Middle Tech: Recent Episodes
Middle Tech
Brian Raney is the CEO and Co-Founder of Awesome Inc - a company that exists to create and grow high tech startups through a variety of initiatives, such as hosting community events, leading technology education courses, and offering a shared workspace environment.This episode was part of a live recording event in collaboration with Awesome Inc and Chase Bank. Brian shared stories from the early days of Awesome Inc, how permission to fail was the advice that encouraged him to start the company, and how they’ve built the startup community that we know today.
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00:00 Permission to Fail: Embracing Entrepreneurship
00:37 Introduction to Middle Tech Podcast
01:15 Sponsorship Acknowledgements
02:57 Brian Rainey's Journey: From College to Entrepreneurship
06:23 The Birth of Awesome Inc.
09:38 Challenges and Early Days of Awesome Inc.
15:13 The Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame
18:49 Common Traits of Successful Entrepreneurs
21:28 Personal Impact Stories
23:15 The Genesis of Fuji and Entrepreneurial Beginnings
23:48 The Role of Awesome Inc. in Entrepreneurial Growth
24:35 Community and Team Effort in Entrepreneurship
26:16 Teaching and Cultivating Entrepreneurship
29:09 The Awesome Fund and Addressing Capital Needs
32:00 Success Stories and Talent Retention in Kentucky
34:55 The Future of Kentucky's Startup Ecosystem
40:07 Engagement and the Entrepreneurial Life Cycle
45:03 Upcoming Events and Final Thoughts
Darrien Murriner and Kirsten Moorefield are the co-founders of Cloverleaf - a platform that enhances team performance through personalized coaching and behavioral insights. By integrating tools like strength-based assessments and continuous, automated coaching, Cloverleaf helps teams improve communication, collaboration, and overall effectiveness.Cloverleaf was first featured on Middle Tech for episode 179 back in January of 2022. They've returned to share how generative AI has impacted the business, how they've tripled their revenue since 2022, and their plans for the $7.3m they just raised in a series A at the end of March.Be the first to see new episodes, along with a summary, key takeaways, and upcoming events, by subscribing to Middle Tech's Spotlight Series Newsletter: https://middletech.beehiiv.com/- 00:00 Welcome to Middle Tech Podcast01:07 Meet Darren Mariner and Kirsten Moore of Cloverleaf04:52 Cloverleaf's Journey and Vision11:29 How Teams Use Cloverleaf17:15 Focusing on Enterprise Clients22:31 Fundraising and Capital Efficiency28:57 Post-Fundraise Growth Strategies31:29 Sales and Channel Strategies35:04 Leveraging AI in Professional Development41:47 Founder Wisdom and Stress Management51:50 Building a Company in the Midwest55:30 How to Get Started with Cloverleaf
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In this episode of Middle Tech Podcast, Logan Jones and Evan Knowles welcome back Raffi Kayat, founder of borderless, a global payments platform. Rafi discusses the challenges and surprises of fundraising in Kentucky compared to the coastal tech hubs, emphasizing the need for determination and grit in the entrepreneurial journey. He also shares updates on Borderless, including new product offerings, significant partnerships, and the company's evolution over the past four years. The conversation highlights the unique benefits and challenges of building a tech company in Kentucky, focusing on community support and the need for better fundraising education.Learn more about borderless at getborderless.comVisit us at MiddleTech.comFollow UsTwitterInstagramFacebookLinkedInLogan's TwitterEvan's TwitterMiddle Tech is proud to be supported by:KY InnovationBolt MarketingHunsicker Venture Studio
In this episode, Logan and Evan sit down with Jake Budler, the Director of Entrepreneur Experience at Endeavor Midwest. They discuss various topics, including Jake's experience as a founder of a small business, the Indy Tech Tour, the strengths of the Midwest startup ecosystem, and the importance of building relationships. Jake emphasizes the value of in-person connections, the unique opportunities in the Midwest, and the need for founders to ask for help and advice. In the second part of the conversation, Jake Budler discusses the impact of trust-based relationship building and social currency in the startup world. He highlights the growth and success of Endeavor Midwest over the past 10 years, with entrepreneurs generating millions of dollars in revenue and creating thousands of jobs. Jake also emphasizes the importance of big exits and loud failures in the ecosystem, as they contribute to the growth and learning of future entrepreneurs. He shares a story of making a connection between Rabbit Hole, a bourbon company in Kentucky, and Wicklow Wolf, a craft beer distillery in Ireland, showcasing the power of networking and collaboration. Looking ahead, Jake is excited about the positive trend line of entrepreneurship in the Midwest and the potential for more big exits and impactful solutions to be developed.
Learn more about Blue North at bluenorthky.com
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In this episode of the Middle Tech Podcast, hosts Logan Jones and Evan Knowles sit down with Dave Knox, Executive Director of Blue North. They delve into the mission and impact of Blue North, part of the Kentucky Innovation Hub network, and explore how it serves as a vital connector for high-growth tech entrepreneurs in Northern Kentucky. Dave shares insights on the importance of creating supportive environments for entrepreneurs, the launch of SparkHouse, and the significance of mental health in the startup journey. Listen in to learn about the transformative initiatives driving Northern Kentucky’s entrepreneurial ecosystem forward.
Learn more about Blue North at bluenorthky.com
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In this episode, Logan sits down with Aram Street and Eric Griffin from the CleanSpace team, winners of the recent Five Across pitch competition. They explore their entrepreneurial journey, the inception of CleanSpace, and how they are innovating the cleaning service industry. The duo shares insights on their transition from offering a traditional service to developing a comprehensive tech-driven solution that caters to on-demand cleaning needs, reshaping how cleaning services are delivered.
Learn more about CleanSpace at cleanspace.com
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In this episode, Aaron Gani, Founder and CEO of RealizedCare (formerly known as BehaVR, from episode 150), discusses the journey of building their VR therapeutics company and the recent acquisition of Fern Health. After acquiring Fern Health, BehaVR rebranded as RealizedCare as they broadened the scope of their technology to include more than VR. RealizedCare is a digital therapeutics company that digitizes evidence-based therapies to improve access to care and address the high cost of healthcare by providing treatments via virtual reality.
Learn more about RealizedCare at RealizedCare.com
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In this episode, Logan and Evan delve into two major news stories that are shaping the business and technology landscape: the FTC's proposed ban on non-compete agreements and the potential ban or forced sale of TikTok in the United States. They kick off the discussion by exploring the FTC's initiative to restrict non-compete clauses, examining its potential economic impacts and the legal hurdles it may face. Logan argues that the ban could be an overreach by the FTC in how companies protect their intellectual property, while Evan counters that such agreements can suppress wage growth and limit opportunities for employees, highlighting the broad implications for both business owners and workers.Transitioning to the TikTok bill, they dissect the reasons behind the proposed legislation, focusing on concerns over Chinese ownership and control of the app. The hosts debate the implications of banning TikTok, weighing the arguments for safeguarding privacy and freedom of expression against national security risks. Throughout the episode, they present a balanced view, acknowledging the complexity of both issues and the significant effects these regulatory changes could have on the U.S. economy and its workforce.
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In this episode, Evan and Logan interview Chase Minnifield, the CEO and co-founder of EZOS, a software platform for property management. Chase shares his journey from being an NFL player to becoming a successful entrepreneur. He started with a services-based company called Helping Hands and then transitioned to building Easy Turn, a software solution for property inspections and invoicing. Over time, Easy Turn evolved into EZOS, a comprehensive operating system for large commercial properties. Chase emphasizes the importance of selling a product while it's being built and continuously seeking customer feedback to improve and expand the offering. Chase Minifield discusses the decision to expand into the multifamily housing market and the challenges of raising capital. He emphasizes the importance of having the flexibility to build the product they want and the need for capital to reach their goals. Chase also highlights the unique position of his company in revolutionizing property management through the use of technology and data. He shares insights into the mindset of an entrepreneur, including the importance of delusional confidence, self-discipline, and not being swayed by others' opinions. He also discusses the challenges of fundraising in Kentucky and the need to explore opportunities outside the state.
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In this episode, Logan and Evan sit down with Amanda Ralston, founder of NonBinary Solutions. They explore her transition from applied behavior analysis to tech entrepreneurship, focusing on innovative solutions for neurodivergent conditions. Amanda discusses the challenges in standardizing autism treatment, her forthcoming SaaS product, and her unique approach to fundraising. The episode also delves into the importance of authenticity in entrepreneurship and using customer feedback in product development. Amanda shares insights into her mission to effect change in healthcare and technology and her goals for her company.
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In this episode of the Middle Tech Podcast, Logan Jones and Evan Knowles welcome back Stevens Bonhomme, CEO of Feedcoyote, a platform connecting freelancers globally. Stevens discusses his transition from Microsoft to launching Feedcoyote, driven by a passion to solve freelancing challenges. He sheds light on the journey of creating and growing Feedcoyote, including moving to Kentucky for its vibrant startup ecosystem and winning major pitch competitions. Insights into building a diverse, global team and strategies for user growth and funding are shared. Stevens’ experience highlights the realities of entrepreneurship, from initial concept to establishing a thriving business in the competitive tech world.
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In this episode, Logan and Evan are joined by Professor Brian Frey, a law professor at the University of Kentucky's College of Law. They discuss the impact of artificial intelligence on copyright law, delving into the complexities and controversies surrounding AI's ability to generate texts, images, and videos. Frey shares insights into how AI challenges traditional notions of authorship and creativity, emphasizing how AI content lacks inherent meaning until consumed and interpreted by humans. The conversation also touches on the future of intellectual property rights in an AI-dominated landscape, exploring potential shifts from protecting specific works to valuing the brand associated with content creators. Frey's background in film art and his current role at UK provide a unique perspective on the intersection of technology, law, and creativity.
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In this episode, Logan and Evan explore the world of 3D printing with Eric Sparks, founder and CEO of Complet3D. Based in Lexington, Kentucky, Complet3D began by addressing the urgent need for PPE during the COVID-19 pandemic and has since expanded into various sectors. Eric discusses how 3D printing technology has evolved, sharing insights into its applications in healthcare, including how it saved time and costs in a critical surgery. The episode also covers the technology's integration into education, highlighting its role in project-based learning and curriculum development. Additionally, Eric touches on the economic benefits of 3D printing in manufacturing and its potential to revolutionize the industry. Throughout the discussion, Eric offers personal insights and experiences, demonstrating how 3D printing is transforming our approach to problem-solving across different fields.
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In this episode, Logan and Evan welcome Andrea Garrity, Chief Growth Officer, and Jameson Morgan, Director of Partnerships from Gotenna. They discuss goTenna's transition from consumer-focused products to vital communication technologies in defense and emergency situations. The conversation explores the role of goTenna's mesh network radios in ensuring connectivity for first responders in challenging conditions, and how the company's shift has impacted national security and emergency preparedness. Andrea and Jameson also share insights into Gotenna's collaborations within the Kentucky startup ecosystem and discuss the wider importance of reliable communication during disasters. This episode provides a thorough look at the intersection of advanced communication technologies, startup dynamics, and emergency response infrastructure.
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In this episode of Middle Tech Podcast, Logan Jones and Evan Knowles talk with Adam Edelen, CEO of Edelen Renewables. The discussion explores Adam's transition from Kentucky state government to renewable energy, focusing on his goal to introduce sustainable energy solutions to overlooked regions in America. The conversation covers the challenges of entrepreneurship in Kentucky, the role of renewable energy in economic development, and the importance of learning from failure. Adam shares insights on the renewable energy sector's growth, its impact on Kentucky, and the potential for innovation in energy technology. The episode also includes a dialogue on Kentucky's business environment and how it can better support entrepreneurs.
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In this episode, Logan Jones and Evan Knowles dive into the latest developments in the artificial intelligence space. They discuss the AI revolution, emphasizing NVIDIA's rise as a key player in the AI gold rush. The episode delves into the transformative impact of AI on media production, illustrating how tools like OpenAI's Sora are reshaping content creation. It also addresses the critical issues of AI ethics and safety, underscoring the importance of responsible AI deployment. Additionally, listeners will gain insights into the infrastructure behind AI advancements, with discussions on NVIDIA's strategic moves and Google's Gemini 1.5 model. This episode is a treasure trove of information for anyone interested in understanding and navigating the rapidly evolving world of AI.
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In this episode, Logan and Evan sit down with Matt Hunckler, the entrepreneurial mind behind Powderkeg – a platform connecting developers, investors, and employers in tech hubs outside of Silicon Valley. Matt shares his journey of starting the platform, the growing probability of tech opportunities in the Midwest, and the importance of cultivating an inclusive community in a tech ecosystem. We also delve into the resonating importance of adopting cutting-edge technologies like AI. The conversation winds up with some candid entrepreneurial advice and explore the realities of work-life integration in the startup world.
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In this episode Logan and Evan are joined by Alli Truttmann, the founder of Wicked Technologies. They explore Alli’s entrepreneurial journey, from the conception of her idea while recovering from a sports injury, to building and scaling her business. The conversation dives into the details of her invention, Wicked Sheets, blogging as a key SEO strategy, managing supply chains, and transitioning from briefs to diapers with the Wicked Smart Pad. Alli also shares her struggles with fundraising, considerations while building a team, and enduring through numerous pitch meetings to secure funding. Tune in to listen to Alli narrate her inspiring journey of building effective solutions for night sweats, incontinence, and more.
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In this episode, Logan and Evan talk with tech entrepreneur Buddy Bockweg. Buddy shares insightful and contrarian perspectives about entrepreneurship and the challenges he faced when integrating AI into his business platform, Vsimple. They delve into the importance of understanding the meaning of entrepreneurship, building strong partnerships, the role of AI in software business, and why building businesses in certain regions can have surprising advantages. You can also hear about Vsimple's unique focus on growing value for other businesses and their refreshing approach in creating a cash flow positive business in the tech industry.
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Join us on this episode of the Middle Tech Podcast as we catch up with Mac Wilkinson and hear about his platform, Moolathon. As we walk through his journey from being a former athlete to the founder of a performance-based fundraising platform, our hosts Evan and Logan discuss Moolathon’s transformation, its impact, and how Mac harnessed the potential of his idea. From the inspiring community of Techstars to insightful conversations about overseas development and the nuances of entrepreneurship, this episode is packed full of valuable experiences and learnings for startup enthusiasts and seasoned entrepreneurs alike.
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In this episode, Logan and Evan discuss Evan's journey of building his startup, from inception to it's recent acquisition. We dive into the challenges encountered in fundraising venture capital, defining go-to-market strategies, and the mental toll of managing a business under pressure. Evan shares his insights about the importance of team dynamics, the significance of design in product development, and lessons learned from listening to user feedback. Evan also teases his next venture - a collaborative AI platform called Devyze.
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In this episode, Logan, TJ, and Evan reflect on season six and provide updates regarding various aspects of their projects. They discuss highlights, table their favorite episodes, and explore key aspects of the interactions they had in startup ecosystem. With topics ranging from AI to intriguing tech news and in-depth founder interviews, they dive into the episodes that resonates deeply with themselves and the audience.Further, they reflect on their exclusive entrepreneurial adventures. TJ speaks about his exhilarating journey with Full Court, his social media marketing agency, highlighting its growth and the straddles of balancing between personal pursuits and nurturing Middle Tech. Reflecting on the transition to SalesRiver, Logan discusses the changes, learnings, and challenges it brought along. Evan discusses his learning from starting and exiting Symba.Season six was marked with exceptional events and collaborations with Blue North and the Game Change initiative with UK Innovate. The team shares their excitement about the opportunity of weaving their digital audience engagement into the physical space and anticipates continued innovation in this domain for the upcoming season.
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In this episode, Logan and Evan go deep into another exciting conversation with Jane Morris. We’re delighted to welcome Jane back after a year, this time, shedding light on her journey with TO THE MARKET. Jane gives a comprehensive update on the fascinating strides her supply chain software has been making in the ethical and sustainable procurement space. Gain insights on TO THE MARKET's innovative approach, understand how their ethical supply chain differentiates from everyday logistics, and learn about the stakes in ethical and sustainable.
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In this episode, Evan speaks with Roland Achenjand, a pharmacist turned tech entrepreneur. As the founder of C2 Keep, a compliance management tool for pharmacies, Roland brought his intimate knowledge of healthcare regulations into the realm of technology. From Kentucky to the wider United States, C2 Keep has grown to make an impact in the world of pharmacy regulation.
This episode dives into Roland's process of building C2 Keep, his spiritual awakening and the valuable insights he's garnered along his journey. Discover how Roland successfully navigated through the challenges of starting a company under strenuous circumstances. With approximately 90 customers and growing, plus recent accomplishments in securing funding, C2 Keep holds promise for the future.
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In this episode, Evan sits down with Katie Trauth Taylor, the founder of Narratize. Katie is a serial founder with a passion for innovation storytelling and a background in narrative science. Her journey includes spearheading her first company, Untold Content, which focused on accelerating innovation through storytelling. With her expertise in language patterns and narrative algorithms, Katie recognized the power of generative AI in transforming how professionals write and communicate at work.
During the episode, Katie discusses the challenges and opportunities in the generative AI space, highlighting the importance of collaboration and the role of large language models in enterprise solutions. She explains how Narratize, as a generative AI storytelling platform, helps professionals in science, tech, and medical industries elevate their workflows by seamlessly generating insights, summaries, and deliverables for various content needs.
Additionally, Katie emphasizes the significance of diversity and inclusion in AI and how Narratize aims to empower innovators and support their endeavors, from solving world hunger to finding cures for diseases. Join Evan and Katie as they explore the transformative power of storytelling and the future goals of Narratize!
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In this episode Evan welcomes Riya Shah, an exceptional young founder and the driving force behind Fetal Life. Riya shares her amazing story of inventing a patented at-home contraction monitoring device for pregnant women, revolutionizing the way they track contractions. Join Evan and Riya as they discuss her journey as a student entrepreneur, the challenges of balancing startup life with college, and the incredible impact Fetal Life is making in the medical space. From securing FDA approval to forming partnerships in remote areas like Uganda, Ria's determination and vision are shaping the future of maternal health. Tune in to gain insights into Riya's innovative solutions and the transformative power of Fetal Life.
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In the latest episode of the Middle Tech Spotlight Series, we sat down with Matthew Sunday, the founder and Chief Engineer of The Corps. The Corps specializes in bringing ideas and concepts to reality for the Department of Defense and other high stakes organizations where lives are quite literally on the line. Our conversation covered various aspects of Matthew’s journey, starting with enlisting in the Marines out of high school, earning a graduate degree in Mechanical Engineering, serving 30 years in the fire and police services, and then finally starting The Corps.
Matthew’s story is one of gaining first hand experience of the problems that individuals in high-stakes organizations face in their day to day responsibilities, and applying his engineering background and network to provide solutions for a variety of problems those individuals encountered. As I joked on the podcast, Matt plays a similar role to “Q” in the James Bond movies, albeit providing more realistic products than tricked out Aston Martins and laser beam shooting Rolexes.
