
Northstar Unplugged
Hosted by Kristen Rainey and brought to you from Bozeman, Montana, Northstar Unplugged explores rest, unplugging, transitions, and finding what fuels you.
Latest episodes

May 29, 2023 • 41min
#111. Majka Burhardt: author of MORE: Life on the Edge of Adventure and Motherhood
Majka Burhardt is a professional climber, conservation entrepreneur, author, and filmmaker. She is the Founder and Executive Director of Legado and the author of Vertical Ethiopia: Climbing Toward Possibility in the Horn of Africa, which was short-listed for the Banff Book Award. Her work and projects have been featured in The Economist, Outside Magazine, The Weather Channel, NPR and more, and her articles have appeared in publications including Afar, Men’s Health, Skiing Magazine, Backpacker, Patagonia, Alpinist, Women’s Adventure, The Explorers Journal, and Climbing. Majka is a climber and ambassador with Patagonia and an American Mountain Guides Association Rock Guide and Ice Instructor. She graduated from Princeton University cum laude and received a MFA in Creative Writing from the Warren Wilson Program for Writers. She and her husband, Peter Doucette, an internationally certified (AMGA/IFMGA) mountain guide, live in Jackson, New Hampshire with their twin children. Full show notes at https://northstarunplugged.kristenrainey.com/

May 15, 2023 • 37min
#110. Sarah Kitchin: design for humanity in Rwanda, Bozeman & beyond
Sarah Kitchin is an architect and faculty member at Montana State University who joined MASS Design Group in 2011 as a founding member of the Kigali Office, contributing to nearly all of MASS's built work in Rwanda. She has led design and implementation projects in various typologies, including healthcare, housing, and education, cultivating deep engagement with local builders, material suppliers, and agencies to maximize impact during the construction process.Full show notes at https://northstarunplugged.kristenrainey.com/

May 1, 2023 • 51min
#109. Matthew Marquardt: a med student triathlete’s insights on sleep
Matthew Marquardt is a professional triathlete and medical student at the Ohio State University College ofMedicine. A varsity swimmer while in college and US Olympic Trials Qualifier, he graduated from Princeton University in 2021 with a major in Chemistry and a minor in Entrepreneurship. A diagnosis of sleep apnea during his sophomore year of college sparked his interest in learning more about sleep and how sleep can be used to optimize performance in all aspects of life.Full show notes at https://northstarunplugged.kristenrainey.com/

Apr 17, 2023 • 54min
#108. Genevieve Walsh: educating girls in Pakistan with Iqra Fund
Genevieve Walsh is the Co-founder and CEO of Iqra Fund, supporting the education of girls in the remote regions of northern Pakistan.Full show notes at https://northstarunplugged.kristenrainey.com/

Apr 3, 2023 • 57min
#107. Emily Stifler Wolfe: climbing, ADHD, motherhood, and donkeys
Emily Stifler Wolfe has two kids, two donkeys, two cats, five chickens, one spunky, lanky, very enthusiastic teenage dog, and a mountain man husband. A journalist-turned-strategist, Emily has called Bozeman home since January of 2005. Her first job in town was selling homemade cookies off her tailgate while parked at the turnoff for Bridger Bowl. Full show notes at https://northstarunplugged.kristenrainey.com/

Mar 20, 2023 • 53min
#106. Leigh Marz: co-author of GOLDEN: The Power of Silence in a World of Noise
Leigh Marz is a collaboration consultant and leadership coach for major universities, nonprofit coalitions, and federal agencies. Along with Justin Zorn, she is a co-author of GOLDEN: The Power of Silence in a World of Noise. Full show notes at www.northstarunplugged.com

Mar 6, 2023 • 55min
#105. Ryan Green and Adrienne Huckabone: founders of Happy Trash Can Curbside Composting
Ryan Green and Adrienne Huckabone are a husband and wife duo who founded and run Happy Trash Can Curbside Composting, a residential and commercial compost operation in Bozeman and surrounding areas.Full show notes at northstarunplugged.com

Feb 20, 2023 • 39min
#104. Amy Loughman: Gut brain axis- the food and mood connection
Amy Loughman is a Senior Research Fellow at Deakin University’s Food & Mood Centre in Australia. She is passionate about how the environments we live and work in affect our wellbeing. In this episode, we discuss the science about how the world around us - from our homes, workplaces, natural spaces, microbes and more - impacts our brain health. Full show notes at northstarunplugged.com

Jan 30, 2023 • 41min
#103. Melissa Lockman: Surviving the Marshall Fire
Melissa Lockman and her family are survivors of Dec 2021’s Marshall Fire in Louisville, CO. She is a somatic psychotherapist with a passion for supporting her clients in finding joy, meaning and satisfaction in motherhood and parenting. She is also passionate about assisting her clients in navigating trauma in order to move from a sense of overwhelm to a sense of power. Full show notes at www.northstarunplugged.com

Jan 9, 2023 • 47min
#102: Dylan Tomine: author of Headwaters: The Adventures, Obsession, and Evolution of a Fly Fisherman
Dylan Tomine is the author of two books published by Patagonia -- Closer to the Ground: An Outdoor Family’s Year on the Water, in the Woods and at the Table (2012), and most recently, Headwaters: The Adventures, Obsession, and Evolution of a Fly Fisherman (2022), winner of a National Outdoor Book Award. He is also a producer of the feature-length documentary "Artifishal," which has been watched by more than 3.5 million viewers.