Welcome to an inspiring and uplifting episode of The AMPx Podcast! Today, Charles and Shanee dive into her incredible journey towards personal freedom, achieved through unwavering grit and determination. This has led her to become a thought leader and influential figure, boasting over 1.3 million followers. Shanee will share her valuable insights on digital marketing, reveal the secrets behind her entrepreneurial success, and offer personal growth tips. She'll also touch on the power of emotional storytelling and creating content that not only educates but also uplifts people.

Shanee Moret Bio

Shanee is a trailblazing entrepreneur, founder, and CEO of Growth Academy. She has been a catalyst for change in numerous businesses within today's highly competitive market. Her story of resilience has inspired countless individuals, demonstrating that with the right mindset and hard work, anything is achievable. As a thought leader and influencer, Shanee has been featured in various publications and podcasts, sharing her invaluable insights and expertise with audiences across the globe.

Email: hello@growthacademy.global

Get ready for an electrifying episode of The AMPx Podcast, as Charles and Kate dive headfirst into the riveting realms of conscious leadership, dynamic innovation ecosystems, and the art of complex collaborations.

Kate Moreland Bio

Kate Moreland, a trailblazing leader and CEO, has devoted her life to empowering others as they chart their course through the intricate labyrinth of career choices and personal development. With a distinguished tenure as CEO of the Iowa City Area Development Group, a non-profit economic development organization, Kate has made her mark as a transformative force for businesses and communities.

A masterful collaborator, Kate is certified in strategic doing and has a remarkable knack for uniting people. As the visionary co-founder of Her Experience, a pioneering retreat for women, and the spirited co-host of the TendHER Wild Podcast, Kate's infectious enthusiasm has motivated countless individuals to discover their authentic selves and lead lives filled with purpose and satisfaction.

A proud alumna of the University of Iowa Law School (Class of 1999), Kate has also shared her wisdom as an adjunct faculty member at Kirkwood Community College and the University of Iowa College of Law.

Email: katemorelandcoaching@gmail.com

In this episode of The AMPx Podcast, Charles and Mona discuss her successful career as a serial Fintech entrepreneur, whose energy and passion have resulted in multiple IPOs.

Mona DeFrawi  Bio

Mona DeFrawi is a highly accomplished entrepreneur and business leader, recognized as one of Forbes' "Most Powerful Women in Technology" and "Top 100 Women in Fintech." With over 30 years of experience, Mona has raised more than $11 billion in equity funding and supported the startup ecosystem in countless ways. Mona's impressive background includes pioneering the private markets, successfully lobbying for legislation that unleashed billions in new venture LP investment, and managing multiple IPOs.

Today, Mona is the Founder and CEO of Radivision, a streaming and community platform that aims to democratize the private markets and maximize entrepreneurial success. Leveraging her vast experience supporting the entrepreneurial ecosystem, Mona has incorporated streaming media and AI as powerful tools to engage, inform, and empower global audiences with smart discovery and referrals to early-stage investment opportunities.

If you're looking to learn from a true trailblazer and be inspired to pursue your own entrepreneurial dreams, be sure to check out Radivision and connect with Mona.

email: mona@radivision.com

website: https://www.radivision.com/

In this episode of The AMPx Podcast, Charles and Mitchell delve into the Business aspects of rehabilitating our soil and securing the long-term sustainability of Earth's soil biome, particularly in relation to the extensive cultivation of row crops.

Mitchell Hora Bio

Mitchell Hora is a 7th generation Iowa farmer and the Founder/CEO of Continuum Ag. Mitchell's team is on a mission to help 1 million farmers profit from improving their soil health and in 2020 launched the first soil health data intelligence software platform, TopSoil. Continuum Ag has amassed a footprint of 42 states in 20 countries striving to ensure family farms are logistically and economically positioned to minimize adverse risks associated with transitioning to regenerative farming practices. Continuum Ag collaborates with agricultural ecosystem leaders such as Rabobank, CIBO, Bayer, and Land O'Lakes to leverage disruptive technology to strengthen existing relationships amongst farmers and their advisors. Mitchell has been named to Forbes AgGrad Under 30 list.

email: mitchell@continuum.ag

website: https://continuum.ag/

In this episode, Charles and Sean dive into the exciting world of exponential technologies and their impact on high-performance teams in the public and private sectors.

