This week’s guest is Stoney Samsoe, executive director and co-founder of Open AIR. Founded in 2019, Open AIR is dedicated to bringing creativity to diverse communities across Montana. Open AIR is perhaps best known for its amazing artist-in-residence program.

In this episode, Stoney describes Open AIR’s purpose as focused on making artists keystone species in communities. And to continue the metaphor, Stoney talks about how she sees artists as crucial in the human ecology of a community.

This week’s guest is Spencer Williams, founder and CEO of West Paw, a company that makes dog toys and treats. West Paw has built an entirely U.S.-based supply chain and does all of its manufacturing right here in Montana. West Paw is also the first B Corporation in Montana and is a great example of business as a force for good.

In this conversation, Spencer talks about West Paw’s inception and why he committed to manufacturing in America. He explains what being a B Corp means to West Paw, and comments on the current state of Montana’s economy, and how that can make attracting and retaining talent difficult.

This week’s guest is Richard Reeves, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and president of the American Institute for Boys and Men. In 2022, Richard published Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What To Do About It. The insights from that book have sparked an important national dialogue, and Richard came to the University of Montana in November to discuss them further.

In this conversation, Richard talks about his upbringing in the United Kingdom, and how his experiences there shaped his views around class and gender. He discusses research that demonstrates how traditional educational programs worked better for women than for men, and how much of an impact the covid-19 pandemic had on men - an impact that Richard says was largely ignored by various media.