earnst (current student and interning at Dell Technologies) to explore the transition to professional life as a recent graduate, how our LBS program prepares students for the professional world, and advice to students on how to get the most out of college.

Recorded on February 12, 2021

This episode features a conversation with Michael Doss – CEO of Graphic Packaging. Mike is a proud two-time graduate of Western Michigan University and leads this great Fortune 500 company. Graphic Packaging recently invested $600 million in a new facility here in Kalamazoo. We speak with Mike about how he has led through the pandemic, the future of packaging in a digital world, and the company’s investment in Kalamazoo.

Recorded on January 7, 2021

This episode features a conversation with Jane Dutton – Robert L. Kahn Distinguished University Professor Emerita at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business. Jane is a world expert on processes that build capabilities and strengths of employees in organizations. A founder of the movement in Positive Organizational Scholarship, Jane’s research has demonstrated the importance of relationships, compassion, identity, and meaning to what makes people and organizations flourish. Jane shares with us how to apply positive principles at work during the pandemic, the need to reimagine our understanding of well-being in higher education, and how greater compassion can be created in organizations.

Recorded on December 8, 2020

This episode features a conversation with Thor Flosason – Senior Director of Global Learning and Development at Kellogg Company. Thor is responsible for the systems, processes, resources, and solutions to help over 30,000 employees across the globe learn and develop. We explore with Thor how a global organization facilitates learning during a global pandemic, the importance of learning to strategy, and what the future of learning in organizations looks like.

This episode features a conversation with Jeff Blashill – Head Coach of the Detroit Red Wings. The Detroit Red Wings are one of the most storied franchises in all of sports. Coach Blashill – a native Michigander and former WMU hockey coach – shares with us his experience on leading the Red Wings through the pandemic, leading across generations, and his lessons on leading during a time of change for the organization.

Recorded on November 23, 2020

A very special edition of The Jungle featuring Bronconess! Bronconess is a purpose-driven wine brand created and operated by Leadership and Business Strategy students at WMU. It is guided by our philosophy of “learning by doing.” 100% of profits go toward scholarships with over $35K raised since inception in 2019. On this episode, our LBS students launch the next evolution of Bronconess – the Bronconess Peach Bubbly in collaboration with St. Julian Winery. St. Julian is the oldest and largest winery in Michigan. Our LBS students, Tyler Earnst and Sylvan Benton, take a turn hosting the podcast by interviewing John Braganini, President of St. Julian, and Apollo Braganini, Vice President of Sales for St. Julian. We are so grateful for their partnership. To order Bronconess with a touchless experience, visit: https://www.bronconess.com/home. Stay tuned for Bronconess Peach Bubbly on shelves near you!

Recorded on November 18, 2020

This episode features a conversation with La June Montgomery Tabron – CEO of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Based in Southwest Michigan, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation is one of the largest philanthropic foundations in the world. La June shares with us how the foundation has pivoted and innovated during the pandemic, the role business plays in solving social problems, and the conditions that facilitate greater opportunity and equity in business ownership.

Recorded on October 26, 2020