Video Interview: Matt Hunckler of Powderkeg on Human Stories and Connection Gone Remote

A few weeks ago, I had the chance to sit down with my friend and colleague Matt Hunckler, CEO of Powderkeg, for a great Zoom discussion on the challenges of building genuine human connection from afar. We’ve been working with Powderkeg for over a year, helping them to tell the stories of entrepreneurship and technology from middle America as they help us spread the word about Metonymy Media’s role as an agency of storytellers.

I wanted to speak with Matt because I saw Powderkeg as being in a particularly precarious position going into the quarantine. How do you take an organization dedicated to in-person gatherings of 300+ employers and job seekers and recreate that experience online? What happens when you can’t build connections over a beer? How do you recreate that kind of high-touch interaction from your living room?

Presented completely unedited—because that’s just the kind of consummate professionals Matt and I are—is our conversation. I gained some really valuable insights as a storyteller, and I think you will, too, if you’re interested in effective communication and relationship building in the time of COVID.