Meeting in Middle America with Steven Olikara
34 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 3 years ago -Wisconsin and the Midwest are attracting the attention of the coasts in the areas of tech innovation, entrepreneurship, lifestyle and political importance. This new podcast will help tell that story. The show's host, Steven Olikara, is a nationally-recognized political entrepreneur and commentator, Wisconsin native, and founder/CEO of the Millennial Action Project.
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Episodes
#26 - Former U.S. Senator Russ Feingold
March 05, 2021 21:35 - 34 minutes - 31.2 MBIn the latest “Meeting in Middle America” podcast, host Steven Olikara interviews former U.S. Senator Russ Feingold, who was appointed the president of the American Constitution Society last year. Their conversation ranges from Feingold’s political history -- including his work with the late U.S. Senator John McCain on campaign finance -- to his current focus on judicial issues with the ACS. They also discuss Feingold’s early days of campaigning in Wisconsin and his role in guiding young lea...
#25 - Author and Activist Mary Lang Sollinger on Respect, Empowerment and Inclusion
December 11, 2020 18:46 - 51 minutes - 45.1 MBIn the latest “Meeting in Middle America” podcast, host Steven Olikara interviews activist and organizer Mary Lang Sollinger, who authored “From Inspiration to Activism: A Personal Journey Through Obama’s Presidential Campaign.” Her book was recently recognized by the Chicago Writers Association’s Book of the Year award in the independent nonfiction category. In this week’s interview, Sollinger highlights some of the most meaningful sections of the book, which documents her experiences fundr...
#24 - Wausau Mayor Katie Rosenberg on Local Government, "HOLY BALLS" and Roller Derby
December 04, 2020 19:56 - 24 minutes - 21.4 MBIn the latest episode of “Meeting in Middle America,” host Steven Olikara interviews Wausau Mayor Katie Rosenberg, who was elected in April of this year over the incumbent candidate. She discusses how her job has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, including local budget issues, and talks about some of the challenges she faces as mayor of a mid-sized city in central Wisconsin. Rosenberg also explains how her background in media and marketing shapes her approach to local government, and s...
#23 - Academy Award-winning Screenwriter John Ridley on Representation and Building Bridges
November 20, 2020 19:41 - 46 minutes - 39.4 MBIn the latest episode of “Meeting in Middle America,” host Steven Olikara interviews award-winning screenwriter John Ridley, who won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for “12 Years a Slave” in 2014. Ridley is also the owner of No Studios, a collaborative workspace and artistic community based in Milwaukee, where Ridley was born. In their discussion, he and Olikara touch upon the recent election as well as the current state of political discourse in America. They also highlight th...
#22 - Milwaukee Bucks Senior Vice President Alex Lasry on Building a Winning Team
October 30, 2020 18:36 - 31 minutes - 27.1 MBIn the latest episode of “Meeting in Middle America,” host Steven Olikara interviews Milwaukee Bucks Senior Vice President Alex Lasry, who discusses his work developing the team over the past four years as well as the rise of the Bucks’ star player, Giannis Antetokounmpo. Lasry also talks about his past work in politics, his path to joining the Bucks’ organization and the team’s more recent involvement in social issues. “Meeting in Middle America” is a collaboration between the Lubar Center...
#21 - Attorney General Josh Kaul and former AG JB Van Hollen on Safe Voting
October 09, 2020 19:29 - 27 minutes - 24.5 MBIn the latest episode of “Meeting in Middle America,” host Steven Olikara interviews Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul and former Attorney General JB Van Hollen, who recently joined a bipartisan effort aimed at ensuring and promoting safe voting called VoteSafe Wisconsin. Kaul and Van Hollen, who served as the state’s Attorney General from 2007 to 2015, are co-chairs of the organizations, which also includes a number of groups including the Millennial Action Project, the Milwaukee Bucks a...
