Utah Women & Leadership Podcast

Hosted by Dr. Susan R. Madsen

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Episodes

182

Latest episode

Jun 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

The mission of the Utah Women & Leadership Project is to strengthen the impact of Utah girls, women, and families. We serve Utah and its residents by 1) producing relevant, trustworthy, and applicable research; 2) creating and gathering valuable research-based resources; and 3) convening trainings and events that inform, inspire, and ignite growth and change for all Utahns. We are moving mountains for Utah women! Hosted by Utah State University.

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60 recent

June 2, 2026Episode 18338 min

Utah Women and Political and Civic Representation

In this episode, Dr. Susan Madsen explores findings from the newly released 2025 white paper “Home, Health, Community, & Allyship 2025: Utahns’ Awareness, Understanding, and Attitudes.” This conversation focuses on Political and Civic Representation, examining how perceptions and experiences have shifted for Utah women and girls over the past three years. Drawing on data from an 83‑item survey of more than 5,200 Utahns, the discussion highlights the trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping women’s engagement in civic life statewide.Dr. Madsen is joined by two Bolder Way Forward advisors—Ann Mackin and Sui Lang Panoke—who offer expert insights into representation, leadership pathways, and the systems that influence women’s participation in public decision‑making.GuestsAnn Mackin Founder & President, Springboard UtahBolder Way Forward Advisor — Political & Civic Representation SpokeAnn leads statewide efforts to train, advocate for, and place talented individuals on community boards, government commissions, nonprofit boards, and corporate boards across Utah.Sui Lang Panoke Founder & Principal Consultant, Rethink InternationalBolder Way Forward Advisor — Political & Civic Representation SpokeSui Lang is a global leadership strategist who challenges organizations to rethink how they develop leaders, build culture, and expand representation.Download the full 2025 white paper HERE.1Visit the Utah Women & Leadership Project website.Share this episode with colleagues, community partners, or anyone invested in strengthening women’s political and civic leadership in Utah.Follow the podcast and leave a review to help others discover the show!Support the show

May 19, 2026Episode 18238 min

Health Across the Lifespan

In this episode, Dr. Susan Madsen explores findings from the newly released 2025 white paper “Home, Health, Community, & Allyship 2025: Utahns’ Awareness, Understanding, and Attitudes.” This conversation focuses specifically on Health Across the Lifespan, examining how perceptions, experiences, and challenges have shifted for Utah women and girls over the past three years. Drawing on data from an 83‑item survey of more than 5,200 Utahns, the discussion examines key trends shaping women’s health and well‑being statewide.Dr. Madsen is joined by two guests—Amy Anderson and Stephanie Stokes—who offer expert insights into the evolving health needs of Utah women and girls.GuestsAmy Anderson Community Connector, Utah Women & Leadership ProjectA Bolder Way Forward Advisor — Health Across the Lifespan SpokeAmy brings experience from Advocate Health Systems and the American Hospital Association’s Institute for Diversity.Stephanie Stokes Community Health Manager, Primary Children’s HospitalA Bolder Way Forward Advisor — Health Across the Lifespan SpokeDownload the full 2025 white paper HERE.Visit the Utah Women & Leadership Project website.Share this episode with colleagues, community partners, or anyone invested in women’s health and well‑being in Utah.Follow the podcast and leave a review to help others discover the show!Support the show

May 5, 2026Episode 18135 min

Utah Women: Finance and Home & Family

In this episode, Dr. Susan Madsen explores two major areas from newly released 2025 white papers titled “Women, Finance, & Education 2025: Utahns’ Awareness, Understanding, and Attitudes” and “Home, Health, Community, & Allyship 2025: Utahns’ Awareness, Understanding, and Attitudes.” Drawing on findings from an 83‑item survey of more than 5,200 Utahns, this conversation highlights how perceptions, experiences, and challenges have shifted for Utah women and girls over the past three years. Dr. Madsen is joined by two Bolder Way Forward advisors—Melanie Jewkes and Alyssa DeHart—to discuss the challenges, trends, and opportunities shaping the lives of Utah women and girls today.GuestsMelanie JewkesExtension Professor, Utah State UniversityBolder Way Forward Advisor — Finance Spoke Melanie works to empower women of all ages to achieve financial security and long‑term sustainability. Alyssa DeHartCEO & Founder, Utah Advocacy CoalitionBolder Way Forward Advisor — Home & Family Spoke Alyssa leads statewide efforts to support healthy families and elevate the voices of people living with disabilities across Utah.Download the full 2025 white papers HERE.Visit the Utah Women & Leadership Project website.Share this episode with colleagues, community partners, or anyone interested in women’s well‑being in Utah.Follow the podcast and leave a review to help others discover the show!Support the show