Together, they explore the keys to building high-performance cultures, and the importance of innovative and disruptive teams in today's rapidly evolving landscape. They'll also address common fears surrounding the competition with AI, and how we can strengthen human connections to cope with accelerating exponential changes like ChatGPT.

Additionally, Sean will share an update on his recent humanitarian tour in Ukraine, where he was one step ahead of Russian missiles landing in the cities he had visited. He'll share his experiences and insights on the importance of resilience and adaptability in high-pressure situations.

Charles and Sean will also discuss the power of forming new mindsets and thinking about partnering with technology to achieve our goals, as well as inspiring curiosity in times of increasing global uncertainty.

So sit back, relax, and join us on this journey as we explore the future of high-performance teams and the role that exponential technologies will play in reshaping the Universe.

Sean Kennedy Bio

Sean Kennedy is the founder of Megawatt Photovoltaic Development, Inc. With extensive expertise in energy policy and natural resources, Sean has been deeply involved in developing renewable energy during his time as a political appointee in the Clinton Administration. During these eight years, he served on the senior staff of the Secretary of Energy and was deeply involved in the Secretary’s priority effort to promote renewable energy.  

Sean is also a dedicated humanitarian and social entrepreneur who is currently serving the Ukrainians by addressing their electricity needs in the face of destruction by Russian missiles.

With over 35 years of political and campaign experience, Sean has worked on or consulted for several Presidential campaigns, directing media events and tours, rallies, inaugurations, and international summits. Sean's inspiring leadership and commitment to making a positive impact continue to shape his work in the energy industry and beyond.

Sean@MW-PV.com

In this episode of The AMPx Podcast, Charles and Mitchell discuss regenerative agriculture and soil health.  Mitchell’s passion inspires conservative risk averse farmers to begin their critical journey to restore our lands and ensure Earth’s long-term soil biome sustainability. Mitchell also shares his growth as an Ag entrepreneur and the challenges he has overcome to grow Continuum Ag.

Mitchell Hora Bio

Mitchell Hora is a 7th generation Iowa farmer and the Founder/CEO of Continuum Ag. Mitchell's team is on a mission to help 1 million farmers profit from improving their soil health and in 2020 launched the first soil health data intelligence software platform, TopSoil.  Continuum Ag has amassed a footprint of 42 states in 20 countries striving to ensure family farms are logistically and economically positioned to minimize adverse risks associated with transitioning to regenerative farming practices. Continuum Ag collaborates with agricultural ecosystem leaders such as Rabobank, CIBO, Bayer, and Land O'Lakes to leverage disruptive technology to strengthen existing relationships amongst farmers and their advisors. Mitchell has been named to Forbes AgGrad Under 30 list.

email: mitchell@continuum.ag

website: https://continuum.ag/

In this episode of The AMPx Podcast, Charles and Jeff discuss the journey to build a nationally ranked women’s rowing team at the University of Iowa plus winning 13 national high school championships.  We explore developing a program with 75 student-athletes including developing a championship mindset, recruiting, training, and gender equity. 

Jeff Garbutt Bio

Jeff Garbutt was named the fourth head coach in the history of the University of Iowa rowing program in 2021. He helped Iowa reach heights the program had not seen before, qualifying for the NCAA Championships three consecutive years from 2017-19 and reaching No. 7 in the national rankings in 2018, the highest in program history.  In 2018, the Hawkeyes placed a program-best fourth in the Big Ten and set a school scoring record at NCAA’s placing 11th. 

Prior to joining Iowa, Jeff spent more than a decade developing high school talent in New Jersey as the head girls coach at both Mainland High and Ocean City High Schools where he led the teams to several state and national championship titles. Jeff served as a member of the legendary Ocean City Beach Patrol for two decades.

