A Road Trip Podcast
- an American Journey and Everything In Between
Sven Sjöstedt - from Örebro to Minnesota, walking in Wilhelm Moberg's footsteps
Sven Sjöstedt moved to the United States at his wife's request: a full-blooded American girl he met while he was stationed as a Senior Administrative Officer for the Swedish Railroad, and she was in Uppsala to study.
Nikki O’Neill - coming back to America as a full-grown Swede
Singer-songwriter Nikki O'Neill was seven when her family moved from Los Angeles, California, to Stockholm, Sweden. Growing up as a young American girl in that small country on the other side of the globe slowly turned her into a full-fledged "Swede".
Brent Erickson - when a search for your Swedish roots leads to the wrong tree
A Weekend Throwback: Earlier this summer, while in Washington, DC, for the Swedish National Day and Midsummer Celebrations, I met with Brent Erickson, a man who spent most of his life deeply involved in United States politics, now retired and a full-time artist and painter. And he told me he had a story to tell, about his Swedish great-grandmother, wagon trains across the prairie, Sand Hills of Nebraska, whiskey & turpentine - and the Swedish Royal Family.
Eric Anderson - how a Swedish game made a footprint in the city of Eau Claire (and the entire United States)
Eric's enthusiasm is unmatched by anyone I have ever met. His love for the Swedish lawn game Kubb is both deep and contagious - and his mission to spread this peace-making "war game" across America has not only made a Swedish footprint in the city of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, but has also built a network of Kubb-playing devotees across the United States.
Robert Ulibarri - Swedish engineering is at the forefront of airborne defense systems
On the subject of Swedish footprints in the air, Saab is legendary in its work with airplanes and fighter jets. Founded in Sweden in 1937, with iconic names such as Tunnan, Draken, Viggen, and Gripen on its roster, the company is now an established partner to Boeing in developing an educational system around the T-7A Red Hawk, a jet trainer built for the United States Air Force.
Anders Forslund - the world's largest electric aircraft has Swedish roots
On August 13th, 2026 - after seven years in the making - the first flight of the world's largest electric aircraft was completed by Heart Aerospace at their test base in Plattsburgh, NY. A couple of weeks before this aviation milestone, I had the great honor of sitting down with Anders Forslund, the company's Swedish co-founder and CEO, to talk about his dedication and vision for the project.
Tessa Manning - the Colorado clog maker (making a real Swedish footprint)
Allow me to take you on another weekend throwback: When I passed through Colorado in May, earlier this year, I had the opportunity to sit down with Swedish-born Tessa Manning, owner and founder of "Tessa Clogs" - a clog shoe factory in Minturn, two hours west of Denver.
Matthew Olson - an American Swedophile finding his Swedish roots
Matthew Olson is all about Sweden; he's got a collection of Dala Horses, knows everything you need to know about a "Smörgåsbord", and he's visited more IKEA warehouses than anyone you can imagine - but it all starts with his Swedish heritage.
Felix Rosenqvist - the Swedish champion of the Indy 500
Felix Rosenqvist from Värnamo in Sweden is the reigning champion of the Indy 500, winning the 3-hour race with a 0,0233-second margin.
I steered this road trip to his home in Indianapolis to talk about the victory and to learn what led him to this place.
John Hedman - it takes a village to build a life (from Jämtland, Sweden, to Jemtland, Maine)
John Hedman's great-grandfather Per arrived with his family in New Sweden in 1871. Met by an unkept promise of cleared land from the state of Maine, he and his fellow Swedes took matters into their own hands and built a life in the wild forests north of Caribou.
Lukas Lagassé | The dream of a new Sweden
July 23, 1870, a small group of Swedes found their way to the northern parts of Maine, carrying a dream of building a new life. Guided from their homeland by a promise from the state of cabins and cleared land, they were instead met by a rough wilderness and wild forest.
Maria Stolt | What's so special about Swedish candy?
The concept of Swedish candy is on its way to becoming as iconic as Swedish cars, music, and design. If you ask Swedish-born Maria Stolt, founder of "Nantasket Sweets by Swedes", it is already there.
Oskar Stenmark | A Brooklyn Swede finding the New York Groove mixing jazz with Swedish traditionals
Steered the road trip to Brooklyn, New York, to talk to Swedish trumpet player Oskar Stenmark, about life as a Swedish musician in the world's biggest melting pot, and about finding your voice through your roots.
Thomas McIntyre Schultz | Road-tripping in a Volvo and the weirdness of a Swedish Pizza
I met with Thomas McIntyre Schultz, Communications at Volvo Cars USA, at their headquarters in Mahwah, New Jersey, to talk about Volvo's 70-year history in the United States, how it all started, and the footprints of the company's innovative spirit.
Kate Novak | From Stockholm, Paris, and Washington, D.C. - turning a footprint into a Swedish legacy
There's a building at 2900 K Street, Northwest, in Washington, DC, overlooking the Potomac River. It's designed by Swedish architects and built from materials reflecting Swedish roots and traditions, and in 2006, it was inaugurated by the King and Queen of Sweden as the home for the Embassy of Sweden - making it the official Swedish footprint in the United States. It is known as the "House of Sweden" - and it all started with Swedish-born Kate Novak.
Peter Borsos | From a world of phones to an invisible infrastructure - 150 years of Ericsson
Telling these stories from a road trip wouldn't be possible without the complex infrastructure of a mobile network, so I met with Peter Borsos, Head of Communications at Ericsson, in Washington, D.C., to talk about the company's 150-year history - 120 of those making a Swedish footprint in the United States (…)