#20 - Husco International President Austin Ramirez on the Future of Midwest Manufacturing
October 02, 2020 17:44 - 34 minutes - 30.4 MBThe latest episode of “Meeting in Middle America” with host Steven Olikara features a discussion with Austin Ramirez, president and CEO of Husco International, a Wisconsin-based company that designs and manufactures automotive components. In this week’s podcast, Ramirez provides an overview on the current state of Midwest manufacturing, as well as where it’s going. He also discusses his views on political reform, highlighting how shifting incentives for elected officials could lead to more p...
#19 - Trek Bicycle President John Burke on Saving America
September 25, 2020 16:47 - 34 minutes - 31.6 MBThe latest episode of “Meeting in Middle America” with host Steven Olikara features an interview with John Burke, president of Trek Bicycle. The conversation highlights Burke’s latest book, “Presidential Playbook 2020: 16 Nonpartisan Solutions to Save America.” Burke details some of his top recommendations, focusing on topics including campaign finance, climate change, public unions, legislative leadership and more. “Meeting in Middle America” is a collaboration between the Lubar Center for...
#18 - Steven Olikara: My Interview with Martin Luther King III
September 22, 2020 21:00 - 37 minutes - 43.8 MBThe latest episode of “Meeting in Middle America” with host Steven Olikara features a conversation with reporter Stephanie Hoff revisiting a recent interview with Martin Luther King III. Olikara and Hoff discuss several clips from the Millennial Action Project’s Future Summit event, where King delivered a keynote address. The podcast highlights diverse individuals finding common ground amid divisive political landscapes, formerly fringe movements coming into the mainstream, and the concept o...
#17 - Political Implications of Farming Trends
August 21, 2020 02:15 - 26 minutes - 23.4 MBThe latest episode of “Meeting in Middle America” with host Steven Olikara features an interview with journalist and author Dan Kaufman focused on Kaufman’s recent New Yorker article, “How Suffering Farmers May Determine Trump’s Fate.” The conversation explores the changing fortunes of farmers and how trends in agriculture could influence the national political climate. Kaufman, a Wisconsin native, previously published a book called “The Fall of Wisconsin,” and has also written for the New Y...
#16 - Exploring the Political States of Wisconsin
August 18, 2020 21:03 - 33 minutes - 32.4 MBThe latest episode of “Meeting in Middle America” with host Steven Olikara features a conversation with Washington Post journalist David Weigel, who’s visiting Wisconsin to cover the 2020 Democratic National Convention. They discuss Weigel’s recent article titled “The seven political states of Wisconsin,” which highlights political trends across varying regions of the state. The podcast touches on Weigel’s experience so far covering this year’s scaled-back convention, differences between pol...
#15 - Mississippi Flag: Change and Reconciliation
July 20, 2020 19:49 - 38 minutes - 30.4 MBThe latest episode of “Meeting in Middle America” with host Steven Olikara features a discussion with Mississippi Representative Jeramey Anderson, who was the youngest African-American state legislator ever elected in United States history. The podcast highlights the state’s recent move to remove the confederate flag symbol from the state’s official flag, and Anderson’s involvement with that effort. They also discuss ways to build bridges across political lines and Mississippi’s response to ...
#14 - Tackling Twin Public Health Crises
July 06, 2020 17:48 - 28 minutes - 31 MBThe latest episode of “Meeting in Middle America” with host Steven Olikara features a discussion with Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, the first African-American and Millennial to serve as the county’s top official. The podcast highlights the twin public health crises of COVID-19 and racism, and how county officials are responding. Olikara and Crowley also discuss the importance of building bridges within local communities, and how that relates to the broader effort to improve the h...
#13 - Organizing for Racial Justice
June 19, 2020 19:02 - 37 minutes - 32.2 MBThe latest episode of “Meeting in Middle America” with host Steven Olikara features an interview with Angela Lang, executive director of Black Leaders Organizing for Communities. This week’s podcast highlights the organization’s work and Lang’s journey in political leadership and organizing, as well as broad issues facing African-American communities in the Midwest and across the country. Lang also provides a Milwaukee-focused perspective on the past few weeks of protests and what they mean ...
