Human Powered
A podcast from Wisconsin Humanities, because being human is a shared experience, and we are here to explore it together. Join us for relevant and personal conversations with people who are using their passions, skills, and cultural traditions to create healthy civic spaces for all of us.
Season four is hosted by Jen Rubin and Jessica Becker, with audio production by Chrissy Widmayer.
Podcasting since 2021 • 35 episodes
Human Powered
Latest Episodes
Human Powered: In Conversation with Maureen McCollum
In this episode of Human Powered, co-hosts Jessica Becker and Jen Rubin talk with longtime collaborator and award-winning Wisconsin Life producer, Maureen McCollum. They get to the heart of what makes WPR's Wisconsin Life radio segments so uniq...
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Season 4
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Episode 16
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29:45
Human Powered: In Conversation with Jane Beachy
We are kicking off 2026 with a special conversation with our neighbor in Illinois, Jane Beachy. Co-hosts Jen Rubin and Jessica Becker talk with Beachy about a program called Envisioning Justice from Illinois Humanities and her work convening pe...
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Season 4
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Episode 15
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31:43
Human Powered: In Conversation again with Dena Wortzel
This season of Human Powered podcast launched in June of 2025 with a conversation with the Executive Director of Wisconsin Humanities, Dena Wortzel, just after the nonprofit reduced staff and paused programming due to federal funding cuts. Co-h...
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Season 4
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Episode 14
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30:51
Human Powered: In Conversation with Jay Salinas
Jay Salinas moved to a farm in the Driftless Region of southwest Wisconsin with his partner, fellow artist Donna Neuwirth, and learned to grow vegetables. Before long, they started inviting friends from Chicago to come out and get their hands d...
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Season 4
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Episode 13
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36:01
Human Powered: In Conversation with Mary Beth Collins
We hear a lot about the ways nonprofits are preparing to cope with both new and perpetual challenges under the current Trump administration. Mary Beth Collins is the director of the Center for Community and Nonprofit Studies at the University o...
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Season 4
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Episode 12
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34:14