Rural Futures with Dr. Connie

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Futurist Connie Reimers-Hild intersects foresight, psychographics shifts, global rural development Jan 29, 2019

Show notes

Researcher, entrepreneur and high-touch futurist, Connie Reimers-Hild, Ph.D., host of the Rural Futures Podcast, takes the hot seat in this bonus episode of our show! Dr. Connie serves as interim executive director and chief futurist of the Rural Futures Institute (RFI) at the University of Nebraska. During this episode, she shares her approach to leadership, her vision for RFI, her recent experiences traveling the world to provide the voice of rural, acceptable metrics to measure rural thriving and rural economic development of the future.

Hosted by Katelyn Ideus, producer of the podcast and RFI's director of communications, Dr. Connie brings forward the critical importance of strategic foresight for rural areas — we cannot solve the grand challenges we're facing or take advantage of tremendous opportunities if we continue to think and act in the same framework and mindset of the past. We need to understand the megatrends, demographic and pyschographic shifts and industry evolutions surrounding and intermingling with our rural ecosystem. We must also be clear about the fundamental leadership transformation that is occurring based on the expectations of upcoming generations.

NU Institute directors intersect early childhood, water sustainability, national security Dec 04, 2018

Show notes

We welcomed the executive directors of our University of Nebraska (NU) sister institutes — the Buffett Early Childhood Institute, the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute and the National Strategic Research Institute — to talk with Dr. Connie, asking them to approach their area of expertise through our lenses of future-focused leadership, rural-urban collaboration and high-touch, high-tech. Interestingly, each of the Institutes have a specific relationship and value to offer to rural people and places now and into the future. Through the Institutes, researchers and students from the four NU campuses come together with partners to find innovative solutions and opportunities for our state, our nation and our world.

Ag maverick Marji Guyler-Alaniz intersects leadership, passion, gender Nov 27, 2018

Show notes

Shining a light on women in agriculture, Marji Guyler-Alaniz, founder and president of FarmHer, talks about the future of gender, diversity, leadership and entrepreneurship with incredible authenticity. She dove into her passion of photography and storytelling to create the media and events company that now highlights and inspires women in agriculture across generations via a television show, podcast and in-person events. You'll hear her energy while she talks with Dr. Connie about "right place, right time, right message," and pursuing – and achieving – a dream from a rural community to create national awareness.

Rural maverick Matt Dennis intersects creativity, entrepreneurship, workforce Nov 20, 2018

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Matt Dennis understands the reality of the agricultural economy, the need for creative thinking for thriving rural communities and the grit it's going to take to lead families, farms and businesses into the future. As co-founder of Handlebend Copper Co., Matt creates exquisite copper mugs from his hometown of about 3,700 people and ships them — in authentic wooden crates — worldwide. In this episode, he discusses his ag background and full-time job, the balance of starting a business and raising a family and his take on the stories that need to be shared from rural areas across the country. Dr. Connie, RFI Chief Futurist, is energized by Matt's call-to-action around female workforce potential, embracing Handlebend's digital presence and his leadership style that starts with empowering and listening to others.

Researcher Christiana McFarland intersects economic assets, sustainability, growth Nov 13, 2018

Show notes

We are navigating a critical juncture in our economic future, says Christiana McFarland, Research Director at the National League of Cities (NCL). It is clear that urban areas are attracting incredible growth, but in the big picture, this is not sustainable. Intrigued by Christy's work in the published report, "Bridging the Urban-Rural Economic Divide," RFI Chief Futurist Connie Reimers-Hild, Ph.D., draws out Christy's thoughts in terms of the overall narrative of the rural-urban "divide," accessible leadership and what the truest forms of rural-urban collaboration look like.

Futurist Deborah Westphal intersects humanity, technology, empowerment Nov 06, 2018

Show notes

In this episode, two female futurists come together to talk about the future of humanity with technology; water infrastructure and the leadership needed to sustain it; empowerment of women and new generations of leaders; and much, much more. Deborah Westphal, CEO of the future-focused strategic advisory firm, Toffler Associates, is an engineer by training and an evolving leader who recognizes the value of people. She believes individuals' hopes, desires and strengths can further organizations, even in exponentially changing technology environments. She and Dr. Connie also explain that our inter-dependencies whether rural and urban, male and female, boomer and millennial are assets to build upon.

Nutrition Communicator Amber Pankonin intersects agriculture, consumer confidence, branding Oct 30, 2018

Show notes

Dietitians have been dealing with fake news forever, but Amber Pankonin, Registered Dietitian and Nutrition Communicator, accepted the challenge. She works as a solopreneur, consulting with farmers and producers about how to message and brand their products to not only resonate with consumers, but to create healthier lifestyles. A true rural maverick, Amber has created a community through her recipe site Stirlist.com and her podcast for entrepreneurs Healthy Under Pressure.

In this episode she talks with Dr. Connie about the challenges and solutions facing dietitians, farmers and consumers thanks to increasing access to information. She passionately encourages collaboration and individualization, explores the future of nutrigenomics and emboldens other entrepreneurs to take the plunge.

Psychiatrist Howard Liu intersects mental health, workforce, access Oct 23, 2018

Show notes

It is estimated that 18.7% of residents of nonmetropolitan counties had some sort of mental illness in 2016 — more than 6.5 million people. In addition, 1.3 million (3.9%) residents of nonmetro counties experienced serious thoughts of suicide during the year. In Nebraska, 88 of the state's 93 counties are recognized as mental health professional shortage areas by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration.

Dr. Connie is proud to host Howard Liu, M.D., Interim Chair of Psychiatry and Director of the Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska (BHECN) at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, to address the critical area of mental health care access for rural communities. As one of the only organizations of its kind in the United States, BHECN works as a skunkworks to solve the 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 and emphasizes the need for self reflection and self care.

International Futurist Thomas Frey intersects technology, underpopulation, higher education Oct 16, 2018

Show notes

Referred to as the "architect of the future," "IBM's most award-winning engineer" and "Google's top-rated futurist speaker," 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.

Before we brought Thomas on the show, we knew he worked closely with companies such as John Deere, AT&T, Pepsico and so many more. What we didn't know is that he grew up in rural South Dakota driving a John Deere tractor. We continue to be inspired by rural-raised and rural-living futurists — there is definitely a theme emerging!

Founder Ali Schwanke intersects marketing, entrepreneurship, rural myths Oct 09, 2018

Show notes

Dr. Connie gets down to business with Ali Schwanke, Founder and CEO of Simple Strat, a growth marketing agency headquartered in Lincoln, Neb. Ali shares some of the nuts and bolts of what it takes to be successful after the startup phase. She sprinkles in some insights into what small businesses can do to amplify their voice and their story. And she gets real about 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 take their seat at the table. For those of us in the Midwest, Ali also challenges to own the misconceptions of our region and start telling our story better.

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