The 3rd Annual Bucksbaum Lectureship in Business

Featuring Marketplace’s Kai Ryssdal

Drake University, in partnership with Iowa Public Radio (IPR), will welcome Kai Ryssdal—host and senior editor of the nationally syndicated financial news program Marketplace—as the featured speaker for the 3rd Annual Bucksbaum Lectureship in Business. Join us for a dynamic moderated discussion where Ryssdal will be interviewed by Ben Kieffer, host of IPR’s acclaimed news program River to River.

Date: November 5, 2025 at 7:00 p.m.
Location: Knapp Center, Drake University
Admission: Free and open to the public
Livestream: Can't make it in person? The event will be live-streamed at live.drake.edu 
Radio Broadcast: The discussion will also be broadcast by Iowa Public Radio on River to River the following Monday from noon to 1 p.m.

About the Speakers

Kai Ryssdal

Kai Ryssdal is the host and senior editor of Marketplace, the most widely heard program on business and the economy in the country. He regularly speaks with Fortune 500 CEOs, entrepreneurs, and everyday participants in the global economy, distilling complex economic issues for a broad audience. His work has earned him a 2012 Emmy for investigative journalism, and his reporting has been featured in The New York Times and The Atlantic. Before his broadcasting career, Ryssdal served in the United States Navy and the U.S. Foreign Service.

Ben Kieffer

Ben Kieffer is a multi-award-winning reporter who has served as the host of IPR's River to River since 2007. The program examines stories beyond the headlines, which has led Kieffer to interview many prominent leaders and experts both in Iowa and beyond. His insightful interviewing style promises to make this a truly engaging conversation.

About the Bucksbaum Lectureship in Business

The Bucksbaum Lectureship in Business is a signature event of Drake’s Zimpleman College of Business. Made possible by a generous gift from the Bucksbaum family, it brings distinguished leaders in business and economics to Des Moines to engage with students, faculty, and the community. The discussions focus on how business and entrepreneurialism can create both an economic and societal impact.

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The Martin Bucksbaum Lectureship Series is made possible by a gift from the late Melva and Martin Bucksbaum. The Martin Bucksbaum Lectureship Committee includes Dr. Kelly Bruhn (chair), Alejandro Hernandez, Dr. Neil Hamilton, Mary Scanlon, Pam Bass-Bookey, Janis Ruan, Marcia Wanamaker, Eleanor Zeff, Bob Riley, Julie Stewart, Liz Hatfield, Dr. Richard Deming, Dr. Cassity Gutierrez, Shawna Kasner-Hannam, Paul LeFort, and Eva Kellen. Thanks to a recent additional gift from the Bucksbaums, the well-established lecture series now includes two lectureship tracks—the Bucksbaum Lectureship in Business, launched in Fall 2023, and the original Bucksbaum Distinguished Lectureship. 

Questions? For more information, contact Erica Hartschen, at 515-271-4990 or erica.hartschen@drake.edu.