The Solution to Bad Internet Companies – with Jeff Christensen

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The Solution to Bad Internet Companies - with Jeff Christensen
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We’re having a conversation about why your internet sucks. But the internet doesn’t suck, your internet company does. Your internet is open and free to the world, but your Internet Service Provider (ISP), is surprisingly closed and lacking in innovation.

This week, Jeff Christensen talks with Sean Sevy about how his company called EntryPoint has created a huge disruption in the industry. Consider this: What if you could simply go online and switch your ISP within 30 seconds? It would create a world of competition and innovation rather than monopolies and poor customer service. But can this ideal actually be implemented? It can. In fact, it already has been implemented. Jeff Christensen has introduced this disruptive model in Ammon, Idaho and, as expected, it drove down costs and fueled innovation.

Jeff and Sean shared the stage at TEDxSaltLakeCity, wherein Jeff talked about this ISP innovation. His talk is called: “The Internet Disruption Every City Needs.” Check out his TEDx talk here: https://youtu.be/vELWXp3OOUA

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How We Might Be Discriminating Against Disabled People- with Romel Mackelprang

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How We Might Be Discriminating Against Disabled People- with Romel Mackelprang
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We’ve talked about racism and sexism, but today we’re talking about ableism–the discrimination against disabled people. In this episode we have a conversation about ableism with Dr. Romel Mackelprang, the Director of Disability Studies at Eastern Washington University. So how has society discriminated against disabled people? Here’s one: something called Inspiration Porn. This is when disabled people are only found in our media as objects of inspiration to make other people feel like they don’t have it so bad. It’s porn because one group of people (disabled people) are objectified for the benefit of another group of people (non-disabled people).

Listen to this episode to learn more about how we can do better and how public policy can do better to make disability discrimination no longer a thing.

This conversation was recorded at an event in Salt Lake City called Think Again. For more info on these events, visit: https://thinkagainslc.blogspot.com/

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What Happens When Jailbirds Run – with Isaac Wood

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What Happens When Jailbirds Run - with Isaac Wood
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Next week, Utah State Prison will be having their prison marathon. As you would expect from any running event, the inmates have been training hard. And they have the rare opportunity of having a coach from one of the highest ranking cross country teams in the nation. BYU cross country coach Isaac Wood has been helping inmates prepare for this annual running event since 2015, and has seen outstanding results. This event is record breaking, and it’s not because of the impressive race times. Rather, it’s record breaking in that these people who are often labeled as disappointments get the scarce opportunity of drastically exceeding their own expectations. They get to become something great even while confined in the walls of the prison.

In this episode, Isaac Wood explains how he has seen these inmates change as well as how this experience has changed him. If you want to get more running stories and stats from Isaac Wood, check out his popular blog, The Wood Report: http://citiusmag.com/wood-report-introduction/

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Empowering the Homeless (through Haircuts)

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Empowering the Homeless (through Haircuts)
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What can we give to homeless people? Food? Money? How about: Haircuts. Joining us on the show is Leslie Kawai, who is a board member and Gala Events chair for an organization called Care-Cuts. We talk about how offering homeless people haircuts is not just a nice thing, but something that creates job opportunities and–most importantly–gives people confidence and dignity.

Care-Cuts has impacted hundreds of people on the streets of Salt Lake City, but we take a deeper look at what’s causing this success. We also ask how everyday individuals can help the homeless with both long and short term needs. If you would like to get involved, here are some useful links:

Care-Cuts website: www.care-cuts.org
FB group page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/carecuts/

A Gay Mormon’s Perspective on Faith & Family- with Tom Christofferson

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A Gay Mormon's Perspective on Faith & Family- with Tom Christofferson
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Tom Christofferson is a gay Mormon. To many, this is a conflict that cannot be reconciled. But for Tom, it’s not that simple. His personal journey brought him away from being an active Mormon years ago. But most recently, his journey brought him back to being a full-time member of the church. In this episode, Sean Sevy joins a group called FaithAgain, where Tom Christofferson is the guest speaker. Tom candidly shares his experience with a group of Mormons–many of which are struggling with the conflict of having family members who identify as LGBTQ while also being devoted members in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

In this episode, we address some of the issues of being committed to both faith and family. For more on Tom Christofferson’s story, consider purchasing his new book That We May Be One: A Gay Mormon’s Perspective on Faith and Family. It can be purchased here: https://deseretbook.com/p/cd-that-we-may-be-one?variant_id=155907-paperback

If you’re liking Un-Uninformed, leave us a review in Apple Podcasts, like us on FaceBook, or follow us on Twitter.