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For this week’s episode, we’re releasing a panel discussion recorded live at the 2023 SOAR Summit in Corbin, Kentucky. Moderated by Logan Jones, our panelists included Lincoln Brown, Geoff Marietta, Sabrina McWhorter, and JP Blevins. A primary theme of the discussion was diving into the differences between small business entrepreneurship and high-growth-startup entrepreneurship; exploring how we as a state should think of and support the different types of entrepreneurs and how they each comprise a part of the larger whole of our entrepreneurial ecosystem.
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In this episode, we're joined by Akhil Suresh Nair, the founder of Xena Intelligence, a remarkable company based right here in the heart of Kentucky. Xena Intelligence has pioneered an AI-powered eCommerce tool that's making a significant impact on businesses. We'll delve into Ankil's entrepreneurial journey, starting from what motivated him to create this tool, inspired by personal experiences, including his father's challenges in marketing life-saving products. We'll explore how this tool operates, sharing real success stories from small businesses that have harnessed its potential.
We'll also take a look behind the scenes at Xena Intelligence, discussing the global tech team Ankil has assembled, their current market presence, and their ambitious plans for future expansion. In addition, we'll uncover how the state of Kentucky has played a pivotal role in shaping Xena Intelligence's development and success. Finally, we'll touch on the key elements our startup ecosystem needs to continue thriving. Join us for a compelling conversation about entrepreneurship, tech innovation, and the future of our startup landscape.
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In this episode, Logan sat down with Becca Self and Wes Murry from Hunsicker, a Lexington-based Venture Studio. Our conversation covers the venture studio model, Hunsicker's "Kentucky Advantage", and their approach to social impact through their ventures.
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In this episode, Logan and Evan sit down with Koby Hastings and Chris Michelson from SalesRiver (formerly Leadrilla) in Lexington, Kentucky.
SalesRiver's software is transforming how insurance sales teams work, making them more efficient, transparent, and compliant. Today, we'll catch up with Koby and Chris, discussing their recent achievements:
- They raised $4 million in a Series A funding round.
- They rebranded as SalesRiver.
- Their team has grown to 23 members.
We also introduce Chris Michelson and delve into his career journey to becoming SalesRiver's Chief Revenue Officer.
Learn why Leadrilla became SalesRiver and how the new name reflects their mission. SalesRiver signifies the dynamic nature of the sales process. They also unveil a new feature called "Teams."
Discover SalesRiver's vision for the future, including AI features, expansion strategies, and revenue goals. Join us for a candid conversation about the ins and outs of SalesRiver's remarkable journey.
https://salesriver.com/
Koby's LinkedIn
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On this week’s episode, we sat down with Nick Durham, one of the general partners at Shadow Ventures. Shadow Ventures focuses on investing in companies building technology for the “built world” (ie construction & real estate) and they recently established an office in Louisville, led by Nick.
Our conversation covered Shadow Venture’s investment thesis for investing in the built world, their approach to partnering with large firms in the construction & real estate space to give their portfolio companies access early customers, and Nick’s perspective on Kentucky’s startup ecosystem.
https://shadow.vc/
https://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/inno/stories/news/2023/06/14/shadow-ventures-plants-roots-in-louisville.html
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On this week's Spotlight Series, caught up with Albert Lukonga, Founder and CEO of Albert Couture - Kentucky's First "Fashion House". We originally spoke with Albert back in 2020 for ep. 112, right when he was getting the business off the ground. Since then, Albert has been making waves not only in Kentucky, but in the fashion world as a whole. He's recently opened up his flagship store - The House of Albert Couture - in Lexington, Kentucky, as well as purchase the rights to "Kentucky Fashion Week"
We chat about Albert's early successes, the role of his Kentucky community and early supporters In getting him this far, and his vision for the continued growth of Albert Couture.
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In this episode, we're excited to sit down with Jennifer Mason, the driving force behind TitleWise, an innovative company that's making waves right here in Lexington.
Jennifer Mason is no stranger to the world of entrepreneurship, and as the creative mind behind TitleWise, she's taken her own experiences and translated them into an inspiring solution. Facing the challenges of her own, she crafted an app that has become a game-changer in the real estate sector, especially during the tumultuous times of the COVID-19 pandemic. Join us as we delve into the story of how Jennifer's team managed to harness their unique insights to accommodate the unprecedented demand for their services.
At TitleWise, they're more than just a company – they're a team that's empowering human researchers to wield technology as a tool for better decision-making. Collaborating closely with settlement companies, TitleWise leverages its prowess to gather and process property title information, effectively distinguishing between clear and cloudy titles. Our conversation with Jennifer takes us on a journey through the intricate process of marrying Sales and Marketing efforts with the development of new features, all while maintaining a hands-on, founder-led approach to sales, which often involves fostering high-touch interactions through phone calls.
In the funding realm, TitleWise has been supported by an array of notable investors, including the Awesome Inc Fund, Flywheel Fund, Midwest Fund, Double X Fund, and spearheaded by the renowned M25. With a nod to diversity and global reach, the Farout Fund also stepped in, underlining the universal appeal of their innovative venture. Jennifer also opens up about the trials and triumphs of scaling a startup after managing a small business, underlining the importance of leveraging local and regional resources along the way.
TitleWise Site
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-m-902b3913b/
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In this week's episode, Logan and Evan explore the world of fusion energy with groundbreaking news from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. For the second time, they've achieved net energy gain in a fusion reaction, pushing the boundaries of scientific discovery. We break down the significance of this achievement and its potential implications for the energy sector.
Next up, we delve into the acquisition of Louisville-based accounting tech startup Sentient Solutions. Recently acquired by Ascend, this move showcases the influence of AI-driven solutions on traditional industries. We discuss the motivations behind the acquisition and explore the role of technology in transforming the way CPA firms operate.
References
Scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory achieve net energy gain in a fusion reaction for a second time
Louisville accounting tech startup acquired
Neuralink raises $280m in funding led by Thiel’s Founders Fund
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In the latest episode of the Middle Tech Spotlight Series, we had an enlightening conversation with Adam VanWingerden, the co-founder and CEO of Silver Fern, a company that is simplifying the complex world of the horticulture industry.
Silver Fern offers modular ERP software designed to help growers make key changes for growth without the typical growing pains. From unlimited customer support to seamless integration, Silver Fern is perfect for growers looking to find simplicity, certainty, and efficiency.
Our conversation with Adam VanWingerden delved into the challenges and successes Silver Fern has experienced, how Adam approaches building a team and processes, and how they save time, money, and stress for their clients.
Learn More: https://silverfern.com/
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This week, Logan and Evan start off by discussing Forecastr, a promising business-to-business, software-as-a-service company that recently raised an impressive $4.5 million in funding. With plans to allocate the capital to product development, sales, and finance, Forecastr aims to further expand its presence in the market. Join us as we explore Forecastr's impressive growth trajectory and the impact it could have on the tech startup landscape.
Next up, we dive into the world of cryptocurrencies with the intriguing launch of Worldcoin's crypto project. At the heart of this project lies the World ID, a "digital passport" designed to verify real humans and differentiate them from AI bots. We'll discuss the project's vision for combating income inequality through concepts like universal basic income (UBI) and the potential role of World IDs in this endeavor. Tune in to learn more about Worldcoin's ambitious mission and its potential implications for the future.
Lastly, we'll uncover the latest AI updates from tech giant Meta. With AI-powered personas becoming a focal point of their services, Meta aims to revolutionize experiences in platforms like Instagram, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp. We'll delve into the possibilities these AI personas offer, from enhanced recommendations to immersive multi-modal experiences. Additionally, we explore Meta's recent open-sourcing of AudioCraft, a suite of generative AI tools for creating music and audio from simple text prompts. Join us as we analyze the potential impact of Meta's AI advancements on the tech industry and beyond.
Reference Articles
EXCLUSIVE: How Forecastr got to $1M in annual recurring revenue:
https://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/inno/stories/inno-insights/2022/09/07/forecastr-1m-arr.html
OpenAI's Sam Altman launches Worldcoin crypto project:
https://www.reuters.com/technology/openais-sam-altman-launches-worldcoin-crypto-project-2023-07-24/
Meta’s AI ‘personas’ might launch next month:
https://www.theverge.com/2023/8/1/23815287/meta-ai-persona-generative-llama-instagram-facebook
Meta releases open source AI audio tools, AudioCraft
https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2023/08/open-source-audiocraft-can-make-dogs-bark-and-symphonies-soar-from-text-using-ai/?utm_source=tldrnewsletter
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On this episode of the Middle Tech Spotlight Series, we sat down with Armando Diaz, the creative force behind Working With Saint, a design agency making waves in the creative space. Armando shares his journey from the inception of Working With Saint to its current success, discussing the challenges of running a design agency, managing cash flow, finding ways to monetize, and keeping up with industry trends.
We also discuss the role of generative AI in branding and design, and how it's helped his agency improve their research and speed up their processes. He shares his thoughts on the future of design agencies as it relates to AI and how he envisions it evolving.
We also delve into Armando's unique approach to running his business, focusing on creating an environment for his team to thrive and being proactive in increasing their cash flow.
Learn More: https://www.workingwithsaint.com/
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In this episode, Logan and Evan start by discussing the recent bankruptcy filing of AppHarvest and its efforts to reorganize and improve operational efficiency.
Next, they delve into the KY Solar project, an ambitious initiative to transform a former coal mine into a massive solar energy center.
They also share exciting news about a groundbreaking physics discovery—a new superconductor material called LK-99 that operates at room temperature, with potential applications in quantum computing and energy transmission.
Lastly, Logan and Evan shed light on a concerning report indicating that women are at a higher risk of AI job replacement, leading to a discussion on the impact of AI on workforce gender disparities.
Reference Articles
AppHarvest Bankruptcy: https://www.wkyt.com/2023/07/24/appharvest-files-bankruptcy/
Starfire Solar Project: https://www.wymt.com/2023/07/25/kentuckys-largest-renewable-power-project-former-coal-mine-be-turned-into-renewable-energy-site/
Superconductor Breakthrough: https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/superconductor-breakthrough-electricity-power-paper-b2382711.html
AI & women's job displacement: https://www.reveliolabs.com/news/macro/ai-exposed-jobs-employ-more-women/?utm_source=www.joinsuperhuman.ai&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=linkedin-allegedly-working-on-new-ai-coach
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In this episode, Logan and Evan discuss the recent announcement of a game-changing partnership between tech giants Microsoft and Meta. They are teaming up to bring you Llama 2, Meta's open-source LLM (Large Language Model), as a free resource on Microsoft's Azure cloud computing platform. This move opens up unprecedented opportunities for innovation in the AI space, while also raising important questions about the responsible use of such powerful technology. We'll explore the pros and cons of open-source AI models and the potential implications they may have on the industry as a whole.
Next, we turn our attention to one of the biggest players in the tech world, Apple. Bloomberg reports that Apple has quietly been working on its own framework for creating large language models, called Ajax. This significant development has already sent shockwaves through the industry, as Apple's cautious approach hints at plans to integrate AI into their existing ecosystem in a transformative way. Join us as we speculate on the possibilities and discuss the potential impact of Apple's foray into AI technology.
Finally, we venture into the world of entertainment and explore the captivating intersection of AI and Hollywood. The ongoing Hollywood strike highlights the concerns of both writers and actors, who are fighting for job security in the face of advancing AI technology. As AI and streaming companies vie for the limelight, writers and actors demand more transparency and fair compensation to protect their livelihoods. We delve into the implications of this strike and its potential consequences on the creation of new content.
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In this series, we bring you candid conversations with entrepreneurs, investors, and ecosystem supporters who are shaping the future of innovation. Today, we sit down with Adam Bowe, the mastermind behind Cake, a game-changing platform based in Lexington, KY. Cake is the one-stop marketplace for buying and selling insurance agents' books of business. Join us as Adam shares the story behind Cake's success and how this platform is revolutionizing the insurance industry's landscape. Stay tuned for more insightful episodes where we uncover the untold stories of innovation and growth, and gain valuable industry insights from the best in the business.
Learn More: https://www.haveyourcake.com/
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Welcome to Middle Tech Podcast, in this episode, we bring you the latest updates on AppHarvest's struggles as founder Jonathan Webb steps back, and the agricultural startup faces challenges with creditors and potential eviction. Our hosts, Logan and Evan, share their insights on the implications of these developments for the Kentucky-based company and the controlled environment agriculture industry.
Next up, we delve into a concerning case involving Facebook data, where a teen and her mother plead guilty to abortion charges based on private messages obtained by authorities. Uncover the unsettling reality of how private communications can impact legal proceedings and spark debates around data privacy and government access to personal information.
And that's not all! Stay tuned as we discuss the exciting launch of xAI, a new artificial intelligence company led by Elon Musk himself. With a team of industry veterans from tech giants like Google, Microsoft, and Tesla, xAI aims to "understand the universe." Discover the potential implications of this ambitious endeavor and its ties to other Musk ventures, including Twitter and Tesla.
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In this episode, we feature Randall, founder of Avail, a groundbreaking software platform in the architecture and engineering industry. We discuss leveraging Exif data, the power of generative AI, and balancing innovation and regulation. Tune in to hear Randall's entrepreneurial journey and learn about the milestones achieved by Avail. Get ready for an insightful conversation about the future of technology in architecture and engineering.
Learn More: https://getavail.com/
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In this episode, Logan and Evan kick off by highlighting Rivian's game-changing investment in Kentucky, where they plan to establish a state-of-the-art remanufacturing facility. Discover how this move will support warranty, repair, and service needs for their electric vehicles.
Next, we dive into the highly anticipated launch of Threads by Meta, a direct competitor to Twitter. Explore Meta's vision for Threads and the impact it may have on the social media landscape, while we share our thoughts on Twitter's response and potential challenges ahead.
Then, we discuss Twitter's recent introduction of rate limits, a move aimed at curbing AI companies that scrape content for training their models. Find out how these rate limits may impact user experience and the platform's efforts to combat bot activity.
Finally, we explore OpenAI's growth struggles, including the temporary disabling of ChatGPT's Browse feature and the class-action lawsuit filed against OpenAI for allegedly scraping private user information without consent. Uncover the implications of these challenges for AI development and data privacy.
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Welcome to the Spotlight Series, where we shine a light on extraordinary individuals who have forged their own path to success. In the latest episode of the Middle Tech Spotlight Series, we sat down with JP Blevins, a former University of Kentucky basketball player who has played a significant role in building two hyper-successful companies: Live Oak Bank and nCino.
Our conversation covered various aspects of his journey, including his transition from sports to business, the growth and success of Live Oak Bank and nCino, and the lessons learned along the way.
Learn More: https://www.liveoakbank.com/
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In this episode, Logan and Evan cover the intriguing clash between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, as they consider a cage fight and engage in a Twitter feud. We'll dive into the details of their challenge and discuss the potential charitable aspect of the fight. Plus, we explore Meta's move to develop a Twitter competitor under the working title P92 and its implications for the social media landscape. Elon Musk shares his concerns about Facebook's control over another platform, raising questions about the impact on society.
In addition, we bring you the latest on the federal seizure of BreachForums, a notorious hacking site, and the arrest of its administrator. We examine the challenges faced by hacking forums and the efforts of law enforcement agencies to combat cybercriminals. Furthermore, we delve into the Kentucky legislature's consideration of AI regulation. With AI technology rapidly advancing, lawmakers are beginning to explore the need for regulations and address concerns related to data training and potential deception through deepfakes.
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On this episode of the Middle Tech Spotlight Series, we sat down with Monique Quarterman, Executive Director of KY Innovation.KY Innovation is the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development’s Office of Entrepreneurship, and they’re responsible for supporting and developing our state’s startup ecosystem. Through the support of organizations such as Middle Tech, as well as their regional hubs (Awesome Inc, SOAR, Blue North, Amplify Louisville, Grow West, and Create) they deploy resources to empower those within the startup community.Our conversation with Monique covers how they do what they do, what’s been accomplished so far, and where their focus is going into the future.
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In this episode of the Middle Tech Podcast, Logan and Evan discuss the recent changes to the Reddit API, Intel's groundbreaking quantum chip, and the opening of Shadow Ventures' operations in Louisville. We explore the controversies surrounding Reddit's API changes and the implications for AI companies training on its data. We also delve into Intel's Tunnel Falls quantum chip and its potential to revolutionize computing. Lastly, we discuss Shadow Ventures' entry into Louisville's tech scene and their efforts to leverage technology in the construction industry.
On our AI Edge segment, we bring you an interesting story about Mercedes adding ChatGPT to its infotainment system. We discuss the implications of this integration and the future of AI in the automotive industry.
0:00 - Intro
1:50 - Reddit's API changes
4:16 - Intel's Quantum Chip
7:20 - New Venture Fund in Louisville
9:07 - Mercedes Adds ChatPGT
10:55 - AI Tip of the Week
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In this episode of the Middle Tech Spotlight Series, we sit down with Josh Lay, the founder of Nymbl Systems, a medical records and practice management system. Josh shares the elevator pitch for Nymbl Systems, highlighting its efficiency in managing patient records, scheduling, and billing, allowing healthcare providers to spend more time with patients. He discusses the evolution of the business, starting in Lexington and later moving to Phoenix before settling in Columbus.
The challenges Josh faced included fundraising and finding investors who understood the market potential beyond the narrow focus of orthotics and prosthetics. However, with the help of a lead investor, the business model expanded, unlocking new markets and growth opportunities. Josh emphasizes the importance of location and the supportive startup ecosystem in Columbus, with its vibrant community and resources for founders. He also highlights the success of Nymbl Systems in becoming a core system of records, enabling the monetization of additional services and transaction fees, while providing a highly sticky platform for clients due to the critical data they enter.
Learn More: https://www.nymbl.healthcare
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In this episode of the Middle Tech Podcast, Logan and Evan discuss the AppHarvest foreclosure lawsuit, where Equilibrium Capital alleges that AppHarvest breached its obligations, leading to a potential liquidation of assets. Logan and Evan share their insights on the implications and possible outcomes of this legal battle.
Next, we explore the recent development in the electric vehicle charging landscape. With Tesla's charging standard becoming the dominant force, owners of GM and Ford EVs will soon be able to charge at Tesla's extensive network of stations. Our hosts discuss the short-term benefits for GM and Ford, as well as the long-term implications that position Tesla as a dominant player in the market.
Lastly, we delve into the regulatory actions taken by the SEC against major cryptocurrency exchanges Coinbase and Binance. As the SEC asserts its jurisdiction over the crypto industry, the lawsuits and potential regulations have far-reaching effects. Logan and Evan offer their perspectives on the impact of these actions on the industry and the strategies adopted by Coinbase and Binance. And we go over this week's AI Edge Segment on Adobe getting n the generative AI space.
