The Happy Disruptors Podcast

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.

This week on The Happy Disruptors Podcast, Ben Gleason, Iowa Nutrient Research & Education Council Executive Director, joins Hannah and Kaitie to discuss trends, challenges, and opportunities related to the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy. 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, Jen Cross, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at the Great Outdoors Foundation, joins Kaitie to preview the Stacked Benefits content track at Athene Watershed26. 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, Melissa Campbell, Senior Project Manager, and Sara Carmichael, Project Manager, at the Great Outdoors Foundation, join Kaitie to preview the Science & Data content track at Athene Watershed26. 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 Kaitie preview the Finance Solutions content track at Athene Watershed26. 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 Dake, Marketing & Communications Specialist at the Great Outdoors Foundation, joins Kaitie to preview the Emerging Voices content track at Athene Watershed26. 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, Addison McKown, Development Manager for the Conservation Foundation of Polk County, joins Kaitie to discuss the launch of the organization and its impact on conservation in the region. 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, Tee Thomas, CEO of Quantified Ventures, joins Hannah to discuss all things conservation finance. The two cover funding barriers, finance solutions, and the funder role landscape within the world of conservation. 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, Joey Taylor-Moon, Vice President of Marketing for Hubbell Realty Company, joins Kaitie for the latest installment of our series "Meet the Board." Listen in now! Remember to like and follow the Great Outdoors Foundation on Facebook, X, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Thank you to our partners, Williams & Jensen, for sponsoring this episode!

This week on The Happy Disruptors Podcast, Grant Kvalheim, CEO of Athene USA & Athene Holding, and Karen Novak Swalwell, President & CEO of Francis & Associates, join Hannah and Kaitie for the next installment of our series "Meet the Board." 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, Kurt Mumm, President & Owner of Cushman & Wakefield Iowa Commercial Advisors, and Georgia VanGundy, Deputy Director of Iowa Workforce Development, join Kaitiefor the next installment of our series "Meet the Board." 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, Lauren Burt, Head of Global Corporate Affairs at Kemin Industries, joins Kaitie for the next installment of our series "Meet the Board." Listen in now! Remember to like and follow the Great Outdoors Foundation on Facebook, X, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Thank you to our partners, Snyder & Associates, for sponsoring this episode!

This week on The Happy Disruptors Podcast, Nicolas Lirio and Kent Boucher of the Prairie Farm Podcast and Hoksey Native Seeds join Kaitie to discuss conservation in Iowa, new markets, and the next generation of regenerative ag. 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, Tanner Faaborg, owner of 1100 Farm, joins Kaitie to discuss his family's journey of transforming their property from CAFOs to speciality mushrooms, all while implementing conservation practices to revitalize the surrounding resources. 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, Tommy Jones, Kyle Carstens, and Rebekah Jones join Kaitie to discuss how their unique owner-operator agreement allows them to jointly invest in conservation on their Fontanelle farm.

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, Chris Lee, host of Parks & Restoration, joins Kaitie to discuss leadership principles through the lens of ecology. Listen in now! Remember to like and follow the Great Outdoors Foundation on Facebook, X, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Thank you to our partners, Snyder & Associates, for sponsoring this episode!

This week on The Happy Disruptors Podcast, Hannah and Kaitie discuss Athene Watershed26, the Great Outdoors Foundation's new cross-sector summit tackling water quality at the intersection of conservation and 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, Amner Martinez, CEO & Founder of Infinite Resources, and Laura Rodriguez, Creative Director of Amplified, join Kaitie to discuss creativity, community, and connection in the workplace. Hear more about value-driven leadership and serial entrepreneurship — and what it takes to be a Happy Disruptor. 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, Cory Sharp and Bethany Wilcoxon, board members of the Conservation Foundation of Polk County, join Kaitie for a deep dive on the new fundraising organization and how it will continue to support the longstanding work of Polk County Conservation. 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, Ben Arato, Associate Attorney at Wandro & Associates, joins Kaitie for the next installment of our series "Meet the Board." 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, Chris Costa, President & CEO of Knapp Properties, and Gene Meyer, former Mayor of West Des Moines, join Kaitie for the first installment of our series "Meet the Board." 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, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, Mike Naig, joins Hannah and Jen to cover some of the Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship's most frequently asked questions. 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, Afton Holt, President of CornerPost Marketing, joins Kaitie for a discussion on upstream-downstream partnerships, creating solutions for change, and bridging the gap between rural and urban stakeholders. 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 Kaitie dive into strategic planning, leading with values, and engaging stakeholders in your mission. Listen in now! Remember to like and follow the Great Outdoors Foundation on Facebook, X, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

