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In this final episode of Keystone’s 50th anniversary series, we explore The Invisible Hand of Keystone—the lasting, often unseen impact of collaborative work that continues long after a dialogue ends. From the Keystone Science School to the Forum for Collaborative HIV Research, Field to Market, the Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council, and the Kwiyagat Community Academy, we trace how initiatives that began under Keystone’s guidance have grown into independent organizations shaping policy, practice, and communities across the country. This episode reflects on Keystone’s enduring legacy and the power of collaboration to create change that lasts.

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In the final episode of Keystone’s three-part agriculture series — part of the organization’s 50th Anniversary celebration — we explore how Keystone brought its collaborative approach to one of the most transformative scientific frontiers: gene editing. When CRISPR technology emerged, Keystone helped lead the creation of CRISPRcon, a global forum for open dialogue about the promise and responsibility of gene editing. This episode reveals how CRISPRcon, and Keystone’s subsequent NGO Gene Editing Roundtable, helped define what responsible innovation looks like: transparent, inclusive, and grounded in open discussion.

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This second episode in Keystone’s agriculture series tells the story of how a simple idea became one of the most influential sustainability collaborations in modern farming. In the mid-2000s, Keystone convened a groundbreaking dialogue among farmers, agribusinesses, conservationists, and scientists to define what sustainability really means in agriculture — and how to measure it. That process gave rise to Field to Market, now a global leader in advancing continuous improvement across the food and agriculture value chain. Featuring reflections from the leaders who were in the room at the beginning, this episode traces how Keystone’s facilitation and commitment to trust transformed a conversation into a movement that continues to shape agriculture today.

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From honey bees to monarch butterflies, pollinators are vital to our food system and to the collaboration that sustains it. This first episode in Keystone’s three-part agriculture series highlights the organization’s foundational work to strengthen pollinator health and agricultural sustainability. Featuring the Honey Bee Health Coalition and Farmers for Monarchs, the episode explores how Keystone has united beekeepers, growers, researchers, and conservationists to find shared solutions. It also spotlights the Agriculture Climate Markets Collaborative, which advances trust and transparency in agricultural carbon markets, and a 2018 workshop with the Aspen Global Change Institute examining how to increase fruit and vegetable production to meet the world’s dietary needs. Together, these stories capture a snapshot of Keystone’s legacy of collaboration and its impact across the agricultural landscape.

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One of Keystone’s most inspiring education partnerships is Growing Ute Futures, a collaboration with the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe that led to the creation of Colorado’s first tribal charter school: the Kwiyagat Community Academy. In this episode, we revisit the history of Indigenous education, the vision behind the Academy, and the powerful impact it’s already having on students, families, and the revitalization of Ute language and culture.

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Keystone’s education work isn’t just about facilitation, it’s also about providing trusted data that helps communities act. This episode takes a closer look at the research and reports Keystone has produced on a range of issues, with a special focus on the crisis of unaffordable housing for teachers. Through data, interactive maps, and community insights, we explore how this challenge impacts schools across Colorado and what solutions might make a difference.

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Education is not just one stage of life, it’s a journey that begins in the earliest years and continues into the workforce. In this episode, we explore Keystone’s Center for Education and its “cradle to workforce” philosophy. From expanding access to preschool and childcare, to building stronger family engagement, to shaping the future of community colleges, Keystone is helping students and families thrive at every stage.

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In this second installment of our special 50th anniversary podcast series on collaborative governance, we turn our focus to the federal level, where Keystone’s experience and steady hand have guided some of the nation’s most complex public policy challenges.

This episode highlights our work with the Department of Energy on siting facilities for spent nuclear fuel, a continuation of Keystone’s founding legacy. We also explore how recommendations from our Energy Board on transmission permitting helped shape federal legislation, how we supported the safe closure and cleanup of Cold War-era military munitions sites, and how Keystone’s collaborative approach is now shaping family engagement strategies with the U.S. Department of Education.

These stories reflect Keystone’s deep experience working at the intersection of community, government, and industry — and how we continue to take on the work others shy away from, with a belief that durable progress is always possible through trust, dialogue, and courage.

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Listen to previous episodes of this podcast at Keystone's website or by subscribing to it through any podcast provider.