Rural Futures with Dr. Connie

Two female futurists talk humanity with tech, water infrastructure, empowerment of women and new generations. Deborah Westphal, CEO of Toffler Associates, is an engineer by training and an evolving leader who recognizes that individuals' hopes, desires and strengths can further organizations, even in exponentially changing technology environments. She and Dr. Connie explain how our rural-urban, male-female, boomer-millennial inter-dependencies are assets to build upon.

Amber Pankonin, Registered Dietitian and Nutrition Communicator, consults with farmers and producers about how to message and brand their products to not only resonate with consumers, but to create healthier lifestyles. She talks with Dr. Connie about the challenges and solutions thanks to increasing access to information while passionately encouraging collaboration and individualization. Amber has created a community through her recipe site Stirlist.com and her podcast Healthy Under Pressure.

Dr. Connie is proud to host Howard Liu, M.D.,  Director of the Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska (BHECN), to address the critical area of mental health care access for rural communities. As one of the only organizations of its kind in the U.S., BHECN works as a skunkworks to solve a wicked problem — a critical shortage of mental health providers in the highest underserved areas of the state. He also addresses the signs and signals of mental health illness we should all be aware of.

Referred to as the "architect of the future," Thomas Frey, corporate consultant, international speaker and creator of the Da Vinci Institute, makes predictions and asks bold questions to generate ideas and actions for the future. In this episode, he and Dr. Connie dig into the technologies that will bring rural and urban together; underpopulation versus overpopulation around the globe; and the evolving roles of leadership and higher education.

Dr. Connie gets down to business on this episode with Ali Schwanke, Founder and CEO of Simple Strat, a growth marketing agency headquartered in Lincoln, Neb. Ali shares some insights for businesses to amplify their voice. She states what it's going to take to create a culture for female entrepreneurs — starting with them finding the time between running a business and life's demands to talk. And she challenges all of us in the Midwest to own the misconceptions and start telling our story better.

In the Season 2 premiere episode, nationally known rural broadband researcher and RFI partner Roberto Gallardo, Ph.D., Assistant Director at the Purdue Center for Regional Development, passionately challenges rural communities and national leaders to take action for digital parity, and not just in terms of logistical technology — but also in mindset.

In the Season 1 finale of Rural Futures Podcast, Dr. Connie goes solo, discussing the future of women and gender. She explores the future-user concept with her 11-year-old daughter, shares her personal background, provides context of women's ability to succeed professionally in the United States and offers her immediate advice to professional women of all generations, but with a special focus on Gen X.

Growing up on a ranch in Nebraska, Seth Derner has a deep passion and appreciation for nature, agriculture and rural communities. He is also the co-founder and co-CEO of Vivayic, a learning solutions design company that helps organizations reach their human potential. With a clear sense of purpose and an explicit admiration for the human brain and the role of technology to unleash it, Seth shares actionable insights, advice and lessons learned that entrepreneurs will certainly appreciate.

Foresight is a key characteristic of leaders of the future. In this episode futurist Dr. Andy Hines discusses how leaders can incorporate various futuring strategies to bring people into the future with optimism. Andy is assistant professor for the University of Houston's graduate program in foresight. His openness to possibilities make him a maverick across industries—from exploring the future of RV parks to the future of communities large and small to the future of waste.

Rural healthcare access, overall wellness and the future of hospitals are consistently present challenges in the national narrative. In this episode, John Roberts, Executive Director of the Nebraska Rural Health Association, weighs in on these areas, and the opportunities of the future. For example, did you know rural hospitals are penalized for wellness centers? Rural healthcare providers earn the same level of outcomes but at 4 percent less cost than urban counterparts? Mobile tech could be the future.

Diversity in our rural areas is going to continue to increase. Through this episode, leaders learn actions they can take to make this transition positive for themselves, their communities and those who they are welcoming. Featured guest is Helen Fagan, Ph.D., a U.S. immigrant whose experiences in three countries and five U.S. states shaped her perspective and informed her future. Difficult times and encounters inspired her to pursue research, teaching and consulting in the areas of diversity and leadersh

Small-town raised and part-time farmer, Dr. Tyler Ideus is a specialist in physical medicine and international instructor of a leading rehabilitation approach. His background in conventional ag and his global perspective of healthcare combined with his unique expertise in a variety of manual therapies make him a RFI maverick. In this episode, he shares his vision for connecting agriculture, nutrition and healthcare and his passion for a thriving rural future through a mindset of abundance.

In this episode Dr. Tim Griffin discusses his interest and expertise at the intersection of agriculture and the environment as well as the development and implementation of sustainable production systems. What makes him fascinating is his ability to cross various boundaries and silos to explore solutions that result in a win-win for everyone involved. He doesn't deny the difficulty of this, especially within the food system, but he explains how he incorporates this abundance mindset with his students.

Dr. Field discusses his mission to empower students and communities to courageously pursue their purpose through the form and art of entrepreneurship. He has spoken out about the needed transformation of higher education—a deep internal exploration that results in the unleashing of the entrepreneurial and creative spirit of the student. He and Dr. Connie discuss the exploding side-gig economy, creating the next generation of action-oriented innovators and key takeaways for entrepreneurs.

Shelley McKinley, Microsoft GM of Technology and Corporate Responsibility, discusses the company’s mission, goals and projects around diversity and inclusion as well as rural broadband connectivity. She and Dr. Connie challenge listeners to think beyond current technology to the potential solutions and opportunities of artificial intelligence and how it can impact healthcare, the environment and community development in the future.