Jeff’s passion began at Atlantic City High School, where he rowed for his father, Bob Garbutt who built one of the top high school programs in the country, winning 13 national championships, eight Stotesbury Cup titles, and a runner-up finish at the famed Henley Regatta in England in 1994.

email: jeffrey-garbutt@iowarowing.com

In this episode of The AMPx Podcast, Charles and Raj discuss his rapid rise as an innovator in Risk Management of global banking and insurance portfolios. The risk standards of today were uncommon twenty years ago. Raj’s non-linear career growth placed him at the head of large business units of global financial institutions that required restructuring and new disciplines around aligning strategy with preservation of capital. His leadership and courage to take on the most challenging situations did not go unnoticed. In his 30’s, one of the largest financial institutions in the world hired Raj as their Chief Risk Officer to strengthen their Risk Management of a trillion dollar balance sheet in over 90 countries. 

The need for innovation continues as the Covid Pandemic has placed new challenges on managing global business disruption risks as every business around the world experienced unexpected setbacks. Raj is currently serving on the boards of several of the world's largest financial institutions and continues to drive transformational innovation through entrepreneurial FinTech start ups.

Raj Singh Bio

Raj’s experience spans C Suites of global FTSE, SMI, & DAX listed FS companies with a focus on risk, governance, business development, sustainability, and ESG. He has been a delegate to the World Economic Forum, IMF, BIS, IAIS, EIOPA, and other global venues.

Raj was Founder of Accredere AG, a Swiss-based advisory and serves on the boards of listed European and Middle Eastern financial institutions including 

• Vanguard European Non Exec Director (NED),  
• Muscat Insurance (publicly listed), Chairman and NED 
• AIB PLC, a Dublin-based (publicly listed FS firm) - NED 
• Founding Chair of the CRO Forum for global insurance CROs
• He was Chair of the International Finance Risk Institute, the Swiss-based CRO Forum for the top 40 financial institutions.

Prior to 2021, Raj was i) Group Chief Risk Officer (CRO) of EFG International, a Zurich-based, publicly listed wealth & asset manager with $150 billion in AuM, ii) CRO of ABRDN PLC (Standard Life Aberdeen), an LSE listed FS provider focused on asset management, wealth/pension platforms, & life insurance with operations in 32 countries and £670 billion in AuM, iii) Group CRO at Swiss Re, iv) Group CRO at Allianz SE, a DAX and NYSE publicly listed FS firm with over a trillion balance sheet and multi-trillion in AuM.

In this episode of The AMPx Podcast, Charles and Allison discuss early influences which ignited Allison's drive to improve education by addressing the unique requirements of at-risk children and creating safe school learning environments where children can thrive. Passionate about everything she does, Allison leads a collaboration between the State of Iowa Department of Education and University of Iowa serving all schools in Iowa’s 99 counties. She is committed to bridging the “research to practice” gap by engaging educational stakeholders in relationship building, professional development, research, and dissemination. 

Allison Bruhn Bio

Dr. Bruhn, former middle school teacher and graduate of Vanderbilt University, is a Professor of Special Education at the University of Iowa and the Executive Director of the Scanlan Center for School Mental Health, a $20 million collaboration between the Iowa Department of Education and University of Iowa. She serves as an Associate Editor for two journals, Behavioral Disorders and Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, and teaches courses on elementary classroom management, current issues and trends in special education, emotional/behavioral disorders, grant writing, and academic careers. Over the last 10 years, this work has resulted in 78 publications, 2 mobile apps, and over 130 local, state, national, and international conference presentations. 

allison-bruhn@uiowa.edu 

In this episode of The AMPx Podcast, Charles and Madhu discuss his journey from India to America where he became an AI and digital engineering entrepreneur. Madhu is a creative innovator and eternal student of spirituality, psychology and human behavior. He shares experiences in his personal awakening and talks about his commitment to maintain a balance between living fully and building businesses. 

Madhu Reddiboina Bio

Madhu Reddiboina is a tech entrepreneur and founder of RediMinds, Inc. An AI enablement and digital engineering firm focused on creating the future with Artificial Intelligence, Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality, Cyber Security and Digitization. His clients include publicly traded Fortune 500 companies from varying industries including Security & Protection Services, Healthcare, MedTech, Automotive Manufacturing, Retail Banking and Financial Services. 