Intro - 0:00
Sports Talk & Messi Comes to America - 0:33
AppHarvest Foreclosure Lawsuit - 3:48
GM and Ford embracing Tesla’s EV charging technology - 6:15
SEC crackdown on Coinbase & Binance - 11:11
AI Edge - 19:36
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In this episode of Middle Tech, Logan and Evan discuss three big stories in the tech world: Toyota's investment in sustainable energy and Elon Musk's Neuralink getting FDA approval. We'll also talk about Nvidia's brief brush with a $1 trillion valuation.
Toyota Sustainable Energy
Toyota has announced that it will be investing $591 million in its Kentucky manufacturing plant to produce a new battery electric vehicle. The plant is expected to create 9,000 new jobs and will help Toyota achieve its goal of carbon neutrality in North America by 2035.
The investment is part of Toyota's broader commitment to sustainable energy. The company has already invested heavily in solar and wind power, and it plans to continue to increase its use of renewable energy sources.
Neuralink Gets FDA Approval
Elon Musk's Neuralink company has received FDA approval to begin human trials of its brain-computer interface implant. The implant is designed to help people with severe paralysis regain communication and movement abilities.
Neuralink is one of several companies working on brain-computer interfaces. The technology has the potential to revolutionize the way we interact with computers and the world around us.
Nvidia Briefly Touches $1 Trillion Marketcap
Graphics chip maker Nvidia briefly touched the $1 trillion marketcap mark last week. The company's stock price has been on a tear in recent years, thanks to strong demand for its chips from data centers and the gaming industry.
Nvidia's success is a sign of the growing importance of artificial intelligence. The company's chips are used to power AI systems in everything from self-driving cars to facial recognition software.
Articles
Reclaimed Kentucky Coal Mine Sees the Sun Shining on New Solar Power Purchase Agreement with Toyota
Gov. Beshear: Toyota’s Largest Manufacturing Operation Goes Electric
Toyota Reinforces Commitment in the Commonwealth as Georgetown Site Prepares for the Future
Elon Musk’s Neuralink Gets FDA’s Approval For Brain Implant Technology, Plans To Move Forward With Human Trials
Nvidia briefly joins $1 trillion valuation club
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On this weeks episode, we’re sharing the recording from our live panel discussion about Angel Investing in Kentucky. The panel included Brad Luttrell, CEO & Cofounder GoWild & Holler Commerce, Gregg Morton, CEO & Cofounder of Fooji, and Jeb Jerrell, Director of Render Capital’s Angel Network. Moderated by Evan Knowles, the discussion covers feedback on KY’s Angel networks, tactical advice for fundraising, KY fundraising data, and more.
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In this episode of the Middle Tech Spotlight Series, we sit down with TJ Barnett, the founder and CEO of Full Court Social, a social media agency based in Lexington, Kentucky. Full Court Social helps businesses of all sizes create, curate, and manage content on social media to reach their target audiences and achieve their marketing goals.
TJ shares his insights on how he started Full Court Social, the challenges he's faced along the way, and his advice for other entrepreneurs who are thinking about starting their own businesses. He also talks about the importance of building relationships with clients and partners, and the power of social media to connect with customers and build brand awareness.
If you're interested in learning more about social media marketing or starting your own business, this episode is for you. Tune in to hear TJ's story and get inspired to take your own business to the next level.
Learn More: https://www.fullcourtsocial.com/
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In this week's episode, Logan and Evan discuss AppHarvest's latest SEC filings, TikTok's ban in Montana, and Sam Altman's testimony to the Senate about the dangers of AI and calls for regulation.
AppHarvest, a vertically integrated indoor farming company, filed its 8-K and 10-Q with the SEC on May 10th. The 8-K report details unscheduled material events, while the 10-Q report provides a quarterly update on the company's financial position. The SEC filings paint a grim picture for AppHarvest, which has been struggling financially since its IPO in 2021. The company has defaulted on loans, its crop yields have been impacted by pests and a Listeria outbreak, and it has received a delisting notice from the Nasdaq. AppHarvest is now expected to run out of operating capital in Q3.
In other news, Montana has become the first state to ban TikTok, a popular social media app owned by Chinese company ByteDance. Montana Governor Greg Gianforte said he is banning TikTok to protect his state's residents from China, which he claims is using the app to spy on Americans. TikTok has denied these allegations, and it has said it will challenge Montana's ban in court.
Finally, Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on May 17th about the dangers of AI and the need for regulation. Altman warned that AI could be used to create autonomous weapons systems, spread misinformation, and undermine democracy. He called for AI businesses to be subject to licensing and testing requirements, and he said that firms like OpenAI should be independently audited.
Intro: 0:00
What's Going Wrong at AppHarvest: 4:42
Montana Bans TikTok: 17:18
AI Edge: Sam Altman, the Senate, and AI Regulation: 29:29
Articles:
AppHarvest SEC Filings8-K filing & 10-Q filing
Montana becomes the first state to ban TikTok
Sam Altman: CEO of OpenAI calls for US to regulate artificial intelligence
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In this week's episode, Logan and Evan discuss the latest technology and innovation news. The first topic of the episode is Helion and Microsoft's power purchase deal for nuclear fusion. They dive into the details of the agreement, including the financial penalties if Helion fails to deliver. They also talk about the potential of AI in fusion research and how it could help advance the technology.
Next, they cover Google's AI updates, which include Gmail's ability to write emails for users, Google Maps' AI-powered "immersive" view, and Android's AI-powered customization options. They also talk about Bard, Google's AI-powered chatbot, and the company's investment in AI research. Logan and Evan discuss the implications of these updates and what they mean for the future of AI.
Lastly, they discuss the appointment of Linda Yaccarino as the new CEO of Twitter. They analyze Yaccarino's background in advertising and her connections in the industry. They also talk about her political alignment with Elon Musk and her views on free speech.
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In this week’s episode, Logan and Evan discuss some of the latest developments in the world of technology and AI. They cover topics such as the White House's upcoming AI meeting with top executives from Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, and Anthropic, IBM's CEO announcing a hiring freeze as he expects AI to replace 7,800 jobs, and the failure of First Republic Bank due to uninsured deposits.
Additionally, we provide insights on the risks and rewards of AI and the race to achieve AGI, as well as the latest chatbot plugin, ChatGPT, that is revolutionizing the investment industry. They also share tips on how to be mindful of privacy policies and turning off ChatGPT to avoid sharing confidential data.
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In this episode of the Middle Tech Spotlight Series, we sit down with Varun Dwaraka, Head of Bioinformatics at TruDiagnostic, to discuss the cutting-edge work being done at this Lexington-based startup. TruDiagnostic is making waves in the health and aging industry with their focus on epigenetic analysis and their commitment to using only proven processes and real research. Dwaraka shares the science behind the company's work, including their use of the largest private epigenetic database in the world, and their ongoing clinical trials aimed at reducing aging.
With a mission to revolutionize the health and aging industry, TruDiagnostic is expanding from an epigenetic testing lab to a full multi-omic suite. Dwaraka discusses the company's partnerships with top scientists from around the world, their development of new methods of epigenetic identification, and their goal of delivering the most accurate and comprehensive epigenetic analysis possible. Tune in to learn more about TruDiagnostic's latest products and research, and their commitment to real evidence and proven processes.
Learn More: https://trudiagnostic.com/
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In this episode, Logan and Evan cover a range of topics from Congo Brands' expansion to the latest AI developments at Meta and Apple. Congo Brands is investing $8.2 million in a new headquarters in Kentucky, which is expected to create 500 jobs over the next decade.
We also discuss Meta's new product group focused on generative AI and the impact it could have on the future of social media. Additionally, we explore Apple's new AI health coaching service, Quartz, which uses data from Apple Watches to create personalized programs for users.
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In this weeks episode, Logan and Evan discuss how Apple has teamed up with Goldman Sachs to introduce a high-yield savings account that offers a 4.15% APY, which is ten times the national average. Apple's foray into finance has been successful, with services like Apple Pay, Apple Card, and Apple Cash being well-received by consumers.
Next, we'll delve into the world of space travel and talk about SpaceX's Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket. Although the first test flight was successful, it was not without its challenges, including debris flying for miles and residents describing the noise and debris as "truly terrifying."
Finally, we'll explore Google's Code Red panic over the rise of ChatGPT and its failure to excite the world with its AI products. We'll discuss the implications of this and how it relates to the future of AI.
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This week, Logan and Evan dive into the latest developments in the world of artificial intelligence. Our first topic centers around Elon Musk's recent move to start a rival AI company called X.AI, after changing the name of Twitter to X corp. by merging the two companies together. We discuss his plans to build an everything app like WeChat in China and power it with AI likely trained on Twitter data. With his aggressive recruiting of engineers away from Deep Mind and Open AI, we explore the potential for Musk to create a new, powerful AI app that revolutionizes the way we consume information and interact on social media.
Our second topic covers Amazon's recent entry into the generative AI race with Bedrock Launch. We examine Amazon's approach of recruiting third parties to host models on AWS, which enables developers to build with pre-trained models within the AWS ecosystem, the largest cloud development platform in the world. With Amazon competing with Microsoft's partnership with OpenAI, we explore the potential impact of Bedrock Launch on the market and how it could shape the future of AI development.
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This week, Logan and Evan explore several topics that are currently shaping the tech industry. They start by discussing Jack Harlow's investment in Phocus, a Louisville-based drink brand, and highlight the potential benefits of the collaboration between the popular rapper and the beverage company.
We then delves into Tesla's recent decision to reduce the prices of its Model S and Model X vehicles, and the implications this may have on the automotive industry. The hosts also examine the proposed RESTRICT act and its potential risks, including the possibility of criminalizing the use of VPNs and authorizing additional surveillance of US citizens' online activity.
Finally, the podcast features an AI Edge segment that discusses Google's plan to integrate conversational AI features into its search engine, and how this move could change the user experience significantly.
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Dr. Stephen Carrithers is the founder and CEO of AmDx PrognostX, a biotechnology company working to develop an immunoassay blood test to identify early diabetes-related microvascular dysfunction. With 88 million Americans suffering from prediabetes, many remain unaware of their condition, leaving them at risk for developing type 2 diabetes and other serious health complications. The groundbreaking test by AmDx PrognostX aims to predict which prediabetic patients will progress into kidney disease and allow for proactive and preventative treatment.
In this episode, we discuss the challenges faced by prediabetic patients, the importance of early detection and intervention, and the unique family dynamic at AmDx PrognostX, which combines the expertise of MBAs, MDs, and PhDs. We also explore the company's recent successes, including receiving an SBIR Phase II grant from the NIH and their plan to bring the diagnostic test to market.
Learn more about AmDx PrognostX at PrognostXHealth.com.
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This week, Logan and Evan dive into the latest major battery projects in Kentucky, including EnerVenue's investment of $264m into a gigafactory in Shelby County, and Microvast's $504m investment in Hopkinsville. These announcements solidify Kentucky as the EV battery production capital of the United States.
We also discuss Kentucky's latest legislation on medical marijuana and sports betting, with the recent passing of Senate Bill 47 to legalize and regulate medical marijuana in Kentucky, and our thoughts on the potential pivot of AppHarvest to growing medical marijuana.
In our AI Edge Segment, we discuss the recent call by tech industry leaders, including Elon Musk and Steve Wozniak, for a six-month pause in the development of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4. They believe that the risk to society is too great as AI becomes increasingly human-competitive at general tasks, potentially flooding information channels with propaganda and causing job displacement on a massive scale. Goldman Sachs predicts that over 300 million jobs could be replaced by AI like ChatGPT worldwide. Finally, we ask ChatGPT to simulate a scenario related to AI alignment.
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This week Logan and Evan discuss the Fed's decision to raise their benchmark interest rate, and the current state of the banking industry. We also dive into the controversy surrounding TikTok's privacy policies and the possibility of forcing them to sell to an American company. For our AI Edge segment, we explore OpenAI's launch of plugins and the fundamental shift it creates in the way we interact with the internet. With plugins, all the internet's information and call-to-action will be at our fingertips in a chat interface. Lastly we interviewed Paul Ehlinger, CEO and Co-founder of Flamel.ai. We dive into their company and how they are thriving in the AI boom!
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This week Logan and Evan are join by Michael Lewis, Co-Founder at THESIS Education, to discuss the Silicon Valley Bank crisis that shook the tech industry. SVB received an influx of deposits due to the tech boom and VC, leading to unrealized losses when they invested poorly. They sold at a loss and raised more money, causing a run on the bank. We explore the misunderstanding of the $250k FDIC deposit insurance limit, the systemic risk, and the government response, including guaranteeing deposits and letting banks fail.
In our AI Edge segment, we showcase Chat-GPT 4's impressive abilities such as turning a napkin sketch into a website and generating recipes from grocery photos. We also delve into the backstory of OpenAI LP, a capped profit company spun up in 2019.
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In this episode, we caught up with Kate Van Pelt from Synaptek, who we previously interviewed in 2019. They've made significant progress in the field of concussion protocol management and are currently raising funds for their company. Kate shares insights on the new business model they're taking on with Synaptek and all of the exciting developments since we last talked to them.
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This week Logan and Evan discuss Figure releasing their first images of its humanoid robot. The also discuss how Neuralink was denied by the FDA to begin human testing and the future of the company. And we go recent news in the AI space in our AI Edge Segment!
0:00 - Intro
3:02 - Kentucky Invests $117 Million Toward Small Businesses
10:38 - Massive Growth Coming to Elizabethtown, Kentucky
13:51 - Giving Our Flowers to Governor Beshear
15:41 - Thoughts on Recession and Growth in Kentucky
17:07 - Figure Releases Images of their Humanoid Robot
18:57 - The Big Race for General Purpose Robots
21:48 - The Difference Between Boston Dynamics and Optimist
24:49 - Neuralink Gets Denied by the FDA
28:27 - Would You Get Neuralink?
30:20 - AI Edge
Articles
Figure emerges from stealth with the first images of its humanoid robot
Stable Diffusion can visualize human thoughts from MRI data
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This week Logan and Evan discuss whats going on in Kentucky with startups and raising capital. The DOJ is reportedly getting ready to file suit to block the $20 billion Adobe-Figma deal announced last year on the grounds it is anti-competitive. And we go recent news in the AI space in our AI Edge Segment!
0:00 - Intro
3:23 - Kentucky startups that are leveraging Wefunder
8:26 - The Current Issue with Raising Funds in Kentucky
19:31 - DOJ Blocks Adobe’s Acquisition of Figma
25:55 - AI Edge Section
Articles
http://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/inno/stories/fundings/2023/02/23/cornbread-hemp-raises-funds.html
https://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/news/2020/04/13/crowdfunding-in-the-time-of-coronavirus-cornbread.html
https://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/inno/stories/news/2023/02/24/yornest-sputnik-atx-accelerator-group-chat-2023.html
https://techcrunch.com/2023/02/24/doj-suit-could-represent-significant-stumbling-block-for-20b-adobe-figma-deal/
https://techcrunch.com/2022/09/26/designers-underwhelmed-by-adobe-figma-deal/
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This week Logan and Evan discuss what’s going on with Tesla recalls, Twitter’s algorithm update for Elon, Shopify’s move to reduce meetings, and the newest the development in AI.
0:00 - Intro
1:55 - Train Derailment
5:23 - Tesla Recalls
9:34 - Elon vs Biden Twitter Impression
13:10 - Shopify Cutting Back on Meetings
20:21 - AI Fighter Jet
24:24 - Bing Chat
26:28 - Prompt Injection
32:41 - AI Edge: Writing Emails
Articles:
https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/tesla-recalls-362000-us-vehicles-over-full-self-driving-software-2023-02-16/
https://interestingengineering.com/culture/elon-musk-hits-back-at-media-reports
https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1624931580962656261
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/elon-musk-eagles-tweet/
https://www.platformer.news/p/elon-musk-fires-a-top-twitter-engineer
https://www.npr.org/2023/02/15/1156804295/shopify-delete-meetings-zoom-virtual-productivity
https://www.edwards.af.mil/News/Article/3297083/dod-artificial-intelligence-agents-successfully-pilot-fighter-jet/
https://twitter.com/marvinvonhagen/status/1623658144349011971
https://www.theverge.com/2023/2/17/23604906/microsoft-bing-ai-chat-limits-conversations
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On this episode of Middle Tech, Logan and Evan cover:
0:00 - Intro
5:04 - AI Competition Heats Up
10:45 - China’s Baidu is releasing their own ChatGPT
14:55 - Microsoft is launching an all-new, AI-powered Bing search engine
22:48 - AppHarvest announces $40M public stock offering
31:28 - AI Edge, Headlines and Tips
Articles:
Google shares drop $100 billion after its new AI chatbot makes a mistake
China's biggest search engine is to set launch a ChatGPT rival in March
Reinventing search with a new AI-powered Microsoft Bing and Edge, your copilot for the web
AppHarvest announces $40M public stock offering
DevelopLex Happy Hour: Click Here
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On this episode of Middle Tech, Logan and Evan cover:
0:00 - Intro
5:09 - Chinese Weather Balloon Shot Down Live
10:08 - FTC’s proposed ban on noncompete agreements
27:40 - AI Edge, Headlines and Tips
DevelopLex Happy Hour: Click Here
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On this episode of Middle Tech, Logan and Evan cover:
4:35 - Google Ads business under attack in Anti-trust Lawsuit
12:00 - Google created an AI-powered musician
17:15 - Shutterstock partners with OpenAI to avoid extinction
25:40 - AI Edge
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On this episode of Middle Tech, Logan and Evan cover:
3:00 - Microsoft Laying off 10,000 workers
9:00 - Corvette going Hybrid
12:34 -TikTok Bans
21:23 - Tesla fake auto-pilot video
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On this episode of Middle Tech, Logan and Evan cover:
-
Kentucky's SBIR grants award nearly $900k to Kentucky Startups
-
The airline industry is having technology problems - why?
-
Tesla announces global price cuts of up to 20%
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Welcome to season 6 of the Middle Tech Podcast! For this season, we are now hosting episodes LIVE on Mondays at 8am EST. As part of this change, we will be covering national & local news in technology and startups, while having a local guest join to give their perspectives.
On this episode, we cover:
- Amazon laying off an additional 18,000 employees
- ChatGPT is being banned on all NYC public school devices and networks. Darshak Patel, senior lecturer and Director of the Economics department at UK’s Gatton College of Business, joins us to give his perspective on how ChatGPT is disrupting education.
- Coinbase settles with New York state financial regulator for $100 million over “historical” shortcomings in anti-money laundering standards
- AppHarvest completes a sale-leaseback of it Berea farm for $127M and hires a new COO
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*We apologize for the audio issues in this episode as we experiment with the new live format - we will have those fixed by the next episode.
Nate looks back on 2022, and on the Weekend Thoughts format as whole. On to better things...
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Logan and Evan cover the Department of Energy’s announcement on achieving net gain nuclear fusion, Trump releasing an NFT, SBF getting arrested, Elon suspending accounts under a new doxxing policy, and a review of the SPAC market over the past few years.
Thanks to all who listened throughout the year - we’ll be continuing to create content similar to what’s on the Friday Update, but it will be on our Monday episodes instead. See you all in 2023!
