Solutions with Sagamore

About Solutions with Sagamore

Solutions with Sagamore is a public policy podcast from Sagamore Institute exploring education, workforce development, economic opportunity, and the challenges shaping Indiana, the nation, and the world. Researchers, business leaders, educators, and public officials discuss practical ways to strengthen communities, prepare people for changing careers, and improve how government serves citizens. Conversations cover the future of work, K-12 and higher education, manufacturing, technological change, national security, and civic leadership. How can schools and employers prepare the next generation for success? What will help men and boys reconnect with education, work, and community? How can cities deliver better services with limited resources? Each episode examines the ideas, research, and experiences behind potential solutions. Based in Indianapolis, Sagamore Institute brings a heartland perspective to public policy, with an emphasis on turning research into action through business innovation and citizen engagement. Whether you are an employer, educator, policymaker, community leader, or engaged citizen, Solutions with Sagamore offers a place to understand the forces changing society and explore what we can do about them. Visit sagamoreinstitute.org to learn more and explore Sagamore Institute’s research and initiatives.

Publisher

Sagamore Institute

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

10 Sept 2025

Latest episode

19 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

11 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   19 Oct 2026

   Indiana Child Care: $9,000 a Year, 30,000 on the Waitlist | S2E2

   Indiana child care costs average about $9,000 a year for one child, while roughly 30,000 children are waiting for state assistance. For parents trying to work, pursue training or return to school, the shortage can determine whether those opportunities are affordable.Erin Kissling, president and CEO of Early Learning Indiana, and Sam Snideman, vice president of government and sector relations at United Way of Central Indiana, explain why child care remains difficult to find and pay for. They discuss the end of pandemic assistance, roughly 500 provider closures, and the state's $200 million infusion through the FROG Fund to restart voucher enrollment.Sagamore Institute senior fellow Derek Redelman examines how the Child Care and Development Fund and On My Way Pre-K support lower-income households, and why a sharp eligibility cutoff can discourage workers from accepting higher-paying jobs. The guests also consider the financial squeeze on providers who must raise wages without putting tuition further beyond families' reach.The conversation moves from affordability to educational quality, including evidence of lasting preschool benefits, gaps between early learning and kindergarten, and Indiana's Paths to QUALITY ratings. Kissling describes Classroom Ready, a skills-based training program connected to Ivy Tech and Purdue Global, as the guests debate credentials, classroom competency and educator pay.Looking ahead to the next legislative session, they consider employer tax credits, Tri-Share, scholarships and other options to expand access. Indiana currently has enough capacity to serve only about two-thirds of children who need care, making early education a central workforce issue.

2. 

   27 Sept 2026

   Workforce 2040: Rethinking Education Beyond High School | S2E1

   College value is about more than tuition. Teresa Lubbers and Carol D'Amico examine the cost and relevance of education beyond high school, the barriers to finding a career pathway, and how Indiana's colleges can prepare students and working adults for a changing economy. Lubbers, Sagamore Institute's senior adviser and Indiana's former commissioner for higher education, and D'Amico, a former executive vice president of Ivy Tech Community College, discuss three-year degrees, career credentials and the pressure to deliver more value for students' time and money. The conversation covers tuition freezes, declining enrollment and the economic consequences of campus closures for small communities. It also considers how closer ties between colleges and employers can connect what students learn with the jobs they pursue. D'Amico describes spending two hours searching for an apprenticeship as though she were a 17-year-old, without finding a clear way to apply. A second attempt, this time as an adult looking for financial aid and career training, raises similar questions about how people navigate their options. The two also examine Ivy Tech's statewide structure, its role in high school dual credit and its responsibility to adults seeking new skills. Early career exploration and summer jobs round out a discussion about helping students understand their choices without locking them into a profession.

3. 

   17 Jan 2026

   Manufacturing leaders say industry’s future looks bright in Indiana | S1E9

   Bryce Carpenter, chief operating and strategy officer with Conexus Indiana, and Andrew Berger, president and CEO of the Indiana Manufacturers Association, discuss how manufacturers are attracting talent and leveraging technology to meet industry’s current and future needs.

4. 

   18 Dec 2025

   Opportunity, national defense & citizenship highlight busy year for Sagamore Institute | S1E8

   Sagamore President Teresa Lubbers reviews the Institute’s achievements in 2025 and looks forward to an eventful year ahead.

5. 

   11 Dec 2025

   Stephen Goldsmith: Better, faster, cheaper is cities’ formula for success | S1E7

   Stephen Goldsmith, former mayor of Indianapolis and deputy mayor of New York, explains why cities must embrace innovation when challenges outweigh available resources. More on the Goldsmith Prize for Innovation in Local Government: https://sagamoreinstitute.org/goldsmith-prize/ More on Stephen's work at Harvard: https://datasmart.hks.harvard.edu/stephen-goldsmith

6. 

   3 Dec 2025

   Education Secretary Katie Jenner discusses future of K-12 and higher education in Indiana | S1E6

   Indiana’s top education leader discusses her goals for the next legislative session and how she balances her dual responsibilities across K-12 schools and universities.

7. 

   13 Nov 2025

   Jamie Merisotis discusses the future of higher education | S1E5

   Lumina Foundation President and CEO Jamie Merisotis discusses the future of higher education and jobs with Sagamore fellow Derek Redelman. About Jamie: https://www.luminafoundation.org/person/jamie-merisotis/

8. 

   15 Oct 2025

   Dan and Marsha Coats: A journey of service from Germany to director of national intelligence | S1E4

   Dan and Marsha Coats discuss their experiences while the former Indiana senator served as U.S. ambassador to Germany and as America’s director of national intelligence.

9. 

   8 Oct 2025

   Lives well lived: Former Sen. Dan and Marsha Coats discuss their lifetime of public service | S1E3

   Sagamore Fellow Alan Dowd discusses with former U.S. Sen. Dan Coats and his wife Marsha their lifetime of public service as well as their new book, From Generation to Generation. Buy the book: https://a.co/d/8uhnqAS Explore a timeline of Dan and Marsha's lives: https://dancoats.us/

10. 

    25 Sept 2025

    Why are men and boys falling behind? New research seeks to find answers | S1E2

    Sagamore Institute Fellow Derek Redelman leads a conversation with education and workforce development expert Carol D'Amico and Fathers and Families Center President Larry Smith about the deep challenges facing many men and boys in Indiana and beyond.

11. 

    10 Sept 2025

    How Indiana must prepare for rapid changes in jobs and education with Teresa Lubbers | S1E1

    In this premiere episode of Sagamore Solutions, host Tim Swarens sits down with Sagamore President Teresa Lubbers and Senior Fellow Derek Redelman to unpack the seismic shifts reshaping America’s workforce and education systems. The discussion explores changes in Indiana and America's workforce since the publication of Sagamore's "Workforce 2040" report last year, as well as the modern challenges and opportunities facing workers, employers, students, and educators. Learn more about Workforce 2040: https://sagamoreinstitute.org/workforce-2040/ Follow Sagamore on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sagamore-institute

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.