Madhu Reddiboina is an active deep tech researcher, investor, philanthropist, speaker, and an author of numerous scientific publications with patents pending on applications of image processing, computer vision and 3D reconstruction technologies. He is an eternal student of spirituality, psychology and human behavior.

madhu.reddiboina@rediminds.com

In this episode of The AMPx Podcast, Charles and Steve discuss the inspirations which ignited his creative passions to explore wild places in the world on bikes he designed and built as well as leading The University of Iowa Department of Art History and Studio Art.

Steve McGuire Bio

Combining an MA in Sculpture (Iowa) and a PhD in philosophical interpretation (Iowa) has landed Steve in a curious and creative place. The bicycle. In his role as Professor and Director of Art History and Studio Art at the University of Iowa since 1990, Steve, pursued both his passion for riding all the bikes he designed and built in extreme and remote places, and teaching students to build their own bikes while leading an exceptional team of 16 staff and 30+ faculty as they teach 500 undergraduate majors and 70 graduate students, pursuing MFAs and PhDs.

website: https://art.uiowa.edu/people/steve-mcguire

In this episode of The AMPx Podcast, Charles and Sean discuss the inspirations which lead Sean to becoming an exploration geologist working in remote western forests in search of minerals for mining companies. Seans passions evolved into becoming a social entrepreneur through political appointments and working within the department of energy. Eventually Sean became a solar energy entrepreneur. Sean initiated the first large solar project for the US Postal Service with a capacity of 11 MWac, the nation's largest urban solar project at the time. Sean is an active bee keeper maintaining 30 hives in Washington DC.

Sean Kennedy Bio

As founder of Megawatt Photovoltaic Development, Inc. Sean comes to Megawatt with extensive energy policy and natural resources field expertise as well as a strong background in issues-driven media. Sean served at the U.S. Department of Energy as a political appointee in the Clinton Administration. During these eight years, he served on the senior staff of the Secretary of Energy and was deeply involved in the Secretary’s priority effort to promote renewable energy. 

Sean has more than 35 years of political and campaign experience beginning with the 1984 campaign cycle in Iowa, his home state. He has worked on or consulted for the Presidential campaigns of Bill Clinton, Al Gore, John Kerry, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Joe Biden directing media events and tours, rallies, inaugurations, and international summits. 

Sean@MW-PV.com

In this episode of The AMPx Podcast, Charles and Dan discuss the future of education and the technology innovation that will help address the challenges facing administrators, teachers, and students in our education system today. The new Scanlon Center for School Mental Health is a partnership between the University of Iowa College of Education and the Iowa Department of Education is the state’s hub for school-based mental health research, training, professional learning, and clinical services that was launched in June 2021 with an ambitious mission – to provide social, emotional behavioral, and psychological services to all of Iowa’s schools and to build Iowa’s capacity for immediate and future mental health support. 

Dr. Daniel Clay Bio

Dan is an entrepreneur  and innovator in the field of education where he serves as the dean and professor of the University of Iowa College of Education. Prior to Iowa, he served as the dean of the University of Missouri College of Education as well as the board of directors of the Missouri Innovation Center, a business incubator/accelerator. Dan is also a successful entrepreneur involved in business start-ups inside and outside education.  He pioneered the development of an online K-12 curriculum bringing the highest quality K-12 curriculum to global audiences. Dan  authored the award-winning book Helping Schoolchildren with Chronic Health Conditions: A Practical Guide with his more recent research focusing on reintegrating children who have experienced chronic illness back into schools and communities.

Dan led the procured $40 million for a new school mental health center including federal funding and philanthropic support. He has a MA in educational and counseling psychology and a Ph.D. in counseling psychology from the University of Missouri. He also holds a MBA from the University of Missouri Trulaske College of Business.

email: dan-clay@uiowa.edu

website: Scanlan Center for School Mental Health: https://scsmh.education.uiowa.edu/

In this episode of The AMPx Podcast, Charles and Dimy discuss the importance of Africa as an emerging market and his efforts to develop the entrepreneurs of the future which will raise the level of business engagement and the importance of sub-saharan Africa in the world. Dimy highlights his childhood growing up in Haiti and his journey to become an international trainer and advocate for entrepreneurs in emerging markets.

