Can Mississippi turn brain drain into brain gain?

In this episode of the Bigger Pie Forum Podcast, Rebekah Staples sits down with Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson, Student Ambassador Hattie Heindel, and Communications Coordinator Elena Magliola to discuss why young leaders choose to stay, serve, and build their futures in Mississippi.

From mentorship and leadership development to affordability, community, and opportunity, the conversation highlights what makes the state unique—and why its best days may still be ahead.

What if Mississippi isn't a place you have to leave to succeed? In this episode of Bigger Pie Forum, a new generation of leaders shares why they chose to return home—and how they're thinking about jobs, innovation, affordability, and long-term impact. It's a candid, hopeful conversation about redefining success and building something meaningful right where you are.

What happens when a 45-year-old law blocks innovation in health care? In this reunion episode of the Bigger Pie Forum podcast, host sits down again with physical therapist Butch Slaughter and attorney Aaron Rice to revisit a legal battle years in the making.

During the height of COVID, Butch sought to open a home health agency to serve patients in their homes—only to discover that a decades-old certificate of need law and an overlooked moratorium made it virtually impossible. What followed was a constitutional challenge that led to a federal court ruling striking down Mississippi's 45-year moratorium on new home health agencies

Aaron explains the origins of certificate of need laws, the economic and competitive consequences of limiting providers, and what this ruling could mean for Mississippi—and potentially the nation. From courtroom strategy to health care innovation, this episode explores the intersection of entrepreneurship, public policy, and patient access.

The case now heads to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, with implications that could reshape how states regulate health care markets across the country.