This week on the final installment of our Best of 2025 series, Hannah and Kaitie revisitsome of their favorite conversations about what it means to be a happy disruptor.Featured guests include Chris Costa, President & CEO of Knapp Properties,LLC and Chair of the Great Outdoors Foundation Board of Directors; Jen Cross,Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at the Great Outdoors Foundation;Melissa Campbell, Senior Project Manager of the Conservation Acceleration Fund;John Swanson, Polk County Water Resources Supervisor; Dr. Claire Hruby, AssistantProfessor of Environmental Science and Sustainability at Drake University; RuthMcCabe, Senior Conservation Manager at Heartland Co-Op; and Joy Van Wyngarden, contentcreator. Listen in now! Remember to like and follow the Great OutdoorsFoundation on Facebook, X, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

This week on the third installment of our Best of 2025 series, Hannah and Kaitie reflecton recurring misconceptions and key takeaways regarding water quality,conservation, and agriculture from the perspective of experts in the field. Featuredguests include John Swanson, Polk County Water Resources Supervisor; SteveWittbecker, Chief Sustainability Officer at CoBank; Nick Helland and LeeTesdell; Iowa farmers and landowners; Joy Van Wyngarden, content creator; PatBoddy, Urbandale City Councilmember; and Amanda Brown, Water Ecologist for PolkCounty Conservation. Listen in now! Remember to like and follow the GreatOutdoors Foundation on Facebook, X, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

This week on the second installment of our Best of 2025 series, Hannah and Kaitie recapa few of the most insightful and compelling conversations around conservationand agriculture. Featured guests include Ruth McCabe, Senior ConservationManager at Heartland Co-Op; Nick Helland and Lee Tesdell; Iowa farmers andlandowners; Steve Wittbecker, Chief Sustainability Officer at CoBank; and JohnSwanson, Polk County Water Resources Supervisor. Listen in now! Remember tolike and follow the Great Outdoors Foundation on Facebook, X, Instagram, andLinkedIn.

This week on the first installment of our Best of 2025 series, Hannah and Kaitie recapsome of the most significant, interesting, and innovative takes from experts onwater quality. Featured guests include Dr. Claire Hruby, Assistant Professor ofEnvironmental Science and Sustainability at Drake University; Amanda Brown, WaterEcologist for Polk County Conservation; Pat Boddy, Urbandale City Councilmember;Jen Cross, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at the Great OutdoorsFoundation; Melissa Campbell, Senior Project Manager of the ConservationAcceleration Fund; John Swanson, Polk County Water Resources Supervisor; andChris Costa, President & CEO of Knapp Properties, LLC and Chair of theGreat Outdoors Foundation Board of Directors. Listen in now! Remember to likeand follow the Great Outdoors Foundation on Facebook, X, Instagram, andLinkedIn.

This week on The Happy Disruptors Podcast, Melissa Campbell, Senior Project Manager at the Great Outdoors Foundation joins Hannah and Kaitie for an update on the Conservation Acceleration Fund (CAF). The group discusses the origin of the CAF, impact metrics, and what's planned for 2026.

Listen in now! Remember to like and follow the Great Outdoors Foundation on Facebook, X, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

This week on The Happy Disruptors Podcast, Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance and Agriculture's Clean Water Alliance Executive Director, Jeff Lucas, and Director of Communications, Rebekah Jones, join Hannah and Kaitie for a discussion on collaborative partnerships. They discuss the critical work that IAWA and ACWA are doing to maximize conservation efforts in the agriculture sector. Listen in now! Remember to like and follow the Great Outdoors Foundation on Facebook, X, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

This week on The Happy Disruptors Podcast, Stephanie Oppel, Executive Director of ICON Water Trails, joins Hannah and Kaitie for a discussion on the initiative's history and strategy, utilizing recreation as a catalyst for conservation. 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, Joy Van Wyngarden (_joyofalltrades_), content creator, joins Hannah Inman and — new to the pod — Hannah Dake, Marketing & Communications Specialist for the Great Outdoors Foundation, to discuss the next generation of conservation and ag. The group digs into Joy's unique perspective at the intersection of environmental conservation, regenerative ag, local food systems, and personal health.