Figure correction: Mandella Fellows applicant total is 35,000, rather than 3,500, as it was stated in the interview 

Dimy Doresca Bio

Dimy is the Director of the Institute for International Business, Associate Professor of Practice in International Business and Entrepreneurship, and the Justice Faculty Fellow in International Development and Processes at The University of Iowa with over 20 years experience in international business consulting and an international trainer in international business and entrepreneurship training in many countries in the Middle East, Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean. He is also the Academic Director of the Mandela Washington Fellowship Program at the University of Iowa. Professor Doresca holds an MS in Foreign Service (International Affairs) from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. He speaks English, Spanish, French, and Haitian Creole. 

email: dimy-doresca@uiowa.edu

In this episode of The AMPx Podcast, Charles and Hannah discuss the inspirations which ignited her passion to play the cello as a young girl leading to her becoming the principal cellist of the Quad Cities Symphony Orchestra and NYC Ballet Orchestra. Fanfare magazine declares "her tone and technique are the stuff that cello legends are made of "... In January, 2022 Hannah oversaw the opening of the new Deanery School of Music where she is the founder and artistic director. The Deanery School of Music is a non-profit organization created to provide an inclusive home for high-quality music instruction, performance, and collaboration in the Quad Cities region. It seeks to enrich and enhance the cultural and social fabric of the community through music and education. She is in the middle of a video project highlighting the lives of women cellists from the past. 

Hannah Holman's Bio

Hannah’s career has encompassed orchestral and chamber music, solo performances, and teaching. She began her professional career in England playing with the English String Orchestra under Yehudi Menuhin and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra under Simon Rattle. Her previous orchestral work also includes serving as assistant principal cello with the Michigan Chamber Orchestra, the Richmond Symphony; and the American Sinfonietta. Ms. Holman studied at the Eastman School of Music and Michigan State University, where she completed her Bachelor of Music degree. She obtained her Master of Music Degree with Fritz Magg at the New England Conservatory. 

website: https://www.hannahholmancello.com/

In this episode of The AMPx Podcast, Charles and Paul discuss the emergence of a transition of theatre into the metaverse, the technical challenges, and the explorations required to develop a new technology platform. As the theatre emerges from the pandemic and re-envisions how it performs our stories for a technologically advanced society. You will also learn about the importance of play in early childhood brain development, social engagement, problem-solving, human connection, and creativity. We explore the importance of play in the corporate boardroom and in the innovation of new products and technologies. Human connection and playfulness will be critical in reducing the daily stresses in a world being driven by disruptive technologies.

Paul Kalina Bio

Paul is currently the Head of Acting and teaches movement at the University of Iowa and is a represented Artist with Cirque du Solei. He is currently working on a live clown show with his colleague at Iowa called Media Clown using VR, Artificial Intelligence, and motion capture. Paul is and one of the founding members of the physical theatre company 500 Clown and performed in over eight hundred performances around the country of 500 Clown’s work including co-creator and performer in 500 Clown Macbeth, 500 Clown Frankenstein, 500 Clown Christmas Carol & 500 Clown and the Elephant. 

email: paul-kalina@uiowa.edu

In this episode of The AMPx Podcast, Charles and Travis discuss his world record solo flight around the world in June 2021 at age 18. We learn what inspired Travis’ dream and the plan required to bring it to life, making the impossible possible while never giving up. He talks about narrowly escaping a collision with a mountain in Montana and running out of fuel over Russian airspace. Travis concludes with his next dream, being the 1st to fly an electric plane around the world.

Travis Ludlow  Bio

As well as being a world record holder at 18, Travis became an Ambassador for Aviation for the British Government at 19 and is an established TEDx Speaker, Youth Ambassador and an envoy for Sustainable Aviation. Travis became the first ever ‘youth speaker’ at TEDx in New York, where his talk varied from his usual story by comparing the key message for pilots in trouble to the dangers the world faces in the future. His talks help motivate and develop the leaders of the future, reaching out to all generations, through inspiring and rewarding stories. He addresses his concerns for the future of aviation and his excitement about the speed in which new technology is being developed to provide a sustainable future for aviation and the planet.

email: travis@aroundtheworldsolo.co.uk

website: www.travisludlow.com