Today's Friday Update is sponsored by KY Innovation
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For the final episode of season 5 of the Middle Tech Podcast, we wanted to stick with the tradition of getting the team together to talk about the past season's successes/failures, what we learned over the past year, and our plans for season 6. Season 6 will kick off on January 9th, 2023 - we hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season!
🧡 - The Middle Tech Team
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Tj recaps how Middle Tech's first event went: from the logistic planning to the conversation itself.
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Logan and Evan cover the antitrust investigations around Ticketmaster/Live Nation in the wake of the Taylor Swift debacle, as well as Microsoft's attempted acquisition of Activision, plus the latest AI model from OpenAI - ChatGPT.
Watch Middle Tech's Friday Updates LIVE at 8:30am EST on Instagram every week! @MiddleTechPod
Today's Friday Update is sponsored by KY Innovation
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On today’s episode, Evan sits down with Adam VanWingerden, CEO and Founder of Lexington AgTech startup, Silver Fern Group, to cover the details reported in the Lexington Herald Leader’s recent article on AppHarvest. The article, covering AppHarvest’s recent disclosure alerting investors that it’s running out of cash, comes after a rough year for the Lexington-based startup. Through their financial disclosures, it became evident that the massive investment in the future of AgTech was having difficulty producing a sustainable business model and burning through cash at an alarming rate. In addition to their business woes, Evan and Adam discuss the shadiness of some of AppHarvest’s investors that also were involved in other high-profile startup failures, how the ESG movement has allowed this failure to happen, the dark side of SPACs, and more.
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Danny reviews a new, unique path in computer engineering: coding for art and creativity.
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Evan and Logan discuss the protests happening in China and Kanye getting banned from Twitter...again.
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Today's Friday Update is sponsored by KY Innovation
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Today’s episode is from Middle Tech’s first in-person event, held on November 9th in Louisville, Ky. The panel discussion centered around how Financial Technologies are democratizing finance and empowering the next generation of software. Our panelists included Raffi Kayat, founder of Borderless, Demetrius Gray, founder of Captian, and Evan Knowles, founder of Symba.
Our discussion dives deep into some key topics around Financial Technologies, such as how fintech is democratizing finance, empowering financial equity, and enhancing financial literacy at a rapid pace.
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As we begin to wrap up 2022, Nate reflects on two past episodes that are worth another listen. Listen to some wise words from TJ Barnett and Evan Knowles on this week's episode of Weekend Thoughts
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Dr. Eric Monday is the Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration at the University of Kentucky. Throughout his career at UK, Dr. Monday has helped spearhead the introduction of the university’s e-sports program, the UK Invest program, and various other Smart Campus initiatives. Our conversation primarily focuses on the newly announced UK Invest program that aims to help students build a foundation of financial literacy — allowing them to achieve greater financial security, career readiness, and well-being.
Throughout our conversation with Dr. Monday, we also dive into the overall mission of UK’s Smart Campus initiatives and how university leadership approcahes building a thriving college community.
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On this week's episode of Weekend Thoughts, Nate speaks on how quantity is being put over quality within the professional entertainment industries. Movies, music, shows, just aren't the same anymore all thanks to The Content-ization of Entertainment.
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Logan, Evan, and Nate discuss more details emerging about FTX's collapse and the chaos at Twitter after Elon gives employees an ultimatum.
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Today's Friday Update is sponsored by KY Innovation
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Wesley Belden is the founder and CEO of Raise Financial. Raise Financial is a Nashville-based startup building a platform that is taking a unique approach to providing access to longer-term, higher-yielding financial vehicles by providing access via subscription. By subscribing to one of their programs, Raise Financial invests an initial lump sum of their money, proportionate to the user’s subscription, into index funds and bonds. The subscription entitles you to 100% of the returns of the investment and allows for easier access to the power of compounding.
Our conversation covers the challenges younger generations are facing when it comes to long-term investment vehicles, why financial literacy is critical for the long-term stability of our economy, and how Nashville is positioning itself as a great homebase for founders that need to visit different markets frequently.
Learn more about Raise Financial at RaiseFinancial.com
Connect with Wesley on LinkedIn
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On this week's episode of Weekend Thoughts, Logan uses Descript's overdub feature, in conjunction with Open A-I's GPT-3 to demonstrate the power of machine learning and artificial intelligence.
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Logan and Evan discuss:
-
FTX's crash and burn
-
Weekly Twitter update 🐤
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Today's Friday Update is sponsored by KY Innovation
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Haley Zapolski (Zap) is the Managing Director of Jumpstart Foundry, a Nashville-based healthcare pre-seed fund. Prior to joining Jumpstart Foundry, Zap made a name for herself in Nashville through her community building skills, often hosting dinners with founders in the ecosystem and providing introductions to help facilitate new connections.
Our conversation with Zap focuses on how she leveraged her networking skills to build community and opportunity for herself, what makes Nashville an attractive city for healthtech startups, and the fund she is raising to invest in healthcare companies.
Learn more about Jumpstart Foundry at jsf.co
Connect with Zap on LinkedIn
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The Middle Tech team is proud to announce our first live event! We'll be hearing from a panel of local FinTech leaders who are empowering the next generation of software. Moderated by the co-host of Middle Tech, Logan Jones, the panel will consist of local leaders such as Demetrius Gray from Captain, Raffi Kayat from Borderless, and our very own Evan Knowles from Symba. The event will be held at the main branch of Chase Bank in downtown Louisville on November 9th at 7:00 PM.
Register for Middle Tech's first live event!
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Nate, Logan, and Evan discuss:
-
Falcon Heavy launches again after a 3 year hiatus 🚀
-
Big tech does big layoffs 📉
-
Weekly Twitter update 🐤
Register for Middle Tech's first live event!
Watch Middle Tech's Friday Updates LIVE at 8:30am EST on Instagram every week! @MiddleTechPod
Today's Friday Update is sponsored by KY Innovation
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Andy Eastes is the co-founder of SkuVault, a Louisville-based inventory management software for e-commerce companies. We originally had Andy on the podcast for episode 87 back in February of 2020 and wanted to bring him back on to give us his perspective of SkuVault’s recent acquisition. SkuVault has been acquired by the private equity firm Marlin Equity Partners, in a deal to merge the company with one of their existing portfolio companies, Linnworks.
Our discussion is a deep dive into Andy’s experience going through a private equity acquisition, touching on Andy’s learnings from the deal, what it means for the future of SkuVault and himself, and the significance of successful exits for startup ecosystems.
Learn more about SkuVault's acquisition here.
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There's some hard knocks when it comes to fundraising... On this episode of Weekend Thoughts, Evan chats about the tough times that oftentime come with a fundraising campaign. Just keep on truckin'!
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Logan, Evan, and Nate discuss Elon closing his deal to buy Twitter, Tesla under investigation by the DOJ, tech stocks' bad week, and more.
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Today's Friday Update is sponsored by KY Innovation
Register for Middle Tech's first live event!
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Julia Regan is the CEO and Founder of RxLightning. RxLightning is a "Kentuckiana"-based (New Albany, In/Louisville, Ky) software company that has streamlined the data transfer process for complex manual specialty enrollment processes in the pharmaceutical space. The healthcare industry is complex and fragmented, which can make it difficult to innovate. However, Rx Lightning has been able to overcome these challenges by reimagining the patient journey and using technology to streamline the process. Today, the company is helping patients get started on life-saving medications in a more efficient way. The company has recently experienced explosive growth, with plans to add 175 new jobs over the next several years.
Our discussion covers how Julia became an entrepreneur through intrapreneurship, why RxLightning has become one of the fastest growing startups in this region, and Julia’s experience fundraising in this region.
Learn more about RxLightning at RxLightning.com
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Logan and Evan discuss:
- Elon’s plan to layoff 75% of twitter’s workforce ✂️
- Snapchat’s struggles & what it could mean for social media 📉
- Circle K getting into the weed business 🍃😮💨
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Today's Friday Update is sponsored by KY Innovation
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Jacob Bozarth is the Co-Founder and CEO at Resound & Resonate Recordings, two Louisville-based companies that deal in podcast production. 8 years ago, Jacob first started Resonate Recordings, a podcast production company that quickly grew after helping produce 13 shows that reached #1 in Apple Podcasts. With his experience from Resonate Recordings, Jacob then set out to start a new company - a software product aiming to automate some of the tedious work associated with the editing process.
Our conversation covers how Jacob scaled Resonate Recordings to serves thousands of podcasters, how Resound was created to solve a problem they faced at Resonate, and Jacob’s experience with both bootstrapping a business and raising VC.
Learn more about Resound at Resound.fm
Learn more about Resonate Recordings at ResonateRecordings.com
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TJ shares some insight on how to grow as an entrepreneur. Find out how you can improve with this week's episode of Weekend Thoughts.
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Logan and Nate discuss TikTok getting into fulfillment and music streaming, Netflix launching an ad-supported tier, Kroger acquiring Albertson's, and recent AI advancements beginning to shift the role of the Human from a Creator to a Narrator.
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Today's Friday Update is sponsored by KY Innovation, Render Capital, and Bolt Marketing
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Stevens Bonhomme is the Founder and CEO of FeedCoyote, a Paducah-based platform for freelancers to find new projects, collaborate with other freelancers, and manage their projects. Stevens’ story is an interesting one as he recently relocated his company from Seattle to Paducah, Kentucky as part of the 1ST50K program - a pitch competition designed to bring software-based businesses to Paducah by awarding startups with $50k in non-dilutive capital to relocate their startups to Paducah.
Our conversation covers Stevens’ experience with Microsoft, his journey into entrepreneurship, and what it’s been like to move from Seattle to Paducah.
Learn more about FeedCoyote at FeedCoyote.com
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On this week's episode of Weekend Thoughts, Nate shares his picks for his favorite podcasts and some gems that he's been listening to. Add some new insightful podcasts to your collection!
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Evan, Logan, and Nate discuss Elon moving forward with the Twitter acquisition, Disney & Draft Kings near a deal, Tesla Semi production begins, and Kim K gets a fine for promoting a cryptocurrency.
Read more about today's stories:
- Elon to Move Forward with Twitter Deal Again
- Disney and Draft Kings Near a Deal
- Tesla Begins Production of Their Semi Truck
Watch Middle Tech's Friday Updates LIVE at 8:30am EST on Instagram every week! @MiddleTechPod
Today's Friday Update is sponsored by KY Innovation, Render Capital, and Bolt Marketing
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Ricky Mason is the Founder and CEO of BrainSTEM University, a Louisville-based edtech company. BrainSTEM started as a STEM education program, helping youth in underserved areas access quality STEM education. As more students transitioned to learning online during Covid, they've grown to be an edtech company that develops teacher tools to enable all teachers and students to be more creative and dive deeper into learning.
Our discussion covers Ricky's extensive STEM background, a breakdown of how BrainSTEM equips students and teachers to dive deeper into STEM topics, and the struggles that Ricky has faced while trying to raise capital from this region.
Learn more about BrainSTEM University at BrainSTEMU.com
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Nate Antetomaso and Logan Jones discuss the specifics of NASA's DART mission and breakdown the changes Google is making to compete with TikTok.
Read more about today's stories:
- NASA's Successful DART Mission
- Google's Newest Search Features
Watch Middle Tech's Friday Updates LIVE at 8:30am EST on Instagram every week! @MiddleTechPod
Today's Friday Update is sponsored by KY Innovation, Render Capital, and Bolt Marketing
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Drew Rodriguez and Neima Moaven are the co-founders of the Kentucky Sports Industry Conference, as well as students at the University of Kentucky. Through creating this new conference, Drew and Neima hope to give students more access to careers in the sports industry by allowing them to hear from those who currently work in the industry and create pipelines into various companies within the industry.
Our discussion covers their experience working with UK to host the conference, how they plan on leveraging UK’s reputation as a top sports school, and their future plans for the conference.
Learn more about KSIC at KentuckySIC.com (conference coming up on Oct. 7th, 2022)
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Middle Tech has expanded from highlighting just the start-up scene and the founders in Lexington to a greater platform. The pod now features founders from all over. In this week's Weekend Thoughts, Logan speaks on the past, present and future of Middle Tech.
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Friday Update • 9/23/22
Evan, Logan, and Nate give an update on recent AppHarvest news regarding their new facilities and a lawsuit has been filed against Meta regarding their in-platform tracking.
Read more about today's stories:
- AppHarvest Updates
- Meta Lawsuit
Watch Middle Tech's Friday Updates LIVE at 8:30am EST on Instagram every week! @MiddleTechPod
Today's Friday Update is sponsored by KY Innovation, Render Capital, and Bolt Marketing
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Nate Hughes is the Founder and CEO of RxProtect, a Louisville-based startup that works to reduce or eliminate employer and employee overall out of pocket prescription drug (Rx) spend. By leveraging strategic partnerships, importation regulations, and Canadian pharmacies, Nate and his team have been able to greatly reduce drug costs while maintaining quality and trust.
Our discussion covers how the pharmaceutical industry functions, how Nate was able to provide a creative solution to the problem of drug costs, and the future opportunities that Nate sees for his company.
Learn more about RxProtect at Rx-Protect.com
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Being able to multitask is incredibly important in this day and age. There's a constant flow of emails, texts, and calls that pull us away from the task you're working on. In this episode of Weekend Thoughts, Nate explains the effectiveness of timeblocking, and how it can help you in the hustle and bustle of your day.
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Logan, Evan, and Nate discuss Adobe's $20B acquisition of Figma and California's antitrust lawsuit against Amazon.
This week in (not so tech) history: The Mayflower sets sail for America on this day in 1620.
Read more about today's stories:
- Adobe Acquires Figma for $20B
- California Files Antitrust Lawsuit Against Amazon
Watch Middle Tech's Friday Updates LIVE at 8:30am EST on Instagram every week! @MiddleTechPod
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Mike Rudy is a UK Alumni that works as a Software Engineer at Microsoft. Prior to joining Microsoft, Mike worked for multiple local companies including Lexmark, Belcan, and Toyota after getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science from the University of Kentucky. Our conversation with Mike covers how he approached pursuing a job at a Microsoft, why he believes more students should be encouraged to pursue careers within big tech companies, and the importance of being a lifelong learner.
We apologize for the lower quality audio on Evan & Logan's end. Unfortunately, the wrong input was used for the microphone and it was recorded from a laptop instead of the nice mic.
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It may seem daunting to learn the ropes of software development... In this week's episode of Weekend Thoughts, Danny shares his journey to becoming a full-time software developer. If you were into playing with Legos, this may be right up your alley.
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Evan Knowles and Nate Antetomaso cover the latest news surrounding this week's Apple Event, and are joined by Danny Perry (the team's resident Android user) to discuss if Apple should adopt to RCS protocol or not.
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Brittany Harris and James Clark are the cofounders of RaveOn Sports, a Lexington-based startup building a social media platform to give sports fans a better way to engage with other fans watching the same games. The platform allows conversations to be build around specific games, plays, and calls while providing a space for fans to connect with their favorite athletes commentating on the game.
Our conversation covers their approach to rethinking sports social media, their experience building a company in Kentucky, and the challenges they’ve faced.
Download their app here: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/raveon-sports-fans-be-heard/id1485694074)
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On this weeks episode, Lincoln Day shares some valuable things to know regarding the Inflation Reduction Act. You don't want to miss this one.
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This week, we are trying out a new series in which we answer questions and discuss topics submitted to us by our audience. On this episode, Evan Knowles and Logan Jones discuss the dynamics of balancing a full time job with a side hustle, a topic submitted by Nick Hostetter (@nickhostetter4). Logan and Evan’s discussion covers everything from how to take the first steps when starting a side hustle, what those first steps should look like, how to manage your time, and making the decision to go all in.
Since this is a new series, we are very eager to hear any feedback, good or bad, on what you think of this new format. We plan on releasing these periodically in addition to our typical interview-style episodes, so if you have a question or topic you’d like us to consider, please send it to logan@middletech.com.
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Subtle Accessibility? Nate dives into some details on what this concept is and how it's impacting tech users across the board.
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Logan Jones, Evan Knowles, and Nate Antetomaso cover the latest TikTok security concerns, Twitter’s whistleblower report about platform security & bots, and a new partnership between T-Mobile & Starlink.
Donate to SOAR's Student Support Fund here.
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Read Ezell is the Southeast Growth Lead at Wefunder, a platform that can be described as the “Kickstarter of Investing” - allowing anyone to invest as little as $100 into an early stage company. Through Wefunder’s platform, founders can allow their early supporters and community to be a part of their cap table and potentially earn a return on their investment.
Our conversation with Read covers the change in regulation that allows non-accredited investors to invest in startups, how founders can successfully raise capital on Wefunder, and the dynamics of early stage capital in the south.
Learn more about Wefunder at Wefunder.com
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Logan shares some helpful tips when it comes to scrolling.
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Evan and Logan talk with Colby Hall about SOAR's Eastern Kentucky Flood Relief Fund, Adam Neumann raises $350m for a new real estate venture, and Ethereum's merge to proof of stake consensus is coming in September.
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Kirk Howell is the Founder and CEO of Thrive365, a Louisville-based HealthTech company building a platform to help physicians, coaches, and patients better manage their diabetes. Through Thrive365's food scoring system, patients can easily make more informed decisions about the meals they eat and how those meals effect their diabetes. Our conversation covers how Kirk managed to acquire Thrive365's patented software from Craft foods, the size and importance of the problem they’re solving, and his approach to building an all-star team.
Learn more about Thrive365 at Thrive365.com
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Nate shares his social media habits and how social media platforms are pushing to use more screen time.
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Nate and Evan discuss Amazon acquiring iRobot, the streaming wars heating up between Disney and Netflix, and how South Korea is prioritizing chipmaking.
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Connor Sears is the Founder and CEO of Rewatch, a software tool that securely saves, manages, and allows teams to search all of their video content. Connor is a graduate of the University of Kentucky and left for Silicon Valley soon after graduating. During his time in California, Connor was a Product Designer for Twitter, Pinterest, GitHub, and Facebook working to design some of the most used products in the world. Now based in Louisville, Connor has continued to build Rewatch as a “remote-first” company and to date has raised $40m from investors such as a16z.
Our discussion covers Connor’s experience working at Twitter in the early days, how he approaches product design when starting a company, and some reasons behind why he chose to move back to Kentucky.
Learn more about Rewatch at Rewatch.com
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TJ shares his debate on how name, image, & likeness is changing the world of collegiate athletics.
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Logan and Evan discuss Zillow partnering with Opendoor to allow home sellers to get an Opendoor offer on Zillow’s platform, and a recent ruling on censorship on social media might soon lead to a Supreme Court ruling on how the First Amendment applies to social media platforms.
Articles:
- Zillow Partners with OpenDoor
- Social Media Censorship Ruling
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Angelo Stekardis is a Senior Computer Vision Engineer at Rivian, an electric vehicle manufacturer known for their high tech adventure vehicles and Amazon delivery vans. Angelo is a UK Grad who used his love for technology and cars to eventually begin working on cutting edge computer vision technology that helps cars drive themselves. Our discussion covers his journey from UK to Rivian, artificial intelligence, electric vehicles, and ways UK can help more students land high tech jobs.