A Conversation About Racism- with Cheryl Neufville and Sean Sevy

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A Conversation About Racism- with Cheryl Neufville and Sean Sevy
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Racism is hard to talk about. But we did it. Sean Sevy and Cheryl Neufville had a candid conversation about how racism is experienced and what we can do about it. This is the second time that Cheryl Neufville has been on the podcast. The first time Cheryl was on the show, she only briefly talked about how she experienced racism as the conversation took a slight tangent. But now, we’re taking on the issue head on. Here are some of the questions Sean asked Cheryl:

  • How have you experienced racism?
  • How much of racism is inherent and how much is taught?
  • Why can’t we all just get along?

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Compassionate & Conservative: Can we do both?- with Marco Díaz

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Compassionate & Conservative: Can we do both?- with Marco Díaz
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Many people believe compassion and conservatism mix just like oil and water. But Marco Díaz says NO. Marco Díaz has been heavily involved with the Utah Republican Party and he talks about how compassion and conservative can not only coexist, but they can in fact complement each other.

In our political climate where there’s a scarcity of compassion on both sides of the political aisle, here’s at least one example of how we can see more compassion in politics. But is compassionate conservatism just a nice fluffy ideal? Find out what Marco Díaz has to say about that.

If you’re liking Un-Uninformed, leave us a review in iTunes, like us on FaceBook, or follow us on Twitter.

Hurricanes Harvey & Irma: Are We Disconnected from those Affected?

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Hurricanes Harvey & Irma: Are We Disconnected from those Affected?
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Armando Porras is a Spanish Teacher for students experiencing the devastation of Hurricane Harvey. To Armando, cancelling school for the pending storm at first seemed like a good chance for a break. But (of course) it wasn’t. The storm hit harder than expected and Armando went from a full-time teacher to a full-time volunteer in disaster cleanup. In our interview, Armando contrasts the Hurricane’s effects on the rich and the poor–both of which he has a close relationship with.

We also talk with Rich Woodruff, the Utah Regional Director of Communications for the American Red Cross. He gives us some pointers on how we can contribute to the relief efforts of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. If you would like to donate or get involved with the American Red Cross’ relief efforts, visit: redcross.org

If you’re liking Un-Uninformed, leave us a review in iTunes, like us on FaceBook, or follow us on Twitter.

The Role of Women in Engineering

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The Role of Women in Engineering
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A typical Engineering graduating class only has a handful of women. And often we see even less women in the actual engineering force. So how do we address this? That’s a question that the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) is constantly asking. Joining us in this episode are two women heavily involved with SWE: Amy Jo Moore and Emilie Murphy. We talk about what it’s like to be a women engineer in a world often catered to male engineers (i.e. the engineering building only has a Men’s bathroom). We talk about issues like the female to male pay gap. And we talk about what SWE is doing help women fight the often uphill battle of being a female engineer.

If you’re liking Un-Uninformed, leave us a review in iTunes, like us on FaceBook, or follow us on Twitter.

Taco Stands: Models for Exceptional Customer Experiences-with Scott Porter

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Taco Stands: Models for Exceptional Customer Experiences-with Scott Porter
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Scott Porter has been to hundreds of taquerías (aka taco shops) across North America and he’s learned a few valuable lessons. It turns out that the secret to the universe when it comes to exceptional customer experiences can be found in the taquería experience. Scott Porter joins Sean Sevy in a random taquería near Salt Lake City, Utah called Tacos Mi Caramelo. It just so happens that this restaurant is a perfect model for the types of exceptional customer service experiences that Scott has been preaching about for years. And these principles are not limited to the restaurant industry. Businesses across the world from tech startups to taco shops have been successful with customer satisfaction as they’ve nailed a few of the principles covered in this episode.

