Do Good Conversations on Radio Boise: The Origin Story

Aring every Tuesday at 3:00 PM on Radio Boise KRBX 89.9
Find the official SoundCloud playlist here.

Hannah Mae and Greg Hampikian, Hosts of Do Good Conversations on Radio Boise

A Chance Encounter Over Caffeine

Greg and I go way back through family connections and a few professional run-ins over the years. But the real magic happened when we both found ourselves remote working out of Primal Coffee. After a few weeks of sitting near each other, we couldn’t help but eavesdrop on each other’s meetings and conversations. Naturally, that turned into us pulling up chairs and diving into deep, sprawling talks about business, culture, life philosophy, politics, and science.

Then came the turning point. One morning, Greg walked into the coffee shop, pointed directly at me, and said, “They don’t want me, they want you!”

He had just come from pitching a show idea to Radio Boise. The station was looking for something geared toward public affairs, and after overhearing my daily business meetings, Greg had a hunch that the exact conversations I was already having were precisely what Radio Boise needed.

Stepping Out from Behind the Scenes

For those who don’t know me, I love creating events that build community and spotlight the people making things happen. Most of you are familiar with the Do Good Conversation Series, but before that, I was embedded in local favorites like Discovery Center Adult Nights, TEDxBoise, and Story Story Night.

But there was a catch: I don’t like the stage. Behind the scenes was always my comfort zone. Over the years, people had dropped hints—when I lived in California, strangers asked if I was a voice actor, and high school career quizzes always pointed me toward radio hosting—but it wasn’t a muscle I had ever wanted to flex.

Greg got the wheels turning, though. The idea of being a faceless voice in a dark recording studio, having intimate, one-on-one conversations with fascinating people, sounded like a beautiful use of time.

The Pitch and the "Sidekick"

So, I walked into Radio Boise to pitch. I had already built relationships with so many incredible people in the Treasure Valley, and my goal was to get them on the airwaves, nerd out with them just like we did in the coffee shop, and meet even more inspiring locals.

Wayne Birt, the (incredible) Program Manager, bought it!

After I broke the good news to Greg and thanked him for the inspiration, it was obvious I couldn't do this without him. We recorded an episode together, and he has been my self-proclaimed "official sidekick" ever since.

For those of you who don’t know Greg Hampikian, he’s kind of a big deal—though he’d never want you to know it (seriously, feel free to Google him!). I feel incredibly lucky to have him not just as a sidekick, but as a true partner as we feel out these new radio skills together.

For now, down in what we've affectionately named “The Catacombs of Radio Boise,” he is completely enthralled by local art, culture, science, and business—asking the best, most thought-provoking questions and keeping our guests on their toes.

These aren’t your typical, rigid radio interviews. Greg never fails to tell me after every single session that it’s his favorite part of the week—and it’s mine, too.

Our Mission: No Pitches, Just Passion

Our premise remains incredibly simple: we love nerding out with the people doing good work right here in our community. We don't do commercial pitches, advertising, or promotional segments. Instead, we focus on creating high-value, evergreen content that centers our guests as the trusted experts they are.

Our guests have been so much fun to get to know, and the people in the Treasure Valley are doing truly incredible things.

This opportunity to sit down over a cup of coffee and just nerd out with people spans across everything. We dive into the seagulls at the landfill, the psychology behind paint colors in homeless shelters, what it actually means to be "nice" in Boise, the exact sounds that inspire local musicians, and even the byproducts of biosolids (!!). It is completely over the board, and it is a total blast.

We hope you have as much fun listening to these episodes as Greg and I had eavesdropping on each other’s conversations back at the coffee shop!

With Gratitude

A huge, genuine thank you goes out to our incredible local community radio station and its Program Manager, Wayne Birt, for being so gracious with Greg and me. They’ve been incredibly patient as we get our sea legs, learn the studio equipment, and fine-tune our interviewing skills. COMMUNITY RADIO IS AWESOME!