Episodes

This week on the Business Brief podcast, we're cooking with caffeine and cocoa. First, the show looks at caffeine consumption by Generation Z. Then, it covers the rising price of cocoa — and what that means for sweets producers and consumers holiday season.

This week's episode of the Business Brief podcast explores a Missouri business trying to make more environmentally friendly houses with straw. Plus, the podcast looks at a state tax aimed at helping conservation efforts.

This week's episode of the Business Brief podcast examines the rise of Chappell Roan, the pop music star with southwest Missouri roots. Plus, the show covers retail trends expected to shape this holiday shopping season.

This week's episode of the Business Brief podcast looks at how local farmers and researchers are working to boost a niche but growing crop – chestnuts. Plus, the show examines an uptick in demand for emergency contraception since the election.

This week's episode of the Business Brief podcast covers a spooky trend in the job market: ghost jobs. Then, the show looks at the rising rate of small college closures in Missouri and what it means for prospective students.

This week, the Business Brief podcast discusses cannabis microbusiness licenses that may not be what they seem. The show also covers and a new statewide loan program working to provide access to capital to struggling small business owners.

This week's episode of the Business Brief podcast looks at the implications of a measure that would legalize sports betting in Missouri. Then, the show examines how the election could affect the future of federal funding for reproductive health care.

This week's episode of the Business Brief podcast examines potential consequences of a measure that would raise Missouri’s minimum wage to $15 an hour. Then, the show features a conversation with the state official tasked with making things more equitable in the booming cannabis industry.

This week's episode of the Business Brief podcast examines what a proposal to legalize sports betting in Missouri really means for education funding. Then, the show covers competing craft beer brewers coming together for the good of the industry.

This week's episode of Business Brief explores Kansas City’s stake in the Latin music industry with The Kansas City Latin Jazz Orchestra and a Feast Week that highlights dozens of Black-owned restaurants and a brewery.

It's pumpkin season. This week's episode of the Business Brief podcast looks at what that means for some Missouri farms. Then, the show highlights an education program preparing Missouri inmates for life after incarceration.

This week's episode of the Business Brief podcast looks at plans to address financial challenges facing Catholic schools in the St. Louis area. Then, the show heads to the farm for a story about programs preparing the state’s next generation of farmers.

This week, the Business Brief podcast looks at the role community and support networks play in helping Black women entrepreneurs in Missouri overcome business challenges. Then, the show covers challenges to this year's tomato crop — and how that's being felt in Missouri.

This week's episode of the Business Brief podcast examines what a new Missouri law means to funding for reproductive health care in the state. Then, the show spotlights a new microloan program for women entrepreneurs of color and rural entrepreneurs.

This week's episode of the Business Brief podcast checks in on the United Auto Workers on the eve of Labor Day and the one-year anniversary of the union's strike against major automakers. The show also features a conversation with a founder of a St. Louis startup using artificial intelligence for lawn mowing.

This week's episode of the Business Brief podcast takes a look at the growth of blue collar jobs in renewable energy. Then, the show examines a measure on next week's ballot that could open up legislative opportunities for addressing child care deserts.

This week's episode of the Business Brief podcast examines the growing use of goats in renewable agriculture. Then, the show features a primer on the art of the business pitch from Missouri entrepreneurs.

This week's episode of the Business Brief podcast examines the financial hardships facing small, private universities — including several in Missouri. Then, the show looks at a grant program aimed at boosting minority entrepreneurship in mid-Missouri.

This week's episode of the Business Brief podcast looks into how the confluence of cicadas and other challenges could pose problems for apple growers in the state. Plus, the show explores the emergence of cannabis lounges across Missouri.

The latest episode of the Business Brief podcast looks at how extreme heat affects businesses when plants are their product. Then, the show highlights a recent event aimed at advancing Black-owned businesses in Columbia.

This week's episode of the Business Brief podcast takes a tour of Kansas City’s early-stage business landscape at the Startland News Startup Crawl. Then, the show looks at the challenges and opportunities for Missouri’s cottage food sector.

This week's episode of the Business Brief podcast looks at the financial realties of roadwork. First, the podcast digs into the costs of potholes. Then it takes a look at the business consequences of Interstate 70 expansion.

The Business Brief podcast is back with new hosts Alex Cox and Yasha Mikolajczak. This week's episode looks at how festivals help local artists stay afloat. Then, it features a conversation with Saint Louis University law professor Jamille Fields Allsbrook about the potential legal future of Planned Parenthood’s Medicaid funding.

This week's episode of the Business Brief podcast looks at what the ability to utilize generative artificial intelligence tools can mean to job seekers' marketability. Then, the podcast features a conversation with an expert on hiring trends for small businesses.