CSU Spur of the Moment

How do great teams solve hard problems? Dr. Michaela Kerrissey believes it starts with curiosity, care, and a willingness to work together. Her research explores what makes teams thrive—how people from different backgrounds can bridge gaps, listen to one another, and turn collaboration into real innovation.Michaela is an Associate Professor of Management at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, where she studies how healthcare organizations innovate, improve, and integrate services. Her work focuses on team dynamics, cross-sector collaboration, and leadership behaviors that help groups move from impasse to impact. She was named to the 2023 Thinkers 50 Radar list of top global management thinkers.Michaela joined the podcast to discuss what makes teams effective, why a “we mindset” matters, and how to build cultures of openness, excellence, and shared problem-solving in any organization.Michaela joined the podcast to discuss what makes teams effective, why a “we mindset” matters, and how to build cultures of openness, excellence, and shared problem-solving in any organization.

George Sparks believes that cultural institutions have the power to bring people together. Not just literally in a collective space but by making a display of the inherent understanding that we are all a part of nature. George is the CEO of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science and has been with the museum for 20 years. Before that, he spent 24 years in the electronics measurement business at Hewlett Packard and Agilent Technologies. His career included marketing, sales, and general management of global businesses and software systems and services.George joined the podcast to discuss his work connecting humans and nature, his path to his current role, and the importance of building relationships and staying curious throughout your career. Denver Museum of Nature and Science WebsiteReferenced in the episode: Laws of Notion Podcast with Kristan Uhlenbrock

The Water in the West Symposium, hosted at CSU Spur, brings in speakers from different disciplines from around the world every year to discuss global and local water challenges. The 2023 symposium was centered around “Next Gen Water: From AI to Gen Z,” and in this special episode of CSU Spur of the Moment you will hear a panel discussion that focuses on Indigenous and Tribal water challenges and solutions. It featured Mike Preston of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe Water Resources Committee and Kathryn Redhorse from the Colorado Commission of Indian Affairs. The panel was moderated by Ernest House Jr of the Keystone Policy Center and also a member of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe. Their discussion touched on a range of topics, including tribal engagement and decision-making, the impact of drought and climate change on water rights and access, and the needs of the younger generation of Indigenous youth.

Mike Gabel laughs anytime he sees food scientists depicted as wearing lab coats and looking through microscopes. It’s not how he sees himself and the work that he does. In fact, he claims that in his 20-year career as a food scientist, he’s never even used a microscope. Instead, Mike helps food entrepreneurs develop products and bring them to market. Mike is the Director of the Food Innovation Center here at CSU Spur, which has the goal of supporting food innovators through various services and by creating a place for their ideas to be fostered and grow. He has led innovation teams at Windsor Foods, ConAgra Foods, and recently at Barilla where he spent five years at their headquarters in Parma, Italy.He sat down to talk about his passion for food sciences, his career journey, and the secret behind how Jelly Belly makes their jellybeans taste exactly like the foods they intend to replicate.Sign up to be a CSU Spur Taste Bud here

If you talk to George Franklin he’ll be the first to tell you that lobbyists have a bad rap. Ask him and he will emphasize that integrity and building trust with those around you is what make a good lobbyist, and those things are not often the image that’s depicted on screen and online. In this special episode of Spur of the Moment, you will hear a conversation between Kristin Kirkpatrick, Managing Director of CSU Spur Partnerships and Advancement, and George Franklin, author, speaker, long-time lawyer, lobbyist, and former Vice President of Government Relations for the Kellogg Company. George has written numerous books, both fiction and non-fiction, that draw on his experience working in Washington, including “Raisin Bran and Other Cereal Wars” and “So You Think You Want to Run for Congress.”Hear some colorful stories from George’s illustrious career, including big antitrust lawsuits and traveling with Mohammed Ali, and get an inside look at what the life of a lobbyist actually looks like — it’s not quite what you remember from “Thank You for Smoking.” George Franklin’s WebsiteConnect with George on LinkedIn