In our December edition of Incentives & Instincts, Justin sits down with economist Bryce Ward to unpack the complex and pressing issue of trust in government. With trust levels in government at historic lows, they delve into the historical trends, causes, and consequences of this erosion in confidence. The conversation explores the influence of media, t…

Jennifer Isern, Morgan Slemberger and Karl Unterschuetz are the authors of recent reports on access to capital in Montana. In this episode, the three of them sit down with Justin to discuss the financial challenges faced by entrepreneurs, with a focus on barriers for women and Native business owners. The conversation highlights ongoing efforts to close these gaps, such as increasing awareness of funding resources, enhancing funder capacity, and exploring alternative financing solutions.

Learn more about the reports published by the team here: https://www.acceleratemt.com/accessingcapitalinmontana and here: https://www.umt.edu/real-women/research/reports/access-to-capital/montana/montana-native-access-to-finance-report-final1.pdf

Transcript available here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KaK2lCAZfDJYtUagIHLg-z0LVsuMxyNhUd1rTcme-fs/edit?usp=sharing

Tracy McIntyre is the Executive Director of the Montana Cooperative Development Center. In this episode, she joins Justin to explain the unique world of cooperative businesses, or co-ops, highlighting how these community-driven organizations solve specific needs through collective ownership and democratic decision-making.

Learn more about the Montana Cooperative Development Center at www.mcdc.coop

Transcript available here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/15CEjDJzRp3UBJZ02Iv6IKRC_6GuBkn8TkdEQYmQMnQQ/edit?usp=sharing