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# Risks and Rewards: In The Words Of People Who Have Experienced Them
- URL: https://www.investigatemidwest.org/risks-and-rewards-in-the-words-of-people-who-have-experienced-them/
- Published: 2018-12-24T13:00:42.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-11T02:27:08.000Z
- Description: Sometimes you have to take risks in order to accomplish something. We asked four Eastern Iowans who have taken risks to speak at a live storytelling event about turns they took in search of something better and share their stories in this podcast.
- Author: IowaWatch
- Tags: Business & Consumer Affairs, iowawatch, The Lead Story, authentic storytelling, Education, live storytelling, Rockwell-Collins, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-06-18 04:56

Sometimes you have to take risks in order to accomplish something. We asked four Eastern Iowans to speak at a live storytelling event about risks they took in search of something better in reward and share their stories in this podcast.

In this report, which differs from our usual approach in favor of letting these people tell their stories, we hear about the highs and lows of risk taking. They spoke at the[ Iowa Writers’ House](http://www.iowawritershouse.org/?ref=investigatemidwest.org), a nonprofit bed-and-breakfast with a writing theme in Iowa City and IowaWatch’s partner for the event.

The speakers are:

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cd/d3/cdd3c059-8898-40b1-bcf7-cb2d3aa89775/content/images/2026/09/Vanessa-Miller.jpg)

Vanessa Miller

**Vanessa Miller**, higher education reporter for *The Gazette* in Eastern Iowa. Miller originally is from Colorado. She speaks about using *in vitro* fertilization to have her first child.

**Bhumika Nayak,** a senior systems engineer at Rockwell Collins in Cedar Rapids. Nayak was honored this past year as a 40-under-40 award winner, distinguishing her as someone who has made an impact early in her career.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cd/d3/cdd3c059-8898-40b1-bcf7-cb2d3aa89775/content/images/2026/09/Peters.jpg)

Chuck Peters, chairman of the board for Folience.

**Chuck Peters**, chairman of the board for Folience, a parent company of The Gazette. Peters has been involved with several initiatives aimed at building stronger communities. One area of particular interest is education.

**Reid Wilson**, founder of Vast Iowa, a business that produces videos of individuals who have overcome adversity.

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![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cd/d3/cdd3c059-8898-40b1-bcf7-cb2d3aa89775/content/images/2026/09/IMG_6391-1.jpg)

Reid Wilson at the Iowa Writers’ House-IowaWatch live storytelling event. / Reid Wilson at the Iowa Writers’ House-IowaWatch live storytelling event.