The Babcock Ranch Podcast
The Babcock Ranch Podcast
What does it take to build a town from scratch - one that runs on sunshine, keeps the lights on through a Category 4 hurricane, and gives thousands of people a place they're proud to call home? Every week, Co-Hosts Syd and Tyler Kitson pull back the curtain on America’s first solar-powered town. Join them as they sit down with the leaders, innovators, and neighbors who transformed 18,000 acres of …
From K9 to Community: 30 Years with Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office
On this episode of the Babcock Ranch Podcast, Tyler Kitson welcomes Major John Heck Jr. of the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, a more than 30-year veteran of the department and one of the few actual Babcock Ranch residents serving on the force. Inspired by an uncle who worked in law enforcement …
27:10
Be More Bold
On this episode of the Babcock Ranch Podcast, Syd Kitson welcomes former Florida State Senator Lizbeth Benacquisto, who represented Southwest Florida for a decade, served as Senate Majority Leader, and has played a direct role in bringing state funding and support to some of Babcock Ranch’s most im…
27:13
Creating a Self-Sustaining Town
On this episode of the Babcock Ranch Podcast, Tyler Kitson welcomes Matt Buehler, Senior Vice President of Commercial Development at Kitson & Partners, who has led the planning, leasing, and development of Babcock Ranch’s commercial and retail hubs since joining the company in 2010. They start with…
27:06
From the Trenches to the Boardroom: Bart Oates
Syd Kitson sits down with longtime friend Bart Oates, a three-time Super Bowl champion, five-time Pro Bowler, and one of the most accomplished centers in NFL history, for a wide-ranging, personal conversation that spans from small-town Georgia football to the boardroom. Bart shares the story of gro…
27:17
The Buffet Approach to Sustainable Building
On this episode of the Babcock Ranch Podcast, Tyler Kitson welcomes Dr. Jennifer Languell, founder and president of Trifecta Construction Solutions, who was part of the team of design and engineering professionals who helped bring Babcock Ranch to fruition. Jennifer's background started in material…
27:07
Designing With Water, with Amy Wicks
Tyler Kitson welcomes Amy Wicks, founding CEO of Wicks Consulting Group, who has been shaping Babcock Ranch's stormwater systems since the earliest days of the land purchase in 2006. They revisit how a young engineer with almost no experience was handed 93,000 acres and told not to mess it up, and …
26:58
Bending the Story Toward Hope
Syd Kitson welcomes Bill Weir, CNN's chief climate correspondent, former Nightline and Good Morning America anchor, and creator of The Wonder List, for a candid conversation broadcast from New York City. Bill opens up about a turbulent childhood shaped by his parents' divorce, a mother chasing reli…
26:53
Long-Term Thinking with Governor Jeb Bush
Babcock Ranch founder Syd Kitson sits down with former Florida Governor Jeb Bush to break down the bold decisions that redefined a state and built America’s first solar-powered town. From the bipartisan 2006 deal that created the largest land preservation project in Florida history to the brutal 20…
26:57