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, Todd Sutphin, Conservation Services and Programs Lead at the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA), joins Hannah to discuss how ISA is partnering with farmers to integrate conservation practices on private land, developing the conservation agronomy field, and the future of conservation and 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, Christine Halbrook, Attorney at Halbrook Law Firm, and Lynne Yontz, Chief Charitable Giving Officer at the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines, join Kaitie to discuss the convergence of impact, intentional, and planned giving. If you're interested in engaging more strategically with philanthropy and are curious about how to align your giving with your values, this episode is for you. 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, Amanda Brown, Water Ecologist for Polk County Conservation, joins Hannah and Kaitie to cover environmental health through the lens of water quality. 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, Polk County Conservation's (PCC) Rich Leopold, Director, and Kami Rankin, Deputy Director, join Hannah and Kaitie for Part II of a discussion on the Great Outdoors Foundation's long-time partnership with PCC. They continue exploring different creative funding mechanisms that the pair has used over the last thirty years in order to achieve mutual conservation and recreation goals. 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, Polk County Conservation's (PCC) Rich Leopold, Director, and Kami Rankin, Deputy Director, join Hannah and Kaitie for Part II of a discussion on the Great Outdoors Foundation's long-time partnership with PCC. They continue exploring different creative funding mechanisms that the pair has used over the last thirty years in order to achieve mutual conservation and recreation goals. 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, Jon Kallen, Managing Partner at Jennings Kallen Advisors, joins Jen and Kaitie to discuss his campaign for Team GOF in this year's Wild Prairie Showdown. 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, Molly Hanson, Conservation & Community Outreach Specialist for RDG Planning & Design, joins Hannah and Kaitie to discuss her campaign for Team ICON in this year's Wild Prairie Showdown. 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, Iowa farmers Nick Helland and Lee Tesdell join Hannah and Kaitie for a heartfelt discussion on conservation perspectives in the ag sector. The group covers the implications of food systems, cost-share programs, and incentive structures that impact the scope and scale of conservation in 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, Ruth McCabe, Senior Conservation Manager at Heartland Co-Op, joins Hannah and Kaitie to discuss practical solutions for water quality, the dynamics of conservation practices on private land, and how conservation agronomy is creating scalable, replicable change for soil and water. 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, Steve Wittbecker, Chief Sustainability Officer at CoBank, joins Hannah and Kaitie to discuss conservation finance, sustainable agriculture, and mechanisms for change. Curious about solutions that can help accelerate conservation at scale? 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, John Swanson, Polk County Water Resources Supervisor, joins Hannah and Kaitie to discuss creative problem solving, water quality initiatives, and the recipe to success. Listen now! Remember to like and follow the Great Outdoors Foundation on Facebook, X, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

This week on The Happy Disruptors Podcast, Jen Cross, Great Outdoors Foundation (GOF) Vice President of Strategic Partnerships, and Melissa Campbell, GOF Senior Project Manager, join Kaitie to discuss the Conservation Acceleration Fund (CAF), GOF's innovative solution for addressing water quality.

Remember to like and follow the Great Outdoors Foundation on Facebook, X, Instagram, and LinkedIn. 

This week on The Happy Disruptors Podcast, Dr. Claire Hruby, Assistant Professor of Environmental Science and Sustainability at Drake University, joins Hannah and Kaitie to discuss water quality research and findings. The group explores what's in Central Iowa's water, what can be done to improve water quality, and what key data means for residents.

Remember to like and follow the Great Outdoors Foundation on Facebook, X, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

This week on The Happy Disruptors Podcast, Great Outdoors Foundation (GOF) CEO, Hannah Inman, shares her thoughts on the organization's 30th anniversary, cultivating values, and greatest opportunities. Listen to the final installment of the three-part series, "Great Outdoors Foundation: Past, Present, Future."

Remember to like and follow the Great Outdoors Foundation on Facebook, X, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

This week on The Happy Disruptors Podcast, Chris Costa, Great Outdoors Foundation Board Chair and Knapp Properties CEO, joins Hannah and Kaitie to cover all things GOF (including birthday cake, of course). Listen to Part II of the three-part series, "Great Outdoors Foundation: Past, Present, Future."

Remember to like and follow the Great Outdoors Foundation on Facebook, X, Instagram, andLinkedIn.

 This week on The Happy Disruptors Podcast, Pat Boddy, former Great Outdoors Foundation (GOF) board member, lifelong conservationist, and current Urbandale City Councilmember, joins Hannah and Kaitie to discuss GOF, its history, and how the conservation sector has evolved over the last three decades. Listen to Part I of the three-part series, "Great Outdoors Foundation: Past, Present, Future." Remember to like and follow the Great Outdoors Foundation on Facebook, X, Instagram, and LinkedIn.   

Creative thinker with an unconventional approach to your industry? You just might be a happy disruptor.

Join your friends at the Great Outdoors Foundation for honest conversations about tackling critical issues — like conservation — with an uncritical disposition. If you like to smile and get things done, this is the podcast for you. Remember to like and follow the Great Outdoors Foundation on Facebook, X, Instagram, and LinkedIn.