Connect with Angelo on LinkedIn
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On this episode, Evan speaks on the problems of the current housing market and why we should all be concerned for what's to come.
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Nate and Evan discuss Instagram, Apple, and Amazon's latest news.
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Michael Lewis is the Co-Founder and President of BusinessU, a Lexington-based EdTech platform offering interactive curriculum solutions for business education in high schools. BusinessU provides standards-aligned, turn-key business, marketing, entrepreneurship, finance, and accounting courses that educators can leverage to provide an educational experience that's representative of today's business world. Our conversation with Michael covers how he got into entrepreneurship, why he's passionate about improving business education, and his thoughts on bootstrapping a business vs raising capital.
Learn more about BusinessU at BusinessU.org
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Brad shares some insightful experiences and his views on corporate statements.
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Logan, Nate, and Evan discuss Acast acquiring Podchaser, Amazon acquiring One Medical, and The Senate voting to advance legislation providing billions in subsidies for the semiconductor industry.
Also, Apollo 11 makes history 53 years ago today as it lands on the Moon’s “Sea of Tranquility”. “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”
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Marc Kramer is the Executive Director of the newly created SMS Enterprise Center. Created by the owners of Kaden Tower in Louisville, In-Rel Properties hopes to support Louisville’s startup community by offering up free office space, making equity investments and facilitating connections to help advance early-stage, scalable companies.
Marc is originally from Philadelphia where he has been involved in the tech & startup ecosystem in the form of organizing angel investment groups and building companies himself. Our conversation with Marc covers what he hopes to accomplish with the SMS Enterprise Center, how he is approaching being a newcomer in the ecosystem, and his experience being a part of Philadelphia’s startup ecosystem.
The SMS Enterprise Center’s first event will be held this coming Wednesday, July 20th from 5pm to 7pm at the Kaden Tower in Louisville, KY. The event will cover topics regarding raising capital in a turbulent market - you can register for free here.You can learn more about the SMS Enterprise Center at SMSEnterpriseCenter.com
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Logan refers to Naval Ravikant's mega-thread on Twitter to gain a broadened understanding of permissionless leverage. Using today's tech and the possibilities around you can make you money while you sleep.
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Nate, Evan, and Logan discuss the James Webb telescope and where they think the Twitter/Elon drama will go now that it's in the legal system.
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Demetrius Gray is the founder and CEO of Captain, a fintech platform that allows communities to recover from natural disasters quicker by paying contractors up front so they can get started rebuilding without having to wait on insurance companies to pay the claim. Demetrius first came on Middle Tech on episode 55 to talk about Weather Check, Kentucky’s first ever Y-Combinator backed startup. Using his learnings from Weather Check, Demetrius identified a huge opportunity with Captain and has raised over $107M worth of venture capital and venture debt to scale the company. Our discussion covers the opportunity that Captain is capitalizing on, Demetrius’s experience as a Kentucky founder, and his advice to entrepreneurs building high growth companies in this area.
Learn more about Captain at CaptainHQ.com
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Nate shares some insight on how he is learning to enjoy not only the destination, but the road that lies ahead.
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Logan, Evan, and Nate discuss Netflix’s new spatial audio features and Starlink getting approval to provide service on planes, boats, and vehicles.
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Yasmin Moaven is the CMO of Pipe, a New York based FinTech company that allows companies to transform recurring revenue into up-front capital for growth without dilution or restrictive debt. Pipe has gotten lot of attention since their inception as they were the first company to introduce this new model by turning recurring revenue into a new asset class, and they’ve raised over $300mm in venture capital to execute on that mission.
Yas’s journey to becoming CMO of Pipe is a relevant one for those looking to get into tech in a non-technical way, as she covers the steps in her career that allowed her to achieve her position at a young age. Our conversation covers Yas’s career, Pipe’s business model, and the importance of diversity/representation in C-level positions.
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Lincoln Day talks about the importance of operating at scale through the lens of some of the biggest operations in tech history.
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Nate, Evan, and Logan discuss renewed talks of TikTok getting banned in the US and Instagram making moves to grow the usage of Reels.
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What is Kentucky’s startup ecosystem doing to set itself up for success? Logan Jones moderates a panel discussion on the pillars for a thriving startup community with those that are leading the charge on establishing them in this region.
Our panelists include:
- Monique Quarterman, representing the pillar of Diversity. Monique is the Deputy Executive Director in the Office of Entrepreneurship and Small Business Innovation aka KY Innovation.
- Michael Lewis, representing the pillar of Education. Michael is the Co-Founder and President of Thesis Education.
- Brian Raney, representing the pillar of Community. Brian is the Co-Founder and CEO of Awesome Inc & APAX Software
The panelists give us some insight into how far we’ve come in establishing those pillars, and where we go from here if we want to set ourselves up for success. This discussion was recorded live for Lexington Entrepreneurship Day on Wednesday, June 21st, 2022.
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Trust us, Danny knows a thing or two about solo entrepreneurship. Find out what it's all about in this weeks episode.
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Logan and Evan discuss Climavision partnering with GE Digital and take requests for OpenAI's DALL-E to create (we recommend watching the video for this one).
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For our 200th episode, the team picked out some of their favorite clips from their favorite episodes of the past 200. These clips cover things we found interesting, some great stories, and learnings from this region’s top entrepreneurs.
PILOT. Smart Homes and Voice Will Take Over
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Scott Shapiro, Chief Innovation Officer of Lexington, KY, on University Cities, Gigabit Internet, and Bikeshare
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Space Tango: Tywman Clements on Putting Automated Science in Space
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SOAR: Colby Hall on the Development of Eastern Kentucky
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El Toro: Stacy Griggs on Building Cookie-less IP Targeting Technology
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Nashville Technology Council: Brian Moyer on Growing Nashville's Tech Ecosystem
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The Future of Work: Steve Cadigan on Creating a Better Model of Working
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Yornest: Michael Brizendine on Building a Social Media Platform & Surviving Haiti's Earthquake
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To The Market: Jane Mosbacher Morris on Empowering Brands & Retailers to Work with Ethical and Sustainable Suppliers
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Ky Inno: Haley Cawthon on Growing Kentucky's Innovation Ecosystem through Media
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Evan takes a closer look at the current connection... well, disconnection rather, of tech in the real estate world. What's next for the future of real estate?
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Nate Pierotti is a Partner at New Stack Ventures, a Chicago-based VC firm focused on early stage capital. New Stack typically leads rounds at the angel, pre-seed, or seed stage and invests between $500k and $1.5M into startups that are pre-revenue, in pilots, or early commercialization. Our conversation with Nate covers how New Stack seeks to fund “outsiders” that break the mold of traditional founders, how investment decisions are made at the pre-seed stage, and the different dynamics of the VC industry that influence how capital is allocated.
Learn more about New Stack at NewStack.com
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Logan Jones breaks down the Leadership Visit to Tampa with CommerceLex and what he believes Lexington can learn from Tampa's growth.
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Logan, Nate, and Evan discuss the LIV vs PGA controversy, Meta’s Workplace deal with McDonald’s, and Apple getting into Buy Now Pay Later.
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Brad Luttrell is the co-founder and CEO of GoWild, a Louisville-based social commerce platform driven by a data-driven shopping experiences that makes outdoor activities easy to learn & fun to share. Since Brad first came on for ep. 85, GoWild has refined their business model, grown their user base, added several new employees, and raised $4.5mm in venture capital. Aside from hearing about how GoWild has grown, our conversation with Brad also covers his approach to managing a hybrid work environment, the Send It Slam festival GoWild is putting on, and what he's learned about raising capital along the way.
Learn more about GoWild at TimeToGoWild.com
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New addition to the Middle Tech Podcast team, Evan Boggs, dives into some useful tips on how to combat the creative block and burnout.
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Logan and Evan give their thoughts on remote work and the stance Elon has taken on it, and discuss the current state of the US & global economies as Jamie Dimon says we’re headed for an “economic hurricane”.
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Haley Cawthon is the Assistant Managing Editor at Louisville Business First, a business media publisher covering business news, data and networking for the Greater Louisville area. Our conversation with Haley centers around Ky Inno, a part of Louisville Business First covering Louisville's innovation economy, and working to connect & catalyze the region’s next-generation businesses and business leaders. Throughout this conversation, we discuss media's role in the startup and innovation ecosystem, how the media landscape is shifting thanks to technology such as social media, and what Haley has observed through covering some of Kentucky's top startups and founders.
Learn more about Ky Inno at https://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/inno
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Nate reads a blog originally by Tom Monarch about the importance of an effective Shareholder Agreement when starting a company.
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Nate and Danny discuss continued Twitter/Elon drama, Amazon Style stores, Ethereum 2.0, and Saudi Aramco potentially buying Lexington's Valvoline.
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For this episode, Logan arranged an interview with a key player in Tampa’s tech community during his visit during CommerceLex's Leadership Visit. Forbes recently named Tampa the #1 Emerging Tech Ecosystem and we wanted to dig into why that is.
Lakshmi Shenoy is the CEO of Embarc Collective, a Tampa-based organization that supports the city’s entrepreneurs by curating the experiences, resources, and environment that helps forward-thinking founders and their teams thrive. Embarc believes that each company is different and measures success in different ways, and therefore works with companies to provide individualized support based on their defined milestones. Prior to leading Embarc, Lakshmi attended University of Chicago and Harvard Business School, and worked to build Chicago’s startup ecosystem through her role at 1871. Our conversation covers the approach that Embarc takes to support Tampa’s entrepreneurs, the catalysts that have allowed their ecosystem to thrive, and their areas of focus as they look to establish Tampa as a major player in America’s tech scene.
Learn more about Embarc Collective at EmbarcCollective.com
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Nate takes a closer look into a trending breaking news headline regarding well-known rappers Young Thug and Gunna. The two rappers, along with several others were involved in a grand-jury indictment for members of the YSL (Young Slime Life). Will this change the rap scene and the creative process forever? What's next?
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Logan, Nate, and Ross discuss new legislation and policies emerging around content moderation on social media and Ross gives a summary on the new development coming to downtown Lex.
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Gary Briggs is the former CMO of Facebook and has deep experience in the tech industry, serving in leadership roles with Google, PayPal, Ebay, and IBM, among others. Gary is part of a group called Meeting of America that is working to build a platform aimed at addressing the growing divisiveness that we see forming in our country through facilitating conversations among those who might share different views, in a constructive and open-minded way. Meeting of America just conducted their first pilot in Lexington, Kentucky and is planning a roll out to the rest of the country. Our conversation covers Gary’s extensive background in the tech industry, his views on how social media and technology have influenced society, and what he hopes to accomplish with Meeting of America.
Learn more about Meeting of America at MeetingOfAmerica.us
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One of Middle Tech’s newest additions, Brad Farley, pushes against the concept of chasing after unicorn investment dollars and instead encourages us to start small. A champion for low code platforms, such as bubble.io, Brad’s personal stories of startup failures and successes led him on a path which ultimately led to his involvement in Middle Tech’s KY Tech Map. Listen for a few minutes on the legitimacy, ease, and advantages of starting small. Check out some of Brad’s work on the Tech Map and at www.growthstageops.com. Check out Brad’s favorite development platform @ www.bubble.io.
Logan and Nate cover stories on Elon's insistence that Twitter prove the amount of its fake orders, the iPod being dead, and layoffs hitting the tech industry.
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Debbie Gordon is the CEO & Founder of Cloud Range, a Nashville-based cybersecurity company that allows companies to simulate cyber attacks to train & prepare their teams. As we move more of our lives and systems online, cybersecurity is becoming more important than ever. Our conversation covers Debbie’s experience as a serial entrepreneur, why everyone should care about cybersecurity, and tangible processes that she uses in her business to be an effective leader.
Learn more about Cloud Range at CloudRangeCyber.com
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Social Media wizard, TJ Barnett shares a little bit about what our social media game is like over here at Middle Tech.
Logan, Nate, Evan, and Tj announce the winner of the Forecastle giveaway and cover stories on Cerebral getting cut off from Adderall prescriptions, China dumping foreign hardware, and AppHarvest’s Q1 earnings report.
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Rick West is the Co-founder and CEO of Field Agent, a marketplace platform connecting retail brands to shoppers and stores, allowing them to gain transparency, feedback, and other valuable data in real time. Rick is a graduate of the University of Kentucky and our conversation covers his corporate experience with P&G, how he took the leap to entrepreneurship, and his philosophies on leadership in this new post-covid world.
Learn more about Field Agent at FieldAgent.net
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Gather a deeper understanding of both thinking long-term and goals within a professional environment. Nate reflects upon past experiences on his professional journey and the moments that brought him to where he stands today.
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Logan and Evan discuss Apple’s challenges with supply chain issues and AirBnb embracing a fully remote work environment.
This week in tech history: the iTunes Store launches in 2003. Would you still pay $0.99 per song?
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Lecresha Sewell is the Founder and CEO of Melanated Healthcare, a platform for helping black and brown patients find healthcare providers that share their racial identity. Through their work, Lecresha hopes to help healthcare providers deliver a higher quality of care to their patients. Our conversations covers how Lecresha overcame adversity to become a doctor and a founder, the importance of the problem Melanated Healthcare is solving, and how she balances being a founder with family life.
Learn more about Melanated Healthcare at MelanatedHealthcare.app
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Danny dives deeper into the advancements of text-to-image generation through the usage of Artificial Intelligence.
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Nate, Logan, and Evan discuss Netflix’s slowing subscriber growth and Gov. Beshear’s statements on legalizing medical marijuana in Kentucky.
This week in tech history: The first ever spam email goes out advertising Digital Equipment Corporation mainframe computer system. Now, 14.5 billion spam emails are sent each day :(
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Raechele Smalls is the Manager of Entrepreneur Selection & Growth and Access to Capital Lead at Endeavor’s regional hub. Endeavor is a global organization that supports high impact entrepreneurship and works to connect regional, national, and international startup ecosystems by providing mentorship, a robust network, and access to capital. Our conversation with Raechele covers the launch of Endeavor’s new platform, Endeavor Edge, the issues entrepreneurs in this region face when fundraising, and how the Edge platform is helping to provide access to capital in this region.
Learn more about EDGE at Edge.Endeavor.org
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Logan explores the Human Colossus... or how technology is augmenting ourselves to progress human civilization.
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Nate, Evan, and Logan discuss Kentucky’s second largest economic development coming to Bowling Green, Meta’s virtual sales fee, and Elon’s offer to purchase Twitter.
This week in tech history: In 1961, Yuri Gagarin becomes the first man to go to space at the age of 27. In the 61 years since them, over 600 humans have made the journey to space.
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Tim Metzner is the co-founder and Chief Growth Officer at Coterie Insurance, a Cincinnati-based InsureTech startup simplifying the process of getting small business insurance. Founded in 2018, Coterie has now raised $70m to continue their growth. During this conversation Evan Knowles and Logan Jones discussed the Coterie story, building a great company culture, and how to foster a great startup ecosystem.
Learn more about Coterie Insurance at CoterierInsurance.com
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Evan explores how modern implementations of online banking via APIs and deep product integrations are changing how we interact with products, and paving the way to the ideal "Web 3.0" everyone is talking about.
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Logan, Nate, and Evan cover Elon’s twitter investment & board seat, big news from the Bitcoin Conference, and Fast shutting down after raising $102m.
This week in tech history: The first cell phone call is made in 1973 and Microsoft is founded in 1975.
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Today's Friday Update is sponsored by KY Innovation and Bolt Marketing
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Jane Mosbacher Morris is the founder and CEO of To The Market, a turnkey solution for ethical manufacturing, connecting brands and retailers to a syndicated network of sustainable, story-rich suppliers. Jane started To The Market with a vision to democratize access to the global supply chain and provide makers around the world with the economic empowerment that comes from safe, dignified, fairly paid work. Our conversation covers Jane’s background in foreign relations, how To The Market is giving underrepresented entrepreneurs access to global supply chains, and the importance of sustainability and resilience in supply chains.
Learn more about To The Market at ToTheMarket.com
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Middle Tech is proud to be supported by:
Our presenting sponsor, KY Innovation
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The Johnson Law Group
Render Capital
Nate explores how Amazon, the perpetually innovating company that flips industries upside down, may impact the media industry with its acquisition of MGM.
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Nate, Logan, and Evan cover Biden’s push for battery production, Amazon’s unionization votes, and the latest Bitcoin news.
This week in tech history: Wabash, Indiana becomes the first city to be lit with electricity
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Today's Friday Update is sponsored by KY Innovation and Bolt Marketing
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Natalia Bishop is a serial entrepreneur, known for starting Louisville-based companies Story Louisville and Level Up. Natalia is also the Entrepreneur in Residence for Amplify Louisville, the Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at University of Louisville, and most recently, a General Partner at Renew VC. Throughout her experience in the Louisville startup ecosystem, Natalia has been a major advocate for underrepresented founders and is actively working to ensure that all founders have access to the resources they need to be successful. Our conversation covers Natalia’s extensive experience, the lessons she’s learned along the way, and her vision for the Louisville startup ecosystem.
Connect with Natalia here.
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Middle Tech is proud to be supported by:
Our presenting sponsor, KY Innovation
Bolt Marketing
The Johnson Law Group
Render Capital
Nate runs through what it takes to operate the company behind Middle Tech, including the current challenges and opportunities the team faces this year.
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Nate, Logan, and Evan discuss:
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Bored Ape Yacht Club’s creator, Yuga Labs, raising $450 million
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Uber and NYC Taxis new partnership
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Demetrius Gray’s new fintech platform, Captain, coming out of stealth mode
Watch Middle Tech's Friday Updates LIVE at 8:30am EST on Instagram every week! @MiddleTechPod
Today's Friday Update is sponsored by KY Innovation and Bolt Marketing
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Brad Zapp is a co-founder and managing partner of Connetic Ventures, a Covington, Kentucky based VC firm that has built a machine learning model that allows them to make data-driven investment decisions. Through using this machine learning model, Connetic has been able to reduce the amount of bias present in their investment decisions and allocate a significant portion of their fund to underrepresented founders. Our conversation with Brad covers how they’ve found success by using a data-driven investment approach, his perception of this region’s startup ecosystem, and the role that the University of Kentucky has played in Brad’s background.
Learn more about Connetic at ConneticVentures.com
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Middle Tech is proud to be supported by:
Our presenting sponsor, KY Innovation
Bolt Marketing
The Johnson Law Group
Render Capital
Tj explores how social media has permanently rewired our brains, the implications that has had on him personally, and how he tries to combat the constant barrage of content.
Connect with Tj on LinkedIn here.
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Logan, Nate, and Evan discuss SpaceX’s “space surgery” program, Amazon completing their acquisition of MGM, and AMC investing in a literal gold mine.
