Iowa Ideas 2025
Conference Replays

So many tracks, so little time

Gearing up for the Iowa Ideas 2026 Conference this fall? Review any of our different sessions from 2025 on the issues that matter most to Iowans.

Keynote Speakers

Kirk & Mary Ferentz
Thursday 8:30AM
Heather Gudenkauf
Friday 8:30AM
Doug Goettsch
Friday 1:00PM

Agriculture

Artificial Intelligence in Farming
Thursday 9:35AM
Agricultural Exports
Thursday 10:40AM
Beginning Farmers
Thursday 11:45AM
Protecting the health of Farmers
Thursday 1:55PM
Biosecurity and Food Production
Thursday 3:00PM
Alternative Crops
Friday 9:40AM
The state of K-12 Agriculture Education
Friday 11:50AM

Arts & Culture

Finding cash flow in changing nonprofit streams
Thursday 9:35AM
Federal funding cuts and impacts on Iowa’s arts and culture
Thursday 10:40AM
Hedge Your Bets: A look at how a casino impacts the arts scene
Thursday 11:45AM
Charting the course in choppy waters for arts and culture
Thursday 1:55PM
Creating new pipelines for the arts
Thursday 3:00PM
Keeping a pin in flyover country: Vamping up Iowa’s arts economy
Friday 9:40AM
Finding your passion for art later in life
Friday 11:50AM

Community and Economic Development

Economic Efforts and Growth
Thursday 9:35AM
Arrive and Thrive: Recruiting workers to Iowa
Thursday 10:40AM
Creating Housing
Thursday 11:45AM
Building vibrant resident retention programs
Thursday 1:55PM
How to foster community engagement
Thursday 3:00PM
Aging in Place: What are communities doing to help?
Friday 9:40AM
Community Impact & Support Networks
Friday 11:50AM

Education

Role of Teachers
Thursday 9:35AM
Lost funding, lost research, lost discovery and innovation
Thursday 10:40AM
Teacher Shortage areas
Thursday 11:45AM
Academic Freedoms
Thursday 1:55PM
Navigating a post-DEI Iowa education system
Thursday 3:00PM
Three year degrees and dual enrollment
Friday 9:40AM
Apprenticeships and Career Paths
Friday 11:50AM

Energy and Environment

Anaerobic Digesters: Friend or foe of the environment?
Thursday 9:35AM
An uncertain future for electric cars
Thursday 10:40AM
Conservation by Fire
Thursday 11:45AM
The future of renewable energy growth in Iowa
Thursday 1:55PM
Iowa’s response to growing power demand
Thursday 3:00PM
Conservation reductions in Iowa
Friday 9:40AM
What will it take to fully fund outdoor recreation and conservation in Iowa?
Friday 11:50AM

Health Care

Access to Medicaid
Thursday 9:35AM
Challenges with health care staffing in Iowa
Thursday 10:40AM
Empowering the mental health providers for a diverse population
Thursday 11:45AM
What it means to have AI in health care
Thursday 1:55PM
Weighing the cost and benefits of anti-obesity drugs
Thursday 3:00PM
Cost of Prescription Drugs and Pricing Transparency
Friday 9:40AM
Medicaid and Hospitals
Friday 11:50AM

Curious Iowa

Curious Iowa: How did European immigration in the 1840s shape Iowa?
Thursday 4:00PM
Curious Iowa: Why doesn't Iowa have a National Park?
Friday 10:45AM

Bonus Sessions

Rise of Women's Sports
Thursday 10:40AM
Recruiting Young Athletes
Thursday 11:45AM
Civic engagement in Iowa
Thursday 4:00PM
The challenges of local news
Friday 10:45AM

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