The Happy Disruptors Podcast

This week on The Happy Disruptors Podcast, Hannah is joined by Brian Trusty, Senior Partner at PROS Consulting, to challenge the way we think about water — not simply as a resource to manage, but as an economic and community asset. From tourism and quality of life to talent attraction and regional growth, Brian explores the many ways healthy, accessible waterways can generate value for communities. The conversation also looks at ICON Water Trails as a local example of regional investment and considers how reframing conservation and water-quality spending as investments can strengthen both natural resources and economic development. Listen in now! Remember to like and follow the Great Outdoors Foundation on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Thank you to our partners, Jacobsen & Company, for sponsoring this episode!

FundingThis week on The Happy Disruptors Podcast, Hannah sits down with Roeslein & Associates' Sam Sugerman, Director of Environmental Markets, and Nancy Labbe, Director of Landowner Partnerships, to explore how conservation strategies can remain resilient as government funding and priorities evolve. Using Horizon II as a case study, they discuss the role of public investment as a catalyst for new conservation models and what it takes to transition those models toward long-term, market-driven sustainability. Along the way, they dig into diversified revenue streams, reducing risk for landowners, and the cross-sector partnerships needed to build conservation solutions that can adapt and operate at scale. Listen in now! Remember to like and follow the Great Outdoors Foundation on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

This week on The Happy Disruptors Podcast, Joe Whitworth, President & CEO of The Freshwater Trust, joins Hannah to explore how finance and technology can transform the way conservation gets done. The pair unpacks the concept of “Quantified Conservation,” the role of data in directing resources toward the greatest environmental return, and why measuring outcomes — rather than simply activities — can lead to more effective investments. They also discuss how technology can reduce inefficiencies in conservation finance and what becomes possible when data, capital, and on-the-ground implementation work together at a watershed or landscape scale. Listen in now! Remember to like and follow the Great Outdoors Foundation on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

This week on The Happy Disruptors Podcast, Billy Gascoigne, Senior Director of Agriculture & Strategic Partnerships at Ducks Unlimited, joins Kaitie to discuss what it takes to scale conservation delivery. The two explore the power of public-private partnerships, how to align diverse interests around shared outcomes, and why successful conservation requires more than funding alone. They also unpack how conservation programs can better reflect the economic realities of farmers and ranchers, where private capital can accelerate progress, and what needs to change to move proven solutions from concept to meaningful implementation at scale. Listen in now! Remember to like and follow the Great Outdoors Foundation on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Thank you to our partners, Jacobsen & Company, for sponsoring this episode!

This week on The Happy Disruptors Podcast, Drew DiAllesandro, Illinois & Iowa Private Lands Coordinator with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, joins Kaitie to rethink how we approach conservation interventions in the Midwest. The pair explores how moving beyond practice-by-practice implementation toward more strategic, landscape-scale solutions can generate greater ecological impact — from restoring wetlands, prairies, and oxbows to using science and data to target investments where they matter most. They also unpack what motivates landowners to participate, where today’s conservation delivery system creates friction, and how stronger partnerships can help translate proven practices into meaningful outcomes at scale. Listen in now! Remember to like and follow the Great Outdoors Foundation on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

This week on The Happy Disruptors Podcast, Keegan Kult, Executive Director of the Agricultural Drainage Management Coalition, joins Kaitie to discuss water quality through the lens of water quantity. Listen in now! Remember to like and follow the Great Outdoors Foundation on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Thank you to our partners, Vision Bank, for sponsoring this episode!

This week on The Happy Disruptors Podcast, Tami Madsen, Executive Director of Central Iowa Water Works, joins Hannah to discuss water resiliency, cross-sector collaboration, and future planning. Listen in now! Remember to like and follow the Great Outdoors Foundation on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Thank you to our partners, Vision Bank, for sponsoring this episode!

This week on The Happy Disruptors Podcast, Kaylee Williams with Iowa Startup Week, joins Kaitie to discuss innovation, creativity, and building an ecosystem of happy disruptors. Listen in now! Remember to like and follow the Great Outdoors Foundation on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Thank you to our partners, Vision Bank, for sponsoring this episode!

This week on The Happy Disruptors Podcast, Rex Raimond, Director of Transformational Investing in Food Systems (TIFS), joins Hannah to discuss missing middle infrastructure in food systems — or "the missing middle." The pair unpacks TIFS' strategy of creating new financial architecture for food systems, ultimately contributing to more resilient farms and communities. Listen in now! Remember to like and follow the Great Outdoors Foundation on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

This week on The Happy Disruptors Podcast, Brian Bienkowski, Managing Editor of The New Lede, joins Kaitie to explore new media as a voice for conservation. The two cover the importance of access to information, the skill of staying curious, and the need for media literacy in the digital age. Listen in now! Remember to like and follow the Great Outdoors Foundation on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Thank you to our partners, Community State Bank, for sponsoring this episode!

This week on The Happy Disruptors Podcast, Tej Dhawan, Cofounder of Plains Angels and Iowa's latest innovation fund, 2946 Ventures, joins Hannah to discuss all things innovation, including how to cultivate it, what it's not, and why it's valuable regardless of sector. Listen in now! Remember to like and follow the Great Outdoors Foundation on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Thank you to our partners, SCHEELS, for sponsoring this episode!

This week on The Happy Disruptors Podcast, Bobby Martens, Executive Director of the Iowa Institute for Cooperatives, joins Hannah to discuss the co-op system, its history in Iowa, and how co-ops can be a delivery system for conservation. Listen in now! Remember to like and follow the Great Outdoors Foundation on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Thank you to our partners, SCHEELS, for sponsoring this episode!

This week on The Happy Disruptors Podcast, hear from experts at Athene Watershed26 in this live session on recreation as a catalyst for conservation. Listen in now! Remember to like and follow the Great Outdoors Foundation on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

This week on The Happy Disruptors Podcast, hear from experts at Athene Watershed26 in this live session on developing alternative markets for regenerative agriculture. Listen in now! Remember to like and follow the Great Outdoors Foundation on Facebook, X, Instagram, and LinkedIn

This week on The Happy Disruptors Podcast, hear from experts at Athene Watershed26 in this live session on funding spectrum roles. Listen in now! Remember to like and follow the Great Outdoors Foundation on Facebook, X, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

This week on The Happy Disruptors Podcast, hear from experts at Athene Watershed26 in this live session on financing market diversification for conservation agriculture. Listen in now! Remember to like and follow the Great Outdoors Foundation on Facebook, X, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

This week on The Happy Disruptors Podcast, hear from experts at Athene Watershed26 in this live session on the Mississippi River/Gulf Hypoxia Taskforce. Listen in now! Remember to like and follow the Great Outdoors Foundation on Facebook, X, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

This week on The Happy Disruptors Podcast, Hannah and Katie reflect on one year of THDP, including top episodes, lessons learned, and favorite takeaways.Listen in now! Remember to like and follow the Great Outdoors Foundation on Facebook, X, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

This week on The Happy Disruptors Podcast, Dr. Larry Weber, Director of the IIHR and Iowa Flood Center, joins Kaitie to discuss trends in Iowa's floodplains and watersheds as well as long-term resource management. Listen in now! Remember to like and follow the Great Outdoors Foundation on Facebook, X, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Thank you to our partners, SCHEELS, for sponsoring this episode!

This week on The Happy Disruptors Podcast, Matt and Eric Wahl join Hannah and Kaitie to discuss their family farm, implementing conservation, and the farming identity. Listen in now! Remember to like and follow the Great Outdoors Foundation on Facebook, X, Instagram, and LinkedIn.