This week in tech history: The first internet domain was registered - symbolics.com
Watch Middle Tech's Friday Updates LIVE at 8:30am EST on Instagram every week! @MiddleTechPod
Today's Friday Update is sponsored by KY Innovation and Bolt Marketing
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Anthony Ellis and David Brock are the Executive Director/General Council and Director of Operations for Ky Innovation, respectively. Ky Innovation is the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development's entrepreneurship and innovation partner, working to support and develop Kentucky's startup ecosystem through allocating government funds to entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial support organizations. Our discussion covers the purpose of Ky Innovation, the different programs they fund and support, and the impact that their support has had on the state of Kentucky.
Learn more about Ky Innovation at KyInnovation.com
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Middle Tech is proud to be supported by:
Our presenting sponsor, KY Innovation
Bolt Marketing
The Johnson Law Group
Render Capital
Nate contemplates how when we talk about startups and the fact that they can change the world, we don't ever really stop to think about "what if they don't, though?"
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Logan discusses Rivian’s earnings report and Biden signing an executive order for a crypto framework.
This week in tech history: the first phone call ever was 135 years ago this week.
Watch Middle Tech's Friday Updates LIVE at 8:30am EST on Instagram every week! @MiddleTechPod
Today's Friday Update is sponsored by KY Innovation and Bolt Marketing
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Brian Frye is the Spears-Gilbert Professor of Law at UK Law School, with a focus on copyright and trademark law. Before getting into the legal field, Brian was a successful film artist in New York City. Once NFTs started gaining popularity, Brian dove into the space by issuing his own “conceptual art” NFTs and hosting conversations about NFTs on his legal scholarship podcast, Ipse Dixit. The intersection of Brian’s unique perspectives and experiences made for an in-depth conversation on the key concepts of NFTs, how they’re affecting copyright law, and what it means to own something on the internet.
Learn more about Brian here.
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Middle Tech is proud to be supported by:
Our presenting sponsor, KY Innovation
Bolt Marketing
The Johnson Law Group
Render Capital
Logan discusses how you need a bias for action to increase the chances that you get lucky in this world.
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Logan & Evan discuss TikTok being investigated for the effect they have on teen’s mental health and how tech companies are responding to the Ukraine invasion.
Watch Middle Tech's Friday Updates LIVE at 8:30am EST on Instagram every week! @MiddleTechPod
Today's Friday Update is sponsored by KY Innovation and Bolt Marketing
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Michael Brizendine is the founder of Yornest, a college-centric social media platform allowing students to create close social groups. Michael is originally from Haiti and survived the 2010 earthquake only because he went to the bathroom when the earthquake hit. His story is one of mental toughness, overcoming adversity, and consistency. We discuss Michael’s incredible story, how he got into programming, and his experience with the Louisville startup ecosystem.
Download Yornest here
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Middle Tech is proud to be supported by:
Our presenting sponsor, KY Innovation
Bolt Marketing
The Johnson Law Group
Render Capital
Nate talks about his own personal experience with working from home, and the dilemma both he and his employer face in making the decision about the future of work.
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Nate, Evan, and Logan discuss the invasion of Ukraine and how technology is shaping and influencing it, as well as AppHarvest’s earnings report that was released yesterday.
Watch Middle Tech's Friday Updates LIVE at 8:30am EST on Instagram every week! @MiddleTechPod
Today's Friday Update is sponsored by KY Innovation, Bolt Marketing, and Render Capital.
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Justin Delaney, Chris Wiedmar, and Izaak Pratts are taking their love for Kentucky and technology and turning it into an NFT project we can all own and participate in called Party Horses. Leveraging blockchain technology, local artists, and several partnerships with iconic Kentucky brands like Makers Mark, the Party Horses team will sell digital art that unlocks access to exclusive parties, collectible Makers Mark bottles, and much more. Our conversation covers the origin of the project, details about how blockchain and NFT technology works, why Kentucky is uniquely positioned for this type of project, and where the Party Horses team plans to take it into the future.
Learn more about Party Horses at PartyHorses.com
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Middle Tech is proud to be supported by:
Our presenting sponsor, KY Innovation
Bolt Marketing
The Johnson Law Group
Render Capital
Nate talks about how every company is a tech company, and even small businesses need to utilize tech building blocks in order to create a tech infrastructure that meets customers where they are.
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Logan and Nate cover Google’s ad tracking changes, crypto Super Bowl ads, and regulation in web3.
Watch Middle Tech's Friday Updates LIVE at 8:30am EST on Instagram every week! @MiddleTechPod
Today's Friday Update is sponsored by KY Innovation, Bolt Marketing, and Render Capital.
Kyle Mohler is the Founder and CEO of Insignum AgTech, a biotechnology company working in the AgTech space to engineer plants that can change their pigment whenever they contract a disease, alerting the farmer so that they can take early action. Our conversation with Kyle focuses on how Insignum’s technology was developed, the benefits that it gives to farmers, the ethics & implications of bio-engineering in general, and Kyle’s experience growing a business in Indiana.
Learn more about Insignum at InsignumAgTech.com
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Middle Tech is proud to be supported by:
Our presenting sponsor, KY Innovation
Bolt Marketing
The Johnson Law Group
Render Capital
Evan overviews how everything about being an entrepreneur boils down to one key skill: sales.
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Logan, Nate, and Evan discuss Cash App adding the Lightning Network, Disney’s victories in the streaming wars, and Peloton’s recent struggles.
Watch Middle Tech's Friday Updates LIVE at 8:30am EST on Instagram every week! @MiddleTechPod
Today's Friday Update is sponsored by KY Innovation, Bolt Marketing, and Render Capital.
Ian McClure is the Chair-Elect, AUTM; Associate Vice President for Research, Innovation and Economic Impact, and Executive Director, UK Innovate at the University of Kentucky (a mouthful, we know). Put simply, Ian leads the University of Kentucky's efforts to commercialize the research and technology that comes out of the university. UK's Office of Technology Commercialization has made great strides since Ian joined and is continuing to address some of this regions biggest needs, from access to venture capital, to support for entrepreneurs looking to leverage university research for their businesses. This episode is co-hosted by Lincoln Day, as Lincoln has gone through the process of commercializing university research for his company, Stalk Commodities. Our conversation covers how UKOTC does what they do, why it's so important for this region, and where Ian hopes to take it into the future.
Learn more about UKOTC at Research.uky.edu/ukinnovate
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Middle Tech is proud to be supported by:
Our presenting sponsor, KY Innovation
Bolt Marketing
The Johnson Law Group
Render Capital
Danny, the newest member of the Middle Tech team and an expert motion graphics artist, overviews the benefits of diving deep into specialized careers and industries.
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We cover Meta's market cap drop, Prime pricing increase, Crypto tax compliance, and AI coding.
Watch Middle Tech's Friday Updates LIVE at 8:30am EST on Instagram every week! @MiddleTechPod
Today's Friday Update is sponsored by KY Innovation, Bolt Marketing, and Render Capital.
Thomas Mella is the Founder & President of Sightline Freight Partners and is based in Chicago. Sightline Freight Partners helps clients get the most out of their real-time transportation visibility platforms, a segment of tech startups that are modernizing the supply chain. Thomas talks to Nate about the history of Chicago, and the Midwest in general, leading in the supply chain, and how that domain knowledge is creating a hub for modern supply chain technology in the city.
Learn more about Sightline at SightlineFreight.com
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Middle Tech is proud to be supported by:
Our presenting sponsor, KY Innovation
Bolt Marketing
The Johnson Law Group
Render Capital
While sitting in the coffee shop at Wegmans (the best grocery store in the world) Nate contemplates how odd it is that the brand has a cult following and what that must mean about its products and focus on customer experience.
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Nate and Evan discuss Spotify's Joe Rogan situation, and then are joined by Colby Hall of SOAR to talk about broadband in Eastern Kentucky.
Watch Middle Tech's Friday Updates LIVE at 8:30am EST on Instagram every week! @MiddleTechPod
Today's Friday Update is sponsored by KY Innovation, Bolt Marketing, and Render Capital.
Kirsten Moorefield and Darrin Murriner are the co-founders of Cloverleaf, a platform that uses character assessment tools to automate coaching and help teams communicate more effectively. Based in Covington, KY, Darrin and Kirsten have lots of experience building a company and raising venture capital from this region. Our discussion centered around building company culture through better communication, their experience raising VC in Middle America, and Kirsten’s experience as a female founder.
Learn more about Cloverleaf at Cloverleaf.me
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Middle Tech is proud to be supported by:
Our presenting sponsor, KY Innovation
Bolt Marketing
The Johnson Law Group
Render Capital
Watch the episode with video on Spotify! Nate tries to participate in Zed Run, a Web3 NFT-based horse racing game. However, he is quickly taught about another barrier to entry in Web3.
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Logan, Nate, and Evan discuss Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision, Meta making moves with NFTs, and Walmart exploring the metaverse.
Watch Middle Tech's Friday Updates LIVE at 8:30am EST on Instagram every week! @MiddleTechPod
Today's Friday Update is sponsored by KY Innovation & Bolt Marketing.
Ankur Gopal is the founder and CEO of Interapt, a Louisville-based software development company with a focus on training tech talent. By providing custom training solutions, Interapt allows their newly trained developers to seamlessly step into roles with their client companies. Our conversation with Ankur covered the importance of developing tech talent when building an emerging tech ecosystem, how Interapt maintains a balanced remote work culture, and the vision Ankur has for the Kentucky technology ecosystem.
Learn more about Interapt at Interapt.com
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Middle Tech is proud to be supported by:
Our presenting sponsor, KY Innovation
Bolt Marketing
The Johnson Law Group
Render Capital
Nate had a lot of time to think over the holiday break. Going down the Web3 rabbit hole was a common past time, and it occurred to him that the more he learned the more he realized he didn't know. For a concept that is supposed to revolutionize industries with mass adoption, the barrier to entry is way too high.
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Nate, Logan, and Evan discuss the James Webb telescope, the concept of ownership as it pertains to the Wordle game, and Evan's experiences in the San Fransisco tech ecosystem.
Watch Middle Tech's Friday Updates LIVE at 8:30am EST on Instagram every week! @MiddleTechPod
Adrian Garcia-Aranyos is the Global President of Endeavor, a global organization that supports high impact entrepreneurship and works to connect regional, national, and international startup ecosystems by providing mentorship, a robust network, and funding through their Catalyst fund. Prior to becoming Endeavor's Global President, Adrian was the first President of Spain's Endeavor office in Madrid, and also held positions at well known companies such as JP Morgan and The Economist. We discuss Adrian's experience setting up an Endeavor office in an emerging market, the global trends he sees in entrepreneurship, and the role Endeavor plays in creating what they refer to as the "multiplier effect".
Learn more about Endeavor at Endeavor.org
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Middle Tech is proud to be supported by:
Our presenting sponsor, KY Innovation
Bolt Marketing
The Johnson Law Group
Render Capital
Logan and Evan are joined by Nate Antetomaso and Tj Barnett to recap all that went on throughout season 4 of Middle Tech and what we plan to accomplish in season 5. A lot happened in season 4 - we invested heavily in social media by bringing Tj on the team, launched several new series, monetized the podcast, and recorded interviews with some incredible entrepreneurs. We have even bigger plans for season 5 and are very excited to announce Middle Tech's new partners going into 2022 (announcement coming on the first episode of season 5).
To all those who have supported us along the way - thank you. Your support gives us the energy to continue to grow Middle Tech and this region's startup ecosystem.
Visit us at MiddleTechPod.com
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Evan analyzes if there can ever be true scarcity on the internet, and how digital assets compare to the oldest and most directly scarce asset: land.
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Lamar Wilson is a serial entrepreneur and the founder of the Black Bitcoin Billionaires group, a social media group with a mission of educating people about Bitcoin and blockchain technology. Lamar has been involved in the bitcoin space since 2011 and has become a well known figure within the crypto community. We discuss why Bitcoin has gotten to where it is today, what the future could potentially look like for Bitcoin, and the impact that it could have on civilization.
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Tj wonders how the future, and the metaverse specifically, will change social media and expand its influence on our lives.
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Nate, Logan, and Evan discuss Kickstarter adopting a blockchain protocol, Roku and YouTube reach an agreement, and the WikiLeaks founder being extradited to the US.
Honorable mention headlines:
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Life360 is selling their users precise location data.
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Commonwealth Fusion Solutions announced a $1.4 billion round of funding last week, led by Tiger Global and Bill Gates.
Watch Middle Tech's Friday Updates LIVE at 8:30am EST on Instagram every week! @MiddleTechPod
Taylor Desseyn is a Senior Recruiter Advocate at Vaco, a talent solutions company with a focus in the technology industry. Through his work as a recruiter, Taylor has taken a slightly different approach by creating daily content to help match the top tech talent with the top tech companies. He's currently the host of the Guidance Counselor 2.0 and Unicorn Finder podcasts, using that content to educate and connect with those in his field. We discussed the trends Taylor has seen in the industry over the years, how he creates as much content as he does, and the effect that the shift to remote work has had on technology careers & recruiting.
Learn more about Taylor at taylordesseyn.com
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Logan explores the role that curiosity plays in entrepreneurship and personal development.
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Evan, Nate, and Logan discuss Jack Dorsey stepping down as Twitter CEO, SpaceX production troubles, and the religious app Glorify just raised $40M.
Honorable mention headlines:
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Tesla released a cyberquad ATV for kids
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Twitter bans posting pics/vids of private individuals against their wishes
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Rumors are that Apple is planning to release an AR headset near the end of 2022
Watch Middle Tech's Friday Updates LIVE at 8:30am EST on Instagram every week! @MiddleTechPod
Roger Shuman is the Senior Relationship Manager for TechPoint, an Indianapolis-based organization that exists to serve the ecosystem through building talent pipelines, connecting companies to venture capital, and promoting the companies currently building there. Roger has been at the center of all of this for the past twenty years, gathering experience in various startups before joining TechPoint to help grow the Indy ecosystem. We discussed the programs they’ve put in place to grow Indy’s talent pipeline, what they’ve learned from watching their tech ecosystem grow, and the advice they have for up and coming cities working to build their tech ecosystems.
Connect with Roger on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/rshuman/
Learn more about TechPoint at techpoint.com
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Christopher Day is the Founder and CEO of DemandJump, a software that helps companies automate keyword and seo research, so that they can provide more valuable content, more consistently. In addition to assisting with content marketing, DemandJump can also attribute revenue to specific pieces of content, allowing companies to focus on what's working. DemandJump has recently just closed a $20mm round of funding to help grow the business. We discuss Christopher's background as a serial entrepreneur, DemandJump's approach to content marketing, and how they plan to use AI to grow their business.
Learn more about DemandJump at DemandJump.com
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Nate ponders the how White Claw's continued dominance of the growing Hard Seltzer industry teaches us about jumping on opportunities and embracing innovation.
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Nate and Logan discuss more Apple Car leaks, the new name for LA’s Staples Center, and the Satoshi Nakamoto lawsuit.
Honorable mention headline:
- Russia has cause a bit of an issue with space debris after destroying one of their satellites.
Watch Middle Tech's Friday Updates LIVE at 8:30am EST on Instagram every week! @MiddleTechPod
Chris Goode is the founder and CEO of Climavision, a Louisville based startup building the infrastructure to offer weather data as a service. In June of 2021, Climavision came out of building in "stealth" to announce that they had raised $100 million from TPG. Through building and operating their own radar systems and partnering with Low Earth Orbit satellite companies, Climavision will be collecting massive amounts of raw weather data, feeding that data into its algorithms, and then providing the data and insights to their clients via API. Our conversation with Chris covers his extensive background in weather technologies, the significance of the data that Climavision is collecting, and the potential impacts that AI will have on the weather data that they're collecting.
Learn more about Climavision at Climavision.com
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Logan looks at the space industry opening up due to SpaceX's Starship rocket, and contemplates the downstream business effects of this rapidly expanding industry.
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Logan, Evan, and Nate discuss Elon selling his Tesla shares after a Twitter poll and Twitter’s new paid features.
Honorable mention headlines:
- Rivian goes public with $0 revenue
- SpaceX crew 2 safely returns to earth
- Robinhood gets hacked
Watch Middle Tech's Friday Updates LIVE at 8:30am EST on Instagram every week! @MiddleTechPod
Steve Cadigan served as LinkedIn's first Chief HR Officer, advises multiple startups, and most recently published his book, Workquake: Embracing the Aftershocks of COVID-19 to Create a Better Model of Working. Steve sat down with us to talk about the ongoing effects that COVID-19 has had on work, where things will go from here, and what Kentucky can do to prepare for this new paradigm.
Learn more about Steve and Workquake at SteveCadigan.com
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Evan goes over his experience with content and why producing media is important for every entrepreneur.
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Nate, Evan, and Logan cover UK basketball players partnering with crypto exchange FTX and Zillow shutting down their ibuying business. Honorable mention headlines:
- Squid Game crypto crashes from over $2800 to less than $.01
- Facebook shuts down facial recognition software, will delete facial scan data of over 1 billion users
- Microsoft is launching metaverse features
- Rivian to IPO next week (the traditional way) at a roughly $60B valuation
- Amazon is planning to launch a satellite internet program
Watch Middle Tech's Friday Updates LIVE at 8:30am EST on Instagram every week! @MiddleTechPod
Chad Rosen is the founder of Victory Hemp, a Kentucky-based AgTech company focused on bringing the benefits of hemp to American tables and American land. Victory Hemp specializes in hemp concentrates and isolates that offer manufacturers new taste and performance advantages, enabling food companies to create better foods and unlock the value of the hemp seed. We discussed the R&D that Victory did when developing their product, the Kentucky hemp industry, and the role Chad sees Victory Hemp playing in contributing to food security in the U.S. and beyond.
Visit Victory Hemp Foods at victoryhempfoods.com
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Nate explores the scary thought of a company having all of your health data, but wonders if the benefits of it may outweigh the risks.
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Logan, Nate, and Evan discuss Facebook’s rebranding to a Metaverse company, the hardware & software they’re working on to support that endeavor, and the $8,000 investment that’s now “worth” $5.7 billion.
Watch Middle Tech's Friday Updates LIVE at 8:30am EST on Instagram every week! @MiddleTechPod
We sat down with Liz Brown Evans, Director of Marketing for Awesome Inc, to recap the pitches from Awesome Inc's October 5 Across event. 5 Across is a pitch competition hosted by Awesome Inc, in which 5 companies pitch to a panel of judges for 5 minutes each for a $500 prize. Use code MIDDLETECH to get free admission to the 5 Across Finals.
Visit Awesome Inc at AwesomeInc.org
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Nate explores how Waffle House's reliability and consistency, despite its lack of perfection, is a business lesson worth thinking about.
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Nate and Evan discuss Facebook changing it's name, Amazon getting into the local retail game, and PayPal potentially acquiring Pinterest.
Watch Middle Tech's Friday Updates LIVE at 8:30am EST on Instagram every week! @MiddleTechPod
Kyle Wilson is the CEO and Founder of Boom Beans, an Appalachian-based organization working to help teach high school students about entrepreneurship through hands-on experience of starting their own businesses. We discuss Kyle’s background prior to starting Boom Beans, the mission of the organization, and their progress to date.