April 27, 2026Episode 18035 min

Utah Women and Education: Higher Education Attainment and K-12 Initiatives

In this episode, we discuss two elements of a recently released white paper titled “Women, Finance, & Education 2025 Utahns’ Awareness, Understanding, and Attitudes.” The two we’ll be talking about today will be Higher Education Attainment and K-12 Initiatives. Based on an 83-item survey conducted in October and November of 2025, this study collected data from more than 5,200 Utahns across both representative and convenience samples. This marks the third consecutive year of data collection, allowing us to examine how perceptions and experiences have shifted since the 2023 and 2024 surveys. This episode discusses key findings from Higher Education Attainment and K-12 Initiatives to better understand the challenges, trends, and opportunities shaping the lives of Utah women and girls today. Dr. Susan Madsen, an Extension Professor of Leadership at Utah State University and the Founding Director of the UWLP and A Bolder Way Forward, is joined by two guests. First, Eric Dahlin, professor in the Department of Sociology at BYU and a Bolder Way Forward advisor for the Higher Education Attainment spoke. Also joining us is Mindy L. Layton, a fourth-generation Utah educator who currently serves as a Multilingual Learner Academic Coach at Granite School District. She serves as a spoke advisor for A Bolder Way Forward’s K–12 Initiatives spoke.Support the show

April 20, 2026Episode 17939 min

Utah Women and Safety & Security: Poverty, Homelessness, and Domestic Violence

In this episode, we discuss a recently released white paper titled “Women’s Safety & Security 2025: Utahns’ Awareness, Understanding, and Attitudes,” specifically focusing on poverty, homelessness, and domestic violence. Based on an 83-item survey conducted in October and November of 2025, this study collected data from more than 5,200 Utahns across both representative and convenience samples. This marks the third consecutive year of data collection, allowing us to examine how perceptions and experiences have shifted since the 2023 and 2024 surveys. In this episode, we walk through key findings to better understand the challenges, trends, and opportunities shaping the lives of Utah women and girls today. Dr. Susan Madsen, an Extension Professor of Leadership at Utah State University and the Founding Director of the UWLP and A Bolder Way Forward, is joined by two guests. First, Elizabeth Garbe, Vice President of Public Policy at United Way of Salt Lake, an organization that mobilizes people and resources to improve basic needs and education outcomes for Utah children and families. Second, Erin Jemison, Director of Public Policy at the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition. Erin is deeply committed to using her opportunities to make systems work better for everyone. Support the show

April 3, 2026Episode 17838 min

STEM Fields & Leadership Development for Utah Women

In this episode, we discuss our white paper titled “Utah Women in the Workplace: Entrepreneurship, Workforce Development, STEM Fields, and Leadership Development,” specifically two elements of the report: STEM Fields and Leadership Development. Based on an 83-item survey conducted from October 1 through November 19, 2025, the study includes insights from more than 5,200 Utahns across both representative and convenience samples. This marks the third consecutive year of data collection, allowing us to examine how perceptions and experiences have shifted since the 2023 and 2024 surveys. We walk through key findings from the two sections mentioned to better understand the challenges, trends, and opportunities shaping the lives of Utah women and girls today.Dr. Susan Madsen, an Extension Professor of Leadership at Utah State University and the Founding Director of the UWLP and A Bolder Way Forward, is joined by two A Bolder Way Forward advisors. First, Cydni Tetro, Co-Founder and President of Women Tech Council, and A Bolder Way Forward’s STEM Spoke Advisor. Second, Shirlayne Quayle, CEO of PowerLane, Co-Founder of the Women’s Influence Network, and A Bolder Way Forward’s Leadership Development Spoke Advisor. Support the show

