About this episode

Dena Wortzel returns to discuss the uncertain future of Wisconsin Humanities after recent funding cuts.

This season of Human Powered podcast launched in June of 2025 with a conversation with the Executive Director of Wisconsin Humanities, Dena Wortzel, just after the nonprofit reduced staff and paused programming due to federal funding cuts. Co-hosts Jessica Becker and Jen Rubin shifted from behind-the-scenes producers for Human Powered to pick up the mics themselves. In that first conversation, they talked with Wortzel about an uncertain path forward. In this episode, Wortzel returns for an up...

Topics covered

• nonprofit challenges
• funding cuts
• staff reduction
• cultural conversation
• Wisconsin Humanities

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