Economic Development Archives - COMMUNITY BUILDER

DSM USA

Tiffany Tauscheck is the President & CEO of Greater Des Moines Partnership! This special episode highlights the results of Tiffany’s recent 11-county listening tour with 23 different chambers of commerces and how different communities can collaborate even when environmental factors are different. We then shift gears to discuss leadership within transitional times, data-driven storytelling, and the future of the Des Moines metro.

After you refill your mug, Ben and Tiffany talk about evolving startup communities and entreprenierual ecosystem building. As a cool connection to EP72 of YDNTP, listen as we discuss innovative ideas for member-supported organizations, such as chambers of commerce, non-profits, and industry associations. We review the economic and talent development showcased in the DSM Partnership’s 2024 Annual Report, then go flying with ecosystem allies before an invitation to get in the arena.

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BONUS MATERIALS

Tiffany Tauscheck Bio

Living in Des Moines

Spark DSM + Scale DSM

DSM Partnership’s Entrepreneurship Resources

http://DSM-USA.YouDontNeedThisPodcast.com

EP5 – Jam with Jay 🎙️ Jay Byers

EP13 – Growing the Garden 🎙️ Diana Wright

http://CollectorHardbackEdition.com

http://RoastedReflections.com

http://BENBOT.ai

By Ben McDougal, 1 monthJanuary 29, 2025 ago

You Don't Need This Podcast

Win Win Win

Nicole Crain is the incoming president for the Iowa Association of Business and Industry. She’s been helping to build business throughout Iowa for over 15 years, so it’s neat to have this 2025 podcast be her first interview as the new leader within Iowa ABI. We toast Mike Ralston and his 20+ years of generous leadership, then discuss negotiating, public policy, and advocacy that is valued by members. Nicole wraps up the first part of EP72 by shared timeless insight for students pursuing a business degree.

After Ben narrates Significance, Alessandra and Stella welcome us back by asking our featured guest, what’s worth sacrificing to pursue progress? We then let future-forward ideas flow, scratch on innovative community building tactics, and share how existing business can weave succession planning into their strategy. Congrats to our featured guest on the new role, and here’s to a fantastic 2025!

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BONUS MATERIALS

https://IowaABI.org

Roasted Reflections Break: Significance

http://Win-Win-Win.YouDontNeedThisPodcast.com

EP32 – Connecting Leaders 🎙️ Jessi McQuerrey

EP40 – Big Business 🎙️ Joe Murphy

EP30 – Exit Ramps 🎙️ Brian Crotty

http://PlayforcePrinciples.com

http://BENBOT.ai

By Ben McDougal, 2 monthsJanuary 8, 2025 ago

You Don't Need This Podcast

Blurring Lines

Welcome back to Wisconsin! Ben McDougal was visiting UW Stevens Point to deliver You Don’t Need This Keynote at the 2024 Think Like an Entrepreneur event. As part of a wonderful whirlwind, he visited a local coworking and makerspace to record this special “In The Wild” episode.

Kevin Neuman leads the way as Assistant Dean within the Sentry School of Business and Economics at UW Stevens Point, while Christopher Klesmith is the Neighborhood Planner at the City of Stevens Point. Special thanks to Dr. Elizabeth Martin for coordinating such a unique collision between ecosystem allies!

Together, we discuss how placemaking connects with higher education and how entrepreneurial ecosystems can integrate students. We also celebrate agility within the future of work, ask what is school for, discuss collaboration between educational institutions, and close by solving the power paradox. EP54 is a timeless reminder for those who are blurring the lines between the classroom and community, which paints a reality that activates innovative ways for leaders to interface with the world.

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By Ben McDougal, 9 monthsJune 12, 2024 ago

You Don't Need This Podcast

Exit Ramps

Every story ends and Brian Crotty with HDH Advisors helps business owners finish in style. Together, we chat through exit strategies, business valuation, merges & aquisitions, ESOPs, and cultivating a performance-based culture through transitional times. Refill your mug and enjoy this gift of a caffeinated conversation. What a perfect way to wrap a bow on 2023!

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By Ben McDougal, 1 yearDecember 25, 2023 ago

You Don't Need This Podcast

Funnel Canyoneering

Kaylee Williams is a sales savant and an empathetic venture capitalist dedicated to accelerating fellow founders. As the Investment Director at InnoVenture Iowa, she manages a $30M public fund focused on investing in early stage companies throughout Iowa, with applications for this year’s $100K InnoVenture Challenge now open!

Together, we chat about hiking in the Appalachians, raising capital, and filling the sales funnel to keep entrepreneurs building in the wild. As Kaylee reminds us with her closing canyoneering story, we are all capable of so much more, so push yourself into positions where the only way out, is through.

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By Ben McDougal, 1 yearSeptember 18, 2023 ago

Ben McDougal is an author, founder, technologist, and entrepreneurial ecosystem builder in the connected era.

Ben has been called a polymath. He evolves ideas into reality and accelerates others through the art of connection. Check out the innovations this leader has activated over time!

You’ve likely met Ben or heard him speak.

You Don’t Need This Podcast has been the place to enjoy a podcast every Wednesday morning for a while now! McDougal’s latest creation unites 80+ timeless episodes, each with featured guests in-studio! Listen and watch as leaders brew through the fabrics of an entrepreneurial lifestyle. The content creation never stops either. 160+ writings are now minted into Roasted Reflections. This library is a literary journey for the mind and could present a compelling path toward an all-new format coming soon.

Shifting gears, the quest that is FliteBrite remains compelling and an active part of Ben’s journey as a founder. Since 2012, their electronic serving system and beer festival app have created tech-infused paths for craft breweries and event organizers. This tasty story continues to be written, with fun, friendships, successes, learnings, and more fun, every step of the build.

Alongside his ventures, Ben caffeinates a nationwide movement called 1 Million Cups. After leading 1MC Des Moines for 5 years, Ben now collaborates with the Kauffman Foundation as the @1MCMidwest Regional Rep. He’s been making a ruckus in this position for over 5 years. What glorious collision, with endless generous 1MC organizers, in countless entrepreneurial ecosystems. Ben loves this leadership role brewed to connect and support 1MC organizers from 100+ communities throughout the Midwest and nationwide!

When it comes to nationwide efforts, Ben also had the privilege of teaming up with Techstars as an Entrepreneur in Residence and Ecosystem Builder. Investing 2021-2023 to build through the Iowa Techstars Accelerator was fantastic. That marketing-flavored, community building, culture, and founder-support role allowed Ben to continue accelerating inspired entrepreneurs… while connecting mentors and investors from around the globe.

Such experiential wisdom is translated into BENergy as McDougal speaks with a variety of different audiences. For example, You Don’t Need This Keynote activates students, while other talks accelerate young professionals, founders, side hustlers, and intrapreneurs. Watch fantastic examples here, then let’s chat about your next event, keynote speaker ideas, workshop collaborations, and/or entrepreneurial initiatives.

There’s so much more too. The full story is linked below and a spacious museum will keep you appreciating work that feels like play. As you’ll see through stories, Ben also enjoys travel, golf, EDM expeditions, reading, Seth Godin, philosophy, wine, craft beer, pinball, and spending treasured time with his wife and daughter. May the best of your todays, be the worst of your tomorrows. Cheers!

FULL STORY