Learn more about Boom Beans at BoomBeans.org
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In Part 2 part series, Logan walks through the biggest investments in the nuclear fusion space. Let us know what you think by shooting us a DM on social!
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Evan, Nate, and Logan discuss Blue Origin sending a 90 year old to space, Apple exploring using AirPods to collect body temperature and posture data, and Spotify releasing features to allow podcasts to interact with their audiences.
Watch Friday Updates live on Middle Tech's Instagram every Friday at 8:30am.
@MiddleTechPod on all platforms.
Ryan Foster is a Lexington, KY native who has become a very successful investor and owner of several Lexington bars and clubs. After graduating from the University of Kentucky, Ryan began a career in banking and then used his experience and insights from the bank to get started in real estate investing. He's since accumulated well over 100 residential units in the region as well as several well known commercial properties in downtown Lexington. In this conversation, we explored how he got to where he is today, his experience with the Lexington night life scene, and his outlook on the developments happening downtown.
DevelopLex is a new limited series diving into the ins & outs of real estate development and investing here in Lexington, Kentucky. This series will feature interviews with some of Lexington's most prominent real estate developers that have played a major role in building Lexington into what it is today.
Hosted by Weston Lockhart & Evan Knowles
This week, we sat down for a roundtable conversation on the topic of NFTs with Rex Wallace, Sam White, and Dean Christensen. Rex, Sam, and Dean all have extensive experience in the NFT space and have gotten in on some of the most prevalent projects in the space - specifically, the CoolCats project and incorporating that project in with an up and coming teenage Nascar driver, Jesse Love.
Our conversation covers some of the basics of NFTs, how Rex, Sam, and Dean got into the space, and why they see value in NFTs in general.
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Why is Nuclear Energy not dominating the conversation as we look towards a more climate-friendly future. In Part 1 of this 2 part series, Logan walks through the difference between nuclear fission and nuclear fusion.
Let us know what you think by shooting us a DM on social!
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Logan, Nate, and Evan discuss Facebook’s major outage this week and Google/YouTube demonetizing climate change denial videos.
Watch Friday Updates live on Middle Tech's Instagram every Friday at 8:30am.
@MiddleTechPod on all platforms.
Phil Greer is a high school coach turned massive Kentucky Real Estate Developer, as well as a scholarship football player for the University of Kentucky and former Tates Creek High School teacher & coach. After a few successful real estate deals, Greer dove head first into the restaurant industry by opening his first Shoney's, followed by a Fazoli’s, and his first Cheddar’s in ‘96 under the Greer Companies name. The Greer Companies developed and operated 45 Cheddar’s Casual Cafe Restaurants with operating revenues in excess of $200 million, and today they are working on two massive Lexington projects such as City Center & The Fountains at Palomar.
DevelopLex is a new limited series diving into the ins & outs of real estate development and investing here in Lexington, Kentucky. This series will feature interviews with some of Lexington's most prominent real estate developers that have played a major role in building Lexington into what it is today.
Hosted by Weston Lockhart & Evan Knowles
Brian Moyer is the CEO of the Nashville Technology Council, a nonprofit dedicated to growing the Nashville technology ecosystem through connecting key players, uniting the state government and technology community, developing tech talent, and promoting the ecosystem as a whole. As a successful entrepreneur himself, Brian laid out what it took to get Nashville to where it is today, and the work they're doing to ensure the ecosystem continues to grow. We discuss Brian's background building startups in Nashville, how the NTC executes it's mission of growing the Nashville tech ecosystem, and what Kentucky & this region can learn from the work being done there.
Learn more about the Nashville Technology Council at TechnologyCouncil.com
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The new Ford battery plant outside of Elizabethtown has the potential to fundamentally transform the area. Evan explores the topic in this weekend's thoughts.
Let us know what you think by shooting us a DM on social!
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Nate, Logan, and Evan discuss Ford's new battery plant outside of Elizabethtown, new Google search features, and TikTok getting into the NFT game.
Watch Friday Updates live on Middle Tech's Instagram every Friday at 8:30am.
@MiddleTechPod on all platforms.
Chad Needham is a Lexington Real Estate Developer and had often been referred to as a staple of the North-side of Lexington. While on DevelopLex, Chad discusses his organic path from the corporate world into real estate investment and development, his niche of the North side of Lexington with the new “Greyline Station” in particular, and what he views as the next steps for Lexington. Chad’s most recent project, (Greyline Station) has quickly become one of Lexington’s most popular attractions and an integral part of the community. Chad discusses the the incredible new use of the 65,000 square foot building with a storied history that for almost 100 years was home to bus & transit companies in Lexington.
DevelopLex is a new limited series diving into the ins & outs of real estate development and investing here in Lexington, Kentucky. This series will feature interviews with some of Lexington's most prominent real estate developers that have played a major role in building Lexington into what it is today.
Hosted by Weston Lockhart & Evan Knowles
Christian Miller is a Principal at Poplar Ventures, a Louisville-based Venture Capital firm investing in B2B SaaS companies based in Middle America. We sat down with Christian to do a deep dive into everything that goes into VC and discuss how he got into the space, what his day to day consists of, and how a VC firm operates.
Learn more about Poplar Ventures at PoplarVentures.com
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With $83 million in yearly cannabis tax revenue on the table, why does your friend from out of state still have to bring you the goods?
Let us know what you think by shooting us a DM on social!
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Nate, Logan, and Evan discuss the EU mandating a universal device charger, Twitter releasing features around NFTs & a creator tip jar, and Apple working on a mental health monitoring software.
Watch Friday Updates live on Middle Tech's Instagram every Friday at 8:30am.
@MiddleTechPod on all platforms.
Pat Madden is one of Lexington's best known real estate developers. He and his family are responsible for developing their family farm into what we know as Hamburg. After Graduating from Stanford and then the University of Kentucky Law School, Pat went on to practice law before returning to develop Hamburg into what it is today. Our conversation covered his background, the details related to developing Hamburg, advice he gives others entering real estate, as well as the story behind his new Bourbon venture, Never Say Die Bourbon.
DevelopLex is a new limited series diving into the ins & outs of real estate development and investing here in Lexington, Kentucky. This series will feature interviews with some of Lexington's most prominent real estate developers that have played a major role in building Lexington into what it is today.
Hosted by Weston Lockhart & Evan Knowles
Koby Hastings is the Founder and CEO of Leadrilla, a lead generation and CRM software serving independent sales agents in the Life Insurance and Medicare Industries. Through the use of software and automations, Leadrilla is disrupting an industry that's typically been regarded as sketchy and lacking technology. We discuss how Leadrilla has grown since Koby first came on (episode 72), how the Lexington startup ecosystem has supported that growth, and where Leadrilla is heading into the future.
Learn more about Leadrilla at Leadrilla.com
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The pandemic put a laser focus on the rural/urban divide in access to high speed internet. Now is the time to change that.
Let us know what you think by shooting us a DM on social!
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We sat down with Liz Brown Evans, Director of Marketing for Awesome Inc, to recap the pitches from Awesome Inc's August 5 Across event. 5 Across is a pitch competition hosted by Awesome Inc, in which 5 companies pitch to a panel of judges for 5 minutes each for a $500 prize. Use code MIDDLETECH to get free admission to the October 5 Across here.
Visit Awesome Inc at AwesomeInc.org
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Building in public has become a go-to for founders of early stage companies. But with shorter consumer attention spans and higher expectations, are founders really doing it for their customers?
Let us know what you think by shooting us a DM on social!
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Joshua Driver is the Co-founder and CEO of Selflessly, a cloud-based virtual foundation platform designed to create, manage, and report on corporate social responsibility programs. Based in Indianapolis, Selflessly is a certified B-corporation with a mission to empower companies to impact real change through managing their social responsibility programs. We discuss how the MVP for Selflessly was built in a few months, the importance of corporate social responsibility, and the Indianapolis startup ecosystem.
Learn more about Selflessly at Selflessly
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The average American will move 11.7 times in their life - so why is it so damn complicated?
Let us know what you think by emailing us at middletechpodcast@gmail.com or shooting us a DM on social!
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Lincoln Day is Middle Tech’s newest team member, creating content and news in the AgTech space (specifically in Kentucky). Lincoln is the founder of Stalk Commodities, a Kentucky based company working to automate crop harvesting processes. We’re pumped to welcome Lincoln to the team and are excited to help facilitate conversation around Kentucky’s booming AgTech ecosystem as we work to make it “the AgTech capital of the world”. We discussed Lincoln’s experience in the agriculture industry, Lincoln’s thoughts on AppHarvest, and what Kentucky needs to be considering as we build the AgTech capital of the world.
Read Lincoln's first blog with Middle Tech here.
Learn more about Stalk Commodities at StalkCommodities.com
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This weekend: Kanye West is on a bit of a seemingly disjointed creative tear recently. Nate went to his show in Chicago this week and wonders what we can all learn from it.
Let us know what you think by emailing us at middletechpodcast@gmail.com or shooting us a DM on social!
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Jane Allen is the CEO of the Nashville Entrepreneur Center, a nonprofit dedicated to connecting entrepreneurs to the resources available to them in the startup ecosystem and supporting them as they build their company. Nashville's startup ecosystem is thriving as the city grows and the NEC is playing a large role in ensuring that all entrepreneurs have easy access to the community. We discuss Jane's path to becoming CEO of the NEC, their mission, and compare & contrast Nashville's startup ecosystem to Lexington & Louisville's.
Learn more about the Nashville Entrepreneur Center at EC.co
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This weekend: The fact that sports gambling is not yet legal in Kentucky is, quite frankly, a joke.
Let us know what you think by emailing us at middletechpodcast@gmail.com or shooting us a DM on social!
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Sean O'Leary is the Founder and CEO of EdjAnalytics, an analytics company that leverages the power of data through human & artificial intelligence. EdjAnalytics can work with many different industries to turn data into business insights, but this conversation focuses on their work with the NFL and the sports industry in particular. Our conversation centers around how EdjAnalytics got its start, data's role in sports, and building a company in Louisville.
Learn more about EdjAnalytics at EdjAnalytics.com
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We spend a lot of time thinking about and discussing trends in business and tech, so we're recording those thoughts. This weekend: Data is going to continue to impact every aspect of our lives, how can we use it correctly?
Let us know what you think by emailing us at middletechpodcast@gmail.com or shooting us a DM on social!
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This week, Nate and Logan sat down to record a podcast about making a podcast. As the podcasting space continues to grow at a rapid rate, the Middle Tech team gets asked frequently what all goes into making a weekly podcast happen. Nate and Logan discuss what Middle Tech looked like in the early days, the software and processes used to record/edit/publish the podcast, and how the podcast has evolved since it started.
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We spend a lot of time thinking about and discussing trends in business and tech, so we're recording those thoughts. This weekend: The Third Place, the place where we develop culture and community, is more important than ever - and it may become digital.
Let us know what you think by emailing us at middletechpodcast@gmail.com or shooting us a DM on social!
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Sarah Sanders is the Co-Founder of NATIVE, an agricultural technology company that is focusing on allowing consumers to trace the origins of their food right back to the farm it came from. With this technology, consumers can now directly support producers who are using responsible farming methods. We discuss Sarah's move from NYC to KY, the transparency of the ag-tech industry, and our experiences as students at the University of Kentucky.
NATIVE has recently closed a $1.75mm pre-seed round from Execs at Blue Apron, Kellogg's, USDA, and others.
Learn more about NATIVE at NativeAg.io
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We spend a lot of time thinking about and discussing trends in business and tech, so we're recording those thoughts. This weekend: The API Economy has caused this era of entrepreneurship to be the most founder friendly - ever.
Let us know what you think by emailing us at middletechpodcast@gmail.com or shooting us a DM on social!
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Heather Warrell is the Executive Administrator of Digital Innovation with JCPS, Louisville's school district. Heather has helped transform the way technology is used in education for the JCPS school district, introducing new and innovative programs and leveraging softwares such as Minecraft to allow students to learn through interacting with virtual worlds. We discuss the edtech ecosystem as a whole, the education system’s ability to adapt and stay innovative, and where edtech is heading into the future.
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We spend a lot of time thinking about and discussing trends in business and tech, so we're recording those thoughts. This weekend: Formula 1 racing is killing it so much in content marketing that they're about to reach 1 BILLION fans worldwide.
Let us know what you think by emailing us at middletechpodcast@gmail.com or shooting us a DM on social!
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Welcome to the Developer Deep Dive series! Sponsored by the Awesome Inc Developer Bootcamp and brought to you by Middle Tech.
This Deep Dive series was created to shed light on the essential role developers play in the startup ecosystem. In this episode, we sat down with Chris Gleim, Co-Founder and Chief Development Officer of GoWild. We discussed how Chris and the founding team went about building the first iteration of GoWild, their experience building a niche social media platform, and how Chris views the Kentucky developer ecosystem.
Learn more about GoWild at TimeToGoWild.com
Learn more about the Awesome Inc Developer Bootcamp at middletechpod.com/bootcamp
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Stacy Griggs is the CEO of El Toro, a highly successful startup building cookie-less IP targeting technology. As Google phases out tracking consumers with cookies, El Toro's solution has significant grown in popularity. We discuss Stacy’s path to becoming the CEO of El Toro, the capabilities of their technology, his vision for the Louisville startup ecosystem, and even a bit about bitcoin.
Learn more about El Toro at ElToro.com
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We spend a lot of time thinking about and discussing trends in business and tech. It's time we started recording those thoughts. This weekend: why local news sucks and how we start fixing it.
Let us know what you think by emailing us at middletechpodcast@gmail.com or shooting us a DM on social!
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Evan Knowles is the co-founder and CEO of Symba, the real estate industry's only mobile-first CRM. Evan and his experienced co-founders are bringing a fresh perspective and modern software to the real estate industry which is notorious for being slow to adopt new technology. We discussed Evan's journey to becoming a startup founder, how he got his early start in real estate, his approach to building a rockstar team, and Symba's unique marketing approach.
Learn more about Symba at getsymba.com
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We spend a lot of time thinking over and discussing trends in the business and tech industries. It's time we started recording those thoughts.
Let us know what you think by emailing us at middletechpodcast@gmail.com or shooting us a DM on social!
Visit us at MiddleTechPod.com
We sat down with Emily Wehrle, Director of Operations for Awesome Inc, to recap the pitches from Awesome Inc's May 5 Across event. 5 Across is a pitch competition hosted by Awesome Inc, in which 5 companies pitch to a panel of judges for 5 minutes each for a $500 prize. The July 5 Across event will be this Wednesday (7/7/21) at Lexington Legends Stadium.
Click here to attend 5 Across
Visit Awesome Inc at AwesomeInc.org
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Logan Burchett is the Co-Founder and COO of Forecastr, a software that assists startups in financial modeling as they build their business and go through fundraising. Logan and his Co-Founder Steven Plappert both came from a background of startup finance and have great fundraising experience through the capital they've raised for Forecastr and other startups. We discuss Logan's journey to becoming a startup founder, his experience raising funds for Forecastr, and his advice for others that are planning on raising capital themselves.
Learn more about Forecastr at Forecastr.co
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Heath Price is the Associate CIO in ITS at the University of Kentucky and has played a huge role in bringing an Esports program to UK's newest facility, "The Cornerstone". Heath has grown up at the intersection of relationships and technology, having spent over 10-years at two flagship research universities - LSU and the University of Kentucky (UK). Additionally, he had the opportunity to work in the private sector as a partner and ally to many higher education institutions across the United States. He currently leads a cross-functional campus team at UK that is charged with building a comprehensive and thoughtful approach to the development of a future-minded approach to engaging gaming and Esports through the University environment. We discuss how the Esports program came about, the role the university will play in having Esports on campus, and the future of the Esports industry as a whole.
Learn more about the program at Esports.uky.edu
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Aaron Gani is the founder and CEO of BehaVR, a software company creating VR experiences that activate cognitive, emotional and physiological responses with the goal of improving health. Aaron has incredible experience in the healthcare space from the time he spent as the CTO of Humana, where he developed a passion for helping others live healthier lives. We discuss Aaron's journey from Humana to starting BehaVR, how VR is used to treat mental health disorders, and where the VR industry is heading into the future.
Learn more about BehaVR at BehaVR.com
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Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference was last week, so we're reading “Why all the Fury at Apple” by Shira Ovide from the New York Times.
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Mitch Stutler is the Co-Founder and CEO of VividCharts, a data visualization software provider built on top of the ServiceNow platform. We originally had Mitch on Middle Tech for episode 48 and since then, VividCharts has grown significantly and recently raised a $2mil seed round. We discuss how VividCharts has grown since we last interviewed him, his experience raising capital as an enterprise SaaS company in Lexington, and where he sees the company going into the future.
Learn more about VividCharts at VividCharts.com
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Jake Budler is the manager of Endeavor’s Scale Up Program. Endeavor is a global organization that supports high impact entrepreneurship and works to connect regional, national, and international startup ecosystems by providing mentorship, a robust network, and access to their fund, the Catalyst fund. We discuss Jake's journey from South Africa to Indianapolis, the mission of Endeavor, and the perspective that Jake has on this region's startup ecosystems.
Learn more about Endeavor at endeavor.org
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The Middle Tech Weekend Reading: our content, read aloud.
This weekend, we're reading a blog in a podcast about how to be a good podcast written by the producer of a podcast? Make sense? Logan Jones' How to Be a Great Podcast Guest.
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Taylor Dahelm is the Director of Growth at Pickle, a software company that allows companies to record their sales calls and use augmented intelligence to analyze the calls, allowing you to see conversation summaries, search for key words, track trends, and more. We discuss how Taylor got into tech sales after graduating from UK, what its been like to work remotely from Kentucky for a Salt Lake City-based tech company, and how Pickle is helping drive sales through conversation intelligence.
Learn more about Pickle at Pickleai.com
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The Middle Tech Weekend Reading: our content, read aloud.
This weekend, we're breaking the rules on these readings a bit and overviewing why we started the KY Tech Map. Version 2 of the Map is now LIVE, bringing more data and more value to the community through this open-sourced project. Check it out at kytechmap.com!
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Welcome to the Developer Deep Dive series! Sponsored by the Awesome Inc Developer Bootcamp and brought to you by Middle Tech.
This Deep Dive series was created to shed light on the essential role developers play in the startup ecosystem. In this episode, we sat down with Jamie Adams, a senior developer at Bit Source that made the transition from Coal Miner to Coder. We discussed what it was like to go from working in coal mines to writing code, developing software in Central Appalachia, and Jamie's advice to new developers.
Learn more about the Awesome Inc Developer Bootcamp at middletechpod.com/bootcamp
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Buddy Bockweg is the founder and CEO of Vsimple, a B2B SaaS solution for the supply chain management industry that gives supply chain management companies and their customers a platform that can serve as a single "source of truth" as they manage payments, logistics, and communication. We discuss how Vsimple came from pivoting a growing supply chain management company, the opportunities & challenges that come with building a software solution for a legacy industry, and Buddy's experience building a company with 4 other co-founders.
