Pam Whitten calls it her dream job, comparing the night before she was announced as president of Indiana University to Christmas Eve as a child, “when you anticipated something pretty wonderful happening.” The first female president in IU’s more than 200-year history opens up about her path to the presidency, student-centered leadership and her budding friendship with Mitch Daniels.

Evan Bayh was destined for a life in politics and he wasted little time in making his mark, taking office as Indiana’s 46th Governor at the age of 33. In this episode, the son of legendary Senator Birch Bayh talks about a visit to New Hampshire that sparked his political passion, a covert vice presidential discussion over hamburgers with Barack Obama and life beyond politics.

He has led some of the biggest and most consequential events in Indianapolis history in a career that has taken him around the globe. But Indiana has always been home for Penske Entertainment Corp. Chief Executive Officer Mark Miles. In this episode, the Wabash College grad takes us inside the memorable events that have shaped Indy, recalls an unforgettable encounter with Fidel Castro and hints at a big event he’d like to one day see in Indiana.

From an Italian refugee camp to the pinnacle of motorsports, Mario Andretti has led a life of excitement and accomplishment.  And his need for speed started at a very young age. In this episode, the only man to win the Indy 500, Daytona 500 and Formula One World Championship opens up about immigrating to the United States, his love for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and a movie that started it all.

He is leading a transformation at the world’s second-largest animal health company that includes a vision to make downtown Indianapolis a destination for global talent. In this episode, Elanco Animal Health CEO Jeff Simmons talks about his passion for feeding the world, the power of mentoring and the profound impact of a hailstorm on the family farm. 

He was born in France, raised in Minnesota and thought he wanted to be a doctor. But Eric Halvorson’s life, and career path, would all change with a move to Indianapolis. The popular former news anchor talks about succeeding a legend, the future of TV news and life after TV in the grocery business.

Indianapolis Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Aleesia Johnson was destined to be an educator. Growing up in Evansville she watched her mother teach, volunteering to grade papers and spending time in her classroom and at school events. In this episode, she talks about her path to becoming the first black woman to lead Indiana’s largest school district and how her passion for education has been put to the test.

Tom Henry’s roots are firmly planted in Fort Wayne, where he grew up with 16 brothers and sisters! The fourth term mayor talks about the dramatic transformation in the city’s downtown, the importance of leadership and how his parents led him to a life of public service.

Deborah Curtis arrived in Terre Haute to teach music, and once there, her passion for education was ignited. But little did this Chicago native realize that after getting her PhD. from Indiana State University she would one day come back to lead the institution. In this episode she talks about coming home, her mission to reduce the achievement gap and why she wants to “dispel the language” that ISU is a well-kept secret.

It’s a job he’s been preparing for his entire life. Matt Taylor vividly remembers as a 10-year-old his animated play-by-play sessions in the basement of his family home. It was the start of a love affair with football and broadcasting that would shape his life---from state champion at Roncalli High School to linebacker at Franklin College to his dream job as the voice of the Indianapolis Colts. In this episode, Taylor talks about paying dues, seizing opportunities and the day he found out he was getting the big chair. And did I mention he does an unbelievable Don Fischer impression?

From childhood dreams of becoming a professional wrestler hatched in a homemade backyard ring to his legendary stint on radio powerhouse Q95, Jimmy Mad Dog Matis has always had entertainment in his blood. The proud Indy South sider opens up about family, career and exactly how he got that Mad Dog nickname.

When Dan Elsener took over as president of Marian University, financial issues had the school teetering on the verge of extinction. In the 20 years since , enrollment has quadrupled and the school has been transformed, on campus and in the classroom. In this episode, Elsener talks about decision making, risk taking and the future of higher education.

In this episode, find out how a shy civil engineering student from the San Francisco Bay area became the face of competitive eating and ultimately found a home in Indiana. Joey Chestnut talks food, preparation, his feud with Kobayashi and why he loves Indiana.