#12 - Innovating Education in the COVID Age
May 28, 2020 20:17 - 31 minutes - 37.3 MBThis week’s episode of “Meeting in Middle America” with host Steven Olikara features a chat with Maurice Thomas, founder and executive director of the Milwaukee Excellence Charter School. As students and teachers alike gear up for summer learning experiences, Thomas explains how the pandemic has impacted the educational model and how his school is adapting. He also describes why and how he started the charter school, and gives his take on the importance of flexibility in education.
#11 - The View from Kohler Country
May 18, 2020 16:37 - 25 minutes - 29.2 MBThis week’s episode of “Meeting in Middle America” with host Steven Olikara features an interview with Rep. Tyler Vorpagel, R-Plymouth. The Republican state lawmaker shares how businesses in his area are responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, touching on manufacturers and other companies. Vorpagel also gives his take on how to prepare for safe elections this year including the importance of absentee voting, and discusses the importance of building bridges in politics.
#10 - Slaying the Dragon: Uniting Left and Right to End Gerrymandering
May 01, 2020 20:25 - 34 minutes - 23.6 MBThis week’s episode of “Meeting in Middle America” with host Steven Olikara includes an interview with activist Katie Fahey, founder and executive director of The People. They discuss the documentary “Slay the Dragon,” which highlights her successful efforts to end partisan gerrymandering in Michigan through the Voters Not Politicians organization.
#9 - COVID in Titletown
April 25, 2020 14:29 - 15 minutes - 10.7 MBThis week’s episode of “Meeting in Middle America” with host Steven Olikara includes a two-part discussion with Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich. In the first segment, Genrich gives his take on the city’s response to COVID-19 as well as Wisconsin’s recent in-person elections. The conversation also touches on expectations for the Democratic National Convention and the upcoming Packers football season. In the second segment — recorded in-person before the pandemic — Olikara interviews the millenni...
#8 - The Politics of Comedy
April 17, 2020 16:30 - 41 minutes - 28.6 MBThis week's episode of "Meeting in Middle America" with host Steven Olikara features a chat with Charlie Berens, an Emmy Award-winning journalist, comedian and creator of the "Manitowoc Minute." Their discussion ranges from the intersection of news and comedy to how Wisconsin's recent primary elections were complicated by the ongoing pandemic. They also explore the true meaning of 'Wisconsin nice,' and Charlie gives his take on moving past political boundaries.
#8 - The Politics of Comedy
April 17, 2020 00:00 - 41 minutes - 28.5 MBThis week's episode of "Meeting in Middle America" with host Steven Olikara features a chat with Charlie Berens, an Emmy Award-winning journalist, comedian and creator of the "Manitowoc Minute." Their discussion ranges from the intersection of news and comedy to how Wisconsin's recent primary elections were complicated by the ongoing pandemic. They also explore the true meaning of 'Wisconsin nice,' and Charlie gives his take on moving past political boundaries.
#7 - Leading in Crisis
April 03, 2020 18:23 - 27 minutes - 19 MBThe latest episode of “Meeting in Middle America” with host Steven Olikara features a chat with Jeremi Suri, a historian, author and professor at the University of Texas at Austin, where he teaches in the history department and the LBJ School of Public Affairs. Their discussion explores the concept of leadership during crisis, framing the current pandemic in a historical perspective.
#7 - Leading in Crisis
April 03, 2020 00:00 - 27 minutes - 18.8 MBThe latest episode of “Meeting in Middle America” with host Steven Olikara features a chat with Jeremi Suri, a historian, author and professor at the University of Texas at Austin, where he teaches in the history department and the LBJ School of Public Affairs. Their discussion explores the concept of leadership during crisis, framing the current pandemic in a historical perspective.