Learn more about Vsimple at Vsimple.com
Apply for the Render Competition at render.capital/competition
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Shane Howard is the founder of Custom College Recruiting and has recently launched a talent management and branding agency, Vision 154. We discuss Shane's experience of navigating "grind culture", the importance of self awareness, and his experience fund raising in Kentucky.
Apply for the Render Competition at render.capital/competition
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The Middle Tech Weekend Reading: our blogs, read aloud.
This weekend, we’re reading a piece by Jacqueline Benson from the Awesome Inc blog about spotting some common factors that cause bad design, and steps you can take to prevent them.
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Mark Franco is the President and CEO of MXD Process. MXD Process makes industrial mixing equipment, but our conversation with Mark focuses on the lessons he's learned from balancing his business while still growing in his faith and building a family. We discuss Mark's background, the role religion has played in his life, and how he finds work/life balance.
Learn more about MXD Process at MixerDirect.com
Learn more and apply for the Render Competition at render.capital/competition
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The Middle Tech Weekend Reading: our blogs, read aloud.
This weekend, we’re reading a piece by Nico Ferreyra that examines how the Midwest views failure compared to other startup hubs.
We are sponsored! To learn more and apply for the Render Competition visit → render.capital/competition
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Tom Eade is the (newly) former Senior Vice President and CTO of LexMark. LexMark is a multi-billion dollar company based in Lexington, Kentucky that builds & maintains printers, but is also innovating in the space of "Edge Computing". This conversation provides an interesting look at a company that is not letting the decline of paper define their future as they grow their software and SaaS offerings.
Also joining us for this conversation is Liz Brown Evans. Liz is the co-director of Venture Labs (you can learn more about Venture Labs on episode 95) and she brings her unique perspective from helping various corporates innovate through Venture Lab's programs.
Learn more about LexMark at LexMark.com
Learn more about Venture Labs at AwesomeInc.org/Venture-Labs
Learn more and apply for the Render Competition at render.capital/competition
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The Middle Tech Weekend Reading: our blogs, read aloud.
This weekend, we’re reading a piece by Evan Knowles that overviews the battle for dominance in the business chat market.
To learn more and apply for the Render Competition visit → render.capital/competition
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Patrick Henshaw is the Managing Director of Render Capital, a VC firm with a focus on providing funding opportunities for entrepreneurs that are typically underrepresented when it comes to raising venture funds. We discuss Patrick’s journey to venture capital, expanding access to capital, and the Louisville startup ecosystem.
We also discuss Render Capital's upcoming Render Competition. The Render Competition invests $100,000 into eight companies each year, encouraging their growth within and beyond our region. Learn more and apply here → render.capital/competition
Learn more about Render Capital at Render.Capital
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The Middle Tech Weekend Reading: our blogs, read aloud.
This weekend, we’re revisiting a piece by Logan Jones that overviews the inequity of the poor internet services provided in Appalachia and other rural areas, why this inequity exists, and how Starlink will help even the playing field in the near future.
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John Mittle is the President and Co-Founder of Clear/Cut Phocus, a caffeinated sparkling water brand started in Louisville, Kentucky. Phocus combines natural tea caffeine with L-Theanine, a tea amino acid that is specially formulated to boost attention and focus. We discuss what it was like launching a company while in med school, creating a new beverage category, and growing the company in Louisville, Ky.
You can find Phocus at DrinkPhocus.com
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The Middle Tech Weekend Reading: our blogs, read aloud.
This episode is about getting back to normal, and different opinions on how businesses transition to more happening back in-person. Based on Evan Knowles's blog Virtual vs. In-Person Work. Let us know what you think at middletechpodcast@gmail.com!
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Kevin Flora and Josh Coppock are the cofounders of The Holler Creative, an Appalachia-based digital marketing agency in Corbin, Kentucky. We discuss their "Explore Appalachia" project they're doing in partnership with Ale-8 and SOAR, the challenges the region faces, the things that make the region special.
Visit The Holler Creative at TheHoller.com
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The Middle Tech Weekend Reading: our blogs, read aloud.
This episode is about shareholder agreements, based on Tom Monarch's blog The Need to Know of Shareholder Agreements. Let us know what you think at middletechpodcast@gmail.com!
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Welcome to the Developer Deep Dive series! Sponsored by the Awesome Inc Developer Bootcamp and brought to you by Middle Tech.
This Deep Dive series was created to shed light on the essential role developers play in the startup ecosystem. In this episode, we sat down with the founder of Sunjoined and Black Bitcoin Billionaires, Lamar Wilson, to discuss blockchain, being self-taught, local development community growth. Take a listen to learn more!
Learn more about the Awesome Inc Developer Bootcamp at middletechpod.com/bootcamp
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Masha Khusid is a Partner at Drive Capital, a premier VC firm started by former Sequoia Capital Partners and based in Columbus, Ohio. We discuss how Drive Capital has helped to build Columbus' startup ecosystem, why they see potential in the midwest, and the major opportunities midwest startup ecosystems currently have.
Visit Drive Capital at DriveCapital.com
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The Middle Tech Weekend Reading - our blogs, just read aloud for those who want to know what we're blogging about while on the go. This episode is a combo of two blogs: Evan Knowles' The Gender Gap by the Numbers and Tom Monarch's WIFL: How We, as Founders and Business Leaders, can Break the Gender Gap. Let us know what you think at middletechpodcast@gmail.com!
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Adam Edelen is founder & CEO of Edelen Renewables, the former Kentucky Auditor, and former Chief of Staff to Gov. Steve Beshear. We discuss how his background in government prepared him to start a sustainable energy company, how Edelen Renewables is constructing solar arrays on abandoned coal mines, and what the future of sustainable energy in Kentucky looks like.
Visit Edelen Renewables at EdelenRenewables.com
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We're trying out something new: bringing you a reading from our blog on the weekend. This first episode was a blog originally written by Middle Tech team member Tom Monarch: The Power of Networking in Fundraising: Rule 506(b) Private Placements. Let us know what you think at middletechpodcast@gmail.com!
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Laura Halligan & Meredith Moore are co-founders of WIFL (Women Innovators, Founders, and Leaders) and both play important roles in the Lexington startup community. Laura is Executive Director of the Launch Blue accelerator program as well as New Ventures Manager for UK's Office of Technology Commercialization, and Meredith is Director of Operations and Community Partnerships at Base110 and founder of Cultivated Creature & Shift Lexington. Our conversation centered around the purpose of WIFL and the importance of diversity and inclusion in startup ecosystems.
Visit WIFL at their Facebook Group
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We sat down with Keith McMunn, 5 Across emcee & Director of the Awesome Fellowship program, to recap the pitches from Awesome Inc's February 5 Across event. 5 Across is a pitch competition hosted by Awesome Inc, in which 5 companies pitch to a panel of judges for 5 minutes each for a $500 prize. The following companies pitched at the February event:
Sploot.ai - A pet food bowl with computer vision ai that can tell your animals apart and dispense the correct food to the correct pet.
Scentple Kiosk - A shopper engagement platform for the fragrance industry.
Legal Gantt - A platform that streamlines communications between law firms and clients to increase client satisfaction.
MentorVet - A program designed to support veterinary students experiencing burnout and depression.
Vauntech - A platform aimed at tackling the homelessness problem through assisting in finding section 8 housing.
Visit Awesome Inc at AwesomeInc.org
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On this week's episode, Nate, Evan, and Logan discuss questions submitted by our audience. The questions discussed are:
I'm hearing a lot of buzz around high job demand for skills with Salesforce both nationally and here locally in Lexington. Are you all seeing this same trend? If so, why do you think the demand is so hot for these skills right now? It seems like there is a very low barrier of entry for people to get trained with these skills and take advantage of these opportunities. - Alex Fackler
Should social media platforms such as Twitter have absolute discretion in creating their terms of service, thus giving them unlimited ability to censor speech? If not, who should regulate them? - Joseph Profancik
How is understanding rapidly changing technology related to success in business? - Sam White
If you guys could interview anyone in the world, who would it be? - Isaac Meisner
Will AGI (artificial general intelligence) ever actually be achieved? - Trent Woods
Thanks to all who submitted questions! If you'd like you submit a question for consideration in our next audience questions episode, please email middletechpodcast@gmail.com, or dm us at any of the social media channels below.
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Welcome to the Developer Deep Dive series! Sponsored by the Awesome Inc Developer Bootcamp and brought to you by Middle Tech.
This Deep Dive series was created to shed light on the essential role developers play in the startup ecosystem. In this episode, we sat down with the founder of Fresh Eyes Solutions, Kelly Wright, to discuss their product, technology stack, and development practices.
Take a listen to learn more!
Learn more about the Awesome Inc Developer Bootcamp at middletechpod.com/bootcamp
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Jacob Huff is the Co-Founder and COO of FreshFry, a company that is changing the way restaurants handle their cooking oil through a new way to clean the oil. We discuss how FreshFry was started, how they dealt with a period of explosive growth, and how they navigated the pandemic as a company.
Visit FreshFry at FreshFry.me
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Wes Spencer is the CISO (Chief Information Security Officer) of Perch Security, a cybersecurity startup that was recently acquired for $80 million. We discuss what cybersecurity looks like in practice, how hacks happen, and how Perch was acquired after starting just 3 years ago.
Visit Perch at PerchSecurity.com
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Matt Jennings is Executive Chairman of Kingdom Trust, a financial services company out of Murray, Kentucky that was the first in the United States to legally custody Bitcoin for their clients. Currently, Kingdom Trust is building a platform called Choice that will be the first in the world to handle any asset in a retirement account. We discuss how Kingdom Trust came to be one of the most innovative companies in the fintech space, the platform they're currently building, and Matt's experience building this company in Kentucky.
Visit Kingdom Trust at KingdomTrust.com
Check out the Choice platform at RetireWithChoice.com
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Jai Malik is a Venture Capitalist out of Colombia, Missouri. Jai has recently founded Countdown Capital, a new Venture Fund that will have a focus on entrepreneurs building "deep tech" companies. We discuss the meaning of deep tech, why a commitment to ethics is critical when building a company, and investing in Middle America.
Visit Countdown Capital at Countdown.Capital
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On this week's episode, we sat down with the Founder and CEO of Stuccco, Matt Langan. Stuccco is a software that allows real estate agents to virtually stage their listing by using 3D renderings of furniture and other items, rather than having real furniture brought in. We discuss Matt's experience bootstrapping a software company, maintaining your mental health as a founder, and the importance of product design.
Visit Stuccco at Stuccco.com
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On this week's episode, we sat down with the Founding Partner and CEO of GrowthX, Andrew Goldner. GrowthX is a venture capital firm focused on helping their portfolio companies find product-market fit through their extensive go-to-market program. We discuss the complexities of achieving true product-market fit, content marketing, important sales traits, how to launch a product, and the Nashville startup scene.
Visit GrowthX at GrowthX.com
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On this week's episode, we sat down with the new Executive Director of SOAR (Shaping Our Appalachian Region), Colby Hall. SOAR was created in response to the decline of the coal industry in Eastern Kentucky and its mission is to drive the development needed to change the region. We discuss SOAR's mission, the importance of internet access for rural communities, fostering entrepreneurship, and what the future of the region looks like.
Visit SOAR at SOAR-Ky.org
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Welcome to the Developer Deep Dive series! Sponsored by the Awesome Inc Developer Bootcamp and brought to you by Middle Tech.
This Deep Dive series was created to shed light on the essential role developers play in the startup ecosystem. In this episode, we sat down with the co-founder of Silver Fern Group, Stephen VanWingerden, to discuss their technology stack, development practices, and management practices. Silver Fern group uses a variety of technologies such as React, GraphQL, and Microsoft Office integrations.
Take a listen to learn more!
Learn more about the Awesome Inc Developer Bootcamp at awesomeinc.org/bootcamp
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On this week's episode, we sat down with Twyman Clements, founder and CEO of Space Tango. Space Tango is putting automated science experiments on the International Space Station by partnering with NASA & SpaceX to carry their "cube labs" into orbit. We discuss Twyman's experience building a space company in Kentucky, the science that Space Tango is facilitating, and what the future of space commercialization with look like.
Visit Space Tango at SpaceTango.com
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On this week's episode, we're joined by Middle Tech co-founder Nate Antetomaso to recap all that went on during season 3 and what we plan to accomplish in season 4. A lot happened in season 3 - we adapted to remote recording, recorded our 100th episode, grew the team to 10 people, and introduced new forms of content such as blogs and weekly livestreams. We have big plans for season 4 as we continue to double down on the success that we've had thus far. To all those who have supported us along the way - thank you. Your support means the world to us.
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In this episode of The Startup Fundraising Journey, we discussed what happens after the investment takes place in the final installment titled “The Partnership”. All the stresses related to the transaction have passed and now you're faced with executing on the growth plan you put in front of your investors. It is always a challenging and stressful job to grow a business, but now that you just closed a funding round, you have someone new in your corner to help you navigate uncharted waters.
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In this episode of The Startup Fundraising Journey, we cover what happens once you get a term sheet. We’ll walk you through what goes into a company’s valuation, what kind of additional due diligence is necessary, and what the approval process looks like to move forward with the investment. This stage of the process is often the one entrepreneurs know the least about, so we hope to provide an inside look into how to prepare for this stage of the process.
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Middle Tech was founded in order to grow the startup ecosystem in Kentucky and Middle America using digital media to educate, entertain, and inspire all entrepreneurs, current and future, as well as people working in the technology space. One area we’ve wanted to shed more light on recently is the process of raising venture capital. We’ve found that many first time founders have questions around the topic with few readily available resources, so they find themselves seeking help from a coastal firm with limited familiarity with this region’s entrepreneur ecosystem. We wanted to fill the void, so we partnered with Louisville, KY based venture capital firm Poplar Ventures to create a three part series covering what it is like to raise money in venture capital in middle America. In this series, John Wilmoth and Christian Miller will walk you through the entire journey. We hope this helps founders go into the fundraising process with the confidence and knowledge required to raise the money needed to scale their businesses.
This first installment is titled “The Hunt.” This will cover how a venture capitalist (“VC”) firm finds entrepreneurs to invest in and vice versa. We wanted to give entrepreneurs an idea of how to approach VC’s and insights into how VC’s use networking and other strategies to find good entrepreneurs and companies to invest in.
Visit Poplar Ventures at poplarventures.com
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On this week's episode, we sat down with a Ray & Sawyer White, the 5th generation of their family business - a lumber company. While most people would not associate lumber with technology, our conversation with the Whites focused on how new technology is allowing for a shift to sustainability in an industry that's thought to be the opposite. Ray and Sawyer also share what it's been like to grow a business in Kentucky through 5 generations of their family and where they hope to take the company once it's their turn to run it.
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On this week's episode, we sat down with Bradley Davis, the founder and CEO of Podchaser. Described as the IMDb for podcasts, Podchaser allows users to discover new shows, leave ratings & reviews, find guest appearances, and much more. For podcasters, Podchaser can also aggregate data to show episode analytics and audience demographics. We discuss Bradley's background, how he started the company by posting on Reddit, and where he sees the podcast industry going into the future.
Visit Podchaser at Podchaser.com
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On this week's episode, we sat down with David Willbrand, a Startup & Venture Capital Lawyer at Thompson Hine. David provides a unique perspective on this region and it's startup ecosystem as he has been working in it since 1996. In addition to acquiring a great deal of experience helping founders navigate the legality of starting a company, David has also had a front row seat to watch this region's startup ecosystem grow & evolve over time. We discuss the role that law plays in starting a company, the legal implications of big tech turning into monopolies, and what David has observed during his time serving this region.
Learn more about Thompson Hine LLP at thompsonhine.com
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We wanted to rebroadcast this episode now that AppHarvest has completed their Morehead facility and announced two additional facilities in Richmond & Berea, Kentucky. Additionally, AppHarvest has also announced recently that they will be going public via a SPAC (a full blog covering that announcement can be found here). At the time of this recording, AppHarvest had just broke ground on their Morehead, KY facility. With several environmental and political threats to our food supply, AppHarvest is hoping to make Kentucky the AgTech Capital of the World by creating fresh, quality produce that can be grown efficiently and safely within a day's drive of 75% of the US.
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This week, we sat down with Kendall Weihe. Kendall graduated from the University of Kentucky where he studied Computer Science with a focus on Machine Learning. Kendall loves solving problems with software and has had the opportunity to work for two of the top technology companies in Kentucky, Appriss and El Toro, before eventually landing at Yum Brands to build enterprise applications. On this episode we dove into his background, artificial intelligence, and several other culturally relevant topics related to technology like free speech, censoring, and government regulation.
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On this week's episode, we sit down with Alex Lazarow to discuss his new book, Out-Innovate: How Global Entrepreneurs--from Delhi to Detroit--Are Rewriting the Rules of Silicon Valley. Alex lives in Silicon Valley, where he is a venture capitalist with Cathay Innovation, a Kauffman Fellow, and an adjunct professor specializing in social-impact investment and entrepreneurship at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. During our conversation, we discuss the primary theme of Alex's book; that innovation is happening everywhere and it might be different than the innovation and practices happening in the Valley.
Find Alex's book on Amazon here
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On this week's episode, we sit down with Kevin Kasey, who is the father of Landon Kasey. Landon founded Reach shortly before passing away. Reach is a platform that allows businesses to connect with "micro-influencers", allowing people with an average social following to get paid for promoting businesses that they're passionate about. We discuss Reach's progress, why Kevin wanted to continue building his son's business, how the Live Like Landon foundation came to be, and how Kevin wants Landon's legacy to be remembered.
Visit Reach at reach-influencers.com
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On this week's episode, we sit down with Kyle Green, Founder and CEO of Handle Global. Kyle and his team are building a software platform that is helping hospital systems manage their supply chain using Handle’s marketplace and capital cycle management (CCM) SaaS product. The powerful combination of these two solutions will change the way hospitals manage their assets, allowing them to focus more on the care they deliver their patients. Handle is especially important today when COVID-19 has created a great deal of stress and chaos in the healthcare system. We discuss Kyle’s background, Handle’s origin story, the company’s future, and advice Kyle has for entrepreneurs solving difficult problems.
Visit Handle Global at handleglobal.com
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On this week's episode, we sit down with Mo Sloan, founder of EZ-Chow. EZ-Chow is giving control back to restaurants when it comes to online ordering by creating a software solution that allows the customer to order directly from the restaurant's website. By using EZ-Chow's software, the restaurant controls the customer experience and does not have to pay heavy fees as they do with big names such as DoorDash & UberEats. We discuss Mo's journey from the corporate world to starting his own company, what he's learned along the way, and his experience starting a company in Louisville, Kentucky.
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On this week's episode, we sit down with AppHarvest's new Chief Marketing Officer, Geof Rochester. Prior to his position at AppHarvest, Geof worked with brands such as