Join us in this episode where we get to be foodies and entrepreneurs at the same time.

If you’re liking Un-Uninformed, leave us a review in iTunes, like us on FaceBook, or follow us on Twitter.

Why It’s OK to Not Always Be Happy-with Keri Dyer

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Why It's OK to Not Always Be Happy-with Keri Dyer
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Is the goal of receiving counseling for you to be happy all the time? We talk to a licensed clinical social worker, Keri Dyer, whose answer to that question is a big NO. So if it’s not about always being happy, what is it all about? For Keri, the answer lies in implementing what is called Emotional Hygiene. We also talk about: common misconceptions of people with emotional disorders, how to combat depression and anxiety, and if you stick around after the interview, you get to sit in on one of the biggest parts of Emotional Hygiene: mindful meditation. That’s right: we do a meditation session, and you’re invited to join in!

If you’re liking Un-Uninformed, leave us a review in iTunes, like us on FaceBook, or follow us on Twitter.

Nonprofit vs. For-Profit Social Ventures-with the Co-Founders of Fair Kind

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Nonprofit vs. For-Profit Social Ventures-with the Co-Founders of Fair Kind
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Linden Baker & Melissa Sevy co-founded a business which empowers artisans in developing countries who make indigenous handcraft which is sold to customers in the United States. Before they started this venture, all their efforts were in a similar non-profit called Musana International. But then they scaled up that concept to start Fair Kind, which is a for-profit.

We talk about the pros and cons of non-profit vs for-profit ventures. While Linden and Melissa have enjoyed the perks of both models over the years, they’ve seen how their for-profit has the greatest impact and sustainability. Find out why on this episode of Un-Uninformed.

For more info on Fair Kind, visit FairKind.com

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Networkr: The New App that Revolutionizes Networking

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Networkr: The New App that Revolutionizes Networking
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People who frequent networking events have a common problem: they keep meeting the same people at their table. Networking events try to fix this problem by having you draw a number out of a hat. But still, that’s not good enough. Because the hat doesn’t know what events you’ve been to before and how many people you’ve already met in the room. But the Networkr app does. Networkr is being released this month and it has the potential to affect millions of networkers across the world. We talk to the co-founders of Networkr: Brandon Knudsen and Brendan Dalley. It shouldn’t be a surprise that they’re so passionate about networking: that’s how they met. And they want to see more people have face-to-face connections after using this app. So is it just a Tinder for networking? No. It’s better.

For more information on Networkr, or if you want to be one of its pioneers, visit: networkr.io

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Impersonating Trump: Fake News, Witch Hunt, & #MAGA

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Impersonating Trump: Fake News, Witch Hunt, & #MAGA
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Trump loves to use phrases like “fake news” or “witch hunt.” In fact he’s used these phrases in over 100 of his Tweets. But what do these Trumpisms actually mean? We take a deep dive into Trumpisms as Sean Sevy interviews President Donald Trump (Sean Sevy). In this interview, we don’t get any new Earth-shattering statements from the President. Rather, we get Presidential statements through Trump’s preferred method of communication: Twitter.

If you’re liking Un-Uninformed, leave us a review in iTunes, like us on FaceBook, or follow us on Twitter.

Good vs Bad Charities: Finding Social Ventures that Work

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Good vs Bad Charities: Finding Social Ventures that Work
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Are you wasting money by donating to a charity? And is it worth it to start your own charity? We talk with Alicia Gettys who is the Director of Communications at BYU’s Ballard Center for Economic Self-Reliance. We talk about what makes a good charity and what makes one bad. Finally, Alicia gives us the framework for what it takes to start your own social venture.

If you’d like to make positive social change, here are some resources we talk about:

If you’re liking Un-Uninformed, leave us a review in iTunes, like us on FaceBook, or follow us on Twitter.

Technology 30 Years in the Future- with Kevin Kelly

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Technology 30 Years in the Future- with Kevin Kelly
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Will Artificial Intelligence take away my job? Is there a bright future ahead with the way technology is going?

This week, we’re asking questions about the future of technology, and joining us to sort it all out is Kevin Kelly, a co-founder of Wired magazine.Last month, he published the paperback of his new book The Inevitable: Understanding the 12 Technological Forces that will Shape Our Future. Kevin Kelly points out that a lot of the patterns we’ve seen in the last decade of technology are also what’s shaping our future.