#6 - Pandemic and the 2020 Elections
March 27, 2020 19:17 - 37 minutes - 26.2 MBThe latest episode of "Meeting in Middle America" with host Steven Olikara features Craig Gilbert, Washington bureau chief for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Their discussion highlights the impact of the pandemic on Wisconsin's upcoming elections and the Democratic National Convention planned for this summer.
#6 - Pandemic and the 2020 Elections
March 27, 2020 00:00 - 37 minutes - 26 MBThe latest episode of "Meeting in Middle America" with host Steven Olikara features Craig Gilbert, Washington bureau chief for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Their discussion highlights the impact of the pandemic on Wisconsin's upcoming elections and the Democratic National Convention planned for this summer.
#5 - Economic Trends, Startup Leader Successes
March 20, 2020 05:51 - 15 minutes - 10.9 MBThe latest episode of "Meeting in Middle America" with host Steven Olikara features Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and Milwaukee Institute Executive Director Kathleen Gallagher. Their conversation ranges from the future of the region's economy to local startup leader success stories.
#5 - Economic Trends, Startup Leader Successes
March 20, 2020 00:00 - 15 minutes - 10.7 MBThe latest episode of "Meeting in Middle America" with host Steven Olikara features Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and Milwaukee Institute Executive Director Kathleen Gallagher. Their conversation ranges from the future of the region's economy to local startup leader success stories.
#4 - K-12 Education in Milwaukee and Nationwide
March 13, 2020 14:31 - 17 minutes - 11.9 MBThis week's episode of "Meeting in Middle America" with host Steven Olikara dives into education issues with Erin Richards, a national education reporter for USA Today who previously covered K-12 for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The discussion highlights trends influencing education in the Midwest and across the country.
#3 - The Power of Music
March 06, 2020 17:02 - 24 minutes - 17.1 MBThis episode of "Meeting in Middle America" with host Steven Olikara explores the radio world of Rhythm Lab Radio's Tarik Moody, who oversees digital strategy and innovation for 88Nine Radio Milwaukee. Their discussion explores the idea of using music as a vehicle for bringing people together.
#2 - Supporting the Deaf Community
February 28, 2020 12:28 - 15 minutes - 10.6 MBThe show's host, Steven Olikara, interviews Rep. Jonathan Brostoff, D-Milwaukee. The conversation highlights his approach to raising awareness for political issues, as well as legislation he's personally championed.
Meeting in MIddle America - Episode Two
February 28, 2020 00:00 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBThe show's host, Steven Olikara, interviews Rep. Jonathan Brostoff, D-Milwaukee. The conversation highlights his approach to raising awareness for political issues, as well as legislation he's personally championed.
#1 - Bridging the Political Divide
February 21, 2020 16:26 - 27 minutes - 19.3 MBThe show's host, Steven Olikara, is joined by Reps. Adam Neylon, R-Pewaukee, and Robyn Vining, D-Wauwatosa. Their discussion centers on the notion of coming together across political lines to move the state forward.
Meeting in Middle America - Episode One
February 21, 2020 00:00 - 27 minutes - 19.1 MBThe show's host, Steven Olikara, is joined by Reps. Adam Neylon, R-Pewaukee, and Robyn Vining, D-Wauwatosa. Their discussion centers on the notion of coming together across political lines to move the state forward.
Introduction - The Role of an Entrepreneurship Hub
February 03, 2020 15:18 - 16 minutes - 11.5 MBThe show's host, Steven Olikara, sits down with Brian Thompson, director of the Lubar Entrepreneurship Center and president of the UW-Milwaukee Research Foundation; as well as Ilya Avdeev, director of innovation at UW-Milwaukee's LEC.
Meeting in Middle America - Introduction
February 03, 2020 15:18 - 16 minutes - 11.4 MBThe show's host, Steven Olikara, sits down with Brian Thompson, director of the Lubar Entrepreneurship Center and president of the UW-Milwaukee Research Foundation; as well as Ilya Avdeev, director of innovation at UW-Milwaukee's LEC.