March 27, 2026Episode 17733 min

Homelessness Among Utah Women: A 2025 Update

In this episode, we discuss our recently released snapshot titled “Homelessness Among Utah Women: A 2025 Update.” This snapshot examines national and Utah trends in homelessness over the past several years, including demographic characteristics of Utah women experiencing homelessness, contributing factors, and state spending. It also highlights current efforts and opportunities for Utahns to help decrease homelessness and better meet the needs of individuals experiencing homelessness. We’ll unpack all of that and more in today’s episode.Dr. Susan Madsen, an Extension Professor of Leadership at Utah State University and the Founding Director of the UWLP and A Bolder Way Forward, is joined by Dr. Robyn Blackburn, Research Fellow with the Utah Women & Leadership Project. Support the show

March 17, 2026Episode 17631 min

Women’s Safety & Security: Child Sexual Abuse & Sexual Assault

In this episode, we take a closer look at two key topics—child sexual abuse and sexual assault—from the newly released white paper “Women’s Safety & Security 2025: Utahns’ Awareness, Understanding, and Attitudes.”Based on an 83-item survey conducted in October and November of 2025, this study collected data from more than 5,200 Utahns across both representative and convenience samples. This marks the third consecutive year of data collection, allowing us to examine how perceptions and experiences have shifted since the 2023 and 2024 surveys. We walk through key findings from the two sections mentioned to better understand the challenges, trends, and opportunities shaping the lives of Utah women and girls today.Dr. Susan Madsen, an Extension Professor of Leadership at Utah State University and the Founding Director of the UWLP and A Bolder Way Forward, is joined by two Bolder Way Forward advisors. First, Matthew Hartvigsen is the Executive Director of Saprea. He oversees initiatives that work to liberate individuals and societies from child sexual abuse and its lasting impacts. He serves as a spoke advisor in BWF for the Child Sexual Abuse spoke. Also joining is Dr. Julie L. Valentine who joined the University of Utah College of Nursing in October 2023 as a Professor and was at BYU for many years prior. She serves as a BWF advisor for the Sexual Assault Spoke. Her ultimate professional objective is to significantly reduce instances of sexual and gender-based violence in Utah and beyond. Support the show

March 4, 2026Episode 17537 min

Utah Women in the Workplace: Gender Pay Gap & Sexual Harassment and Gender-Based Discrimination

In this episode, we discuss two elements of a recently released white paper titled “Women in the Workplace in 2025: Utahns’ Awareness, Understanding, and Attitudes.” The two we’ll be talking about today will be the gender pay gap and sexual harassment and gender-based discrimination. Based on an 83-item survey conducted in October and November of 2025, this study collected data from more than 5,200 Utahns across both representative and convenience samples. This marks the third consecutive year of data collection, allowing us to examine how perceptions and experiences have shifted since the 2023 and 2024 surveys. In this episode, we’ll walk through key findings from the two sections mentioned to better understand the challenges, trends, and opportunities shaping the lives of Utah women and girls today.Dr. Susan Madsen, an Extension Professor of Leadership at Utah State University and the Founding Director of the UWLP and A Bolder Way Forward, is joined by two Bolder Way Forward leaders. First, Stacee Pedersen, President of Momentum Employer Group, and an advisor for the Gender Pay Gap spoke in A Bolder Way Forward. Second, Nancy Sylvester, Counsel for Ogletree Deakins law firm and an advisor for the Sexual Harassment and Gender-Based Discrimination spoke in A Bolder Way Forward. Support the show

February 26, 2026Episode 17434 min

Utah Women in the Workplace: Entrepreneurship and Workforce Development

In this episode, we discuss two elements of a recently released white paper titled “Utah Women in the Workplace: Entrepreneurship, Workforce Development, STEM Fields, and Leadership Development.” The two we’ll be talking about today are entrepreneurship and workforce development. Based on an 83-item survey conducted from October 1 through November 19, 2025, the study includes insights from more than 5,200 Utahns across both representative and convenience samples. This marks the third consecutive year of data collection, allowing us to examine how perceptions and experiences have shifted since the 2023 and 2024 surveys. In this episode, we walk through key findings from the two sections to better understand the challenges, trends, and opportunities shaping the lives of Utah women and girls today.Dr. Susan Madsen, an Extension Professor of Leadership at Utah State University and the Founding Director of the UWLP and A Bolder Way Forward, is joined by two Bolder Way Forward leaders. First, Ann Marie Wallace, State Director of the Women's Business Center of Utah, and A Bolder Way Forward’s Entrepreneurship Spoke Advisor. Also joining us is Heather Nemelka, Founder and President of Elavare, and A Bolder Way Forward’s Workforce Development Spoke Advisor. Support the show

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Utah Women &amp; Leadership Podcast