But then we get into what this means for us as humans. Are we doomed? While Stephen Hawking predicts that Artificial Intelligence can overtake the human race, Kevin Kelly is much more optimistic. As he sees it, we’ve got a bright future ahead with more opportunities than ever as Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality, and enhanced connectivity make our world just a little bit better than it was before.

Kelly’s new book just hit the shelves for paperback. If you would like to be 30 years ahead of your peers on your outlook of technology, give this book a read. You can find it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble an of course in digital form, by visit Kevin Kelly’s website: http://kk.org/books/the-inevitable/

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Solving our Clean Air Problem: Science won’t be Enough

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Solving our Clean Air Problem: Science won't be Enough
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Piper Christian helped her city leaders pass a clean air resolution when she was only 16 years old. 16 years old! And she continues to inspire youth activism throughout her state as they approach government leaders with clean air and climate change issues. And her crew of young activists have had success with both left- and right-leaning government leaders.

In this episode, we talk about how Piper Christian has been so successful in talking to people about climate change. And she argues that scientific data with graphs of carbon emissions and warming trends is great, but it is not enough to do the job. So what is needed?

If you’re liking Un-Uninformed, leave us a review in iTunes, like us on FaceBook, or follow us on Twitter.

US & Russia Relations are Better than Ever…in Space

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US & Russia Relations are Better than Ever...in Space
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The US/Russia relations have been pretty rocky recently, but not when it comes to manned space travel. In fact, crews on the International Space Station with both Russians and Americans get along so well, that these astronauts believe the space station is a model for society. But it wasn’t always this way. During the “Space Race” era, space research between the two countries was not a friendly competition to see who could get to the moon first. Rather, it was a feud between ideals of democracy and communism. But all of that changed when President Nixon decided that our respective space programs are best when Americans and Russians are on the same team.

In this episode, Sean Sevy asks: What can we learn from these astronauts? He also asks a few other weird question about space, namely: What happens when I take my space helmet off on Mars?

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Toilets that Break Down Waste with Earthworms- with Dr. Meera Khader

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Toilets that Break Down Waste with Earthworms- with Dr. Meera Khader
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Many slum dwellers in India live without a toilet. As a result, they must attend to nature’s call out in the open. Not only is open defecation an inconvenience or embarrassment, but it causes other issues such as: insect bites, disease,  missed education opportunities, and sexual abuse.

Sean Sevy talks to the founder of SAPID, Dr. Meera Khader, to discuss these problems. And fortunately, these problems have a solution: innovative toilet systems called Soilets. Soilets are toilets which break down waste using earthworms, which makes them a perfect fit for slums which lack basic sewer systems.

Sean introduced Soilets to India when he was a volunteer for HELP International in 2011. After the first 5 Soilets were built, SAPID continued to build Soilets to the point where there are now over 150 Soilets in the slum which once only had 5. Now, instead of disease spreading rapidly, the Soilet is spreading rapidly.

To follow SAPID’s development initiatives, follow them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SapidIndia

For more on Soilets, visit: Soilet.org

And finally, if you’d like to stay Un-Uninformed, find us in your podcast app and follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Un_Uninformed

Biodegradable Maxi Pads: Female Hygiene Just Got More Sustainable

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Biodegradable Maxi Pads: Female Hygiene Just Got More Sustainable
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Typical female sanitary pads take hundreds of years to decompose in a landfill. So unless we’re ok with future archaeologists digging up our remains in a thousand years just to find a bunch of used maxi pads…something must be done.

In this week’s episode, Sean Sevy talks with Ali Dibble and Ben Bradford, who are students working to develop a biodegradable maxi pad called the SHERO pad. The SHERO team–under the direction of University of Utah professor Jeff Bates–started out as a research project but is now a startup out to revolutionize the future of maxi pads. Not only are they catering to environmentally-minded American customers but they’re formulating a model for the SHERO pad to be accessible to women in developing countries who lack basic feminine hygiene.

If you’re a fan of Un-Uninformed, rate our podcast in iTunes and follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/Un_Uninformed