Life lessons learned from growing up in the back of a skid row bar would serve Fred Glass very well. From high profile coaching moves as director of athletics at his beloved Indiana University to crafting a deal to build Lucas Oil Stadium and keep the Colts in Indy, he has had a front row seat for many big moments. In this episode, he opens up about Crean, Cuban and creating a life of making a difference.

From a Maryland farmhouse to the Statehouse to the White House, it has been an incredible, and unlikely journey for Dr. Jerome Adams. In this episode, the 20th Surgeon General of the United States opens up about growing up in Amish Country, his path to become Indiana State Health Commissioner and ultimately, working side by side with Donald Trump on the nation’s response to COVID-19. 

She grew up far from the city lights on a farm in Morgan County, where you had to make your own entertainment. Today, Susan Baughman is in charge of making Indianapolis entertaining for fans who descend upon the city for some of the biggest sporting events in the world. The    President at 2022 Indy College Football Playoff, Inc. talks life on the farm, Indy’s “special sauce” and what we can expect when college football’s biggest game comes to town.

Her award-winning storytelling took her around the globe for interviews with Mother Teresa and the Dalai Lama. But Anne Ryder’s heart and home remain firmly planted in Indiana, where today she is paying it forward, teaching the next generation of broadcast journalists. In this episode, she opens up about the future of television news, moments that changed her life…and that time she did weather.

For Good Bones’ co-star Karen E Laine, celebrity has turned the tables. “I am no longer the weirdo who goes up to complete strangers and starts conversations…now someone else does it to me.” The former prosecutor, who has risen to stardom demolishing and rehabbing homes with her daughter on the hit HGTV show, opens up about life, her eclectic spirit and breaking down stereotypes…about women in construction and living in Indianapolis.

That Indianapolis sales consultant Bryan Neale is a National Football League referee should come as no surprise. The name of his firm is Blind Zebra Consulting and the Newburgh, Indiana native sees many parallels between success in business and officiating on football’s biggest stage. He talks the pursuit of his life dream, the moment he got the call from the NFL and how it almost came crashing down in the College Football National Championship Game.

John Michael Gliva, or JMV as he is known to his legion of followers, has come a long way from the tiny Greene County town of Owensburg. The ride for JMV has included stints as a TV weatherman, radio DJ and mortgage loan broker. And while he landed his dream job as the high-profile host of The Ride with JMV on Indy sports talk station The Fan more than a decade ago, he remains a decidedly small-town guy.

From Final Fours to the Super Bowl, she has been a key player in the biggest sporting events Indianapolis has hosted. Allison Melangton talks about her path from a small town in Maine to a big-time role in helping Indy become a sports capital. The Penske Entertainment Corp. senior vice president shares the inside story of what attracted her to Indy, how the city earned its place on the biggest stages in sports and why she’s very bullish about the future.

How does the son of a northern Indiana funeral home owner become a face of the state’s emerging tech economy? Find out in this week’s Business & Beyond podcast as Max Yoder talks tech, his passion for music and how getting cut from his middle school basketball team may have been a turning point in his life.

Some people are just winners. Quinn Buckner is a winner. From championships at every level of his sport to his recent election as chair of the Indiana University Board of Trustees, the once shy, self-described mama’s boy has led a life of leadership. He talks about his path to success, his relationship with Bob Knight and lessons learned along the way.

In the buttoned-down world of the National Football League, he is an owner who wears his passion on his sleeve. In a wide-ranging conversation, Colts owner Jim Irsay talks about his expectation for more Lombardi trophies, passing the torch to his daughters and plans for a world class museum in downtown Indy. Oh, he also shares some great stories on the move from Baltimore, too.

From Nick Saban to Andrew Luck, his sidesplitting spoofs have made him an internet sensation. And while hard work has catapulted Indianapolis native Joey Mulinaro into the national spotlight, and earned him accolades from some big names, this self-described living room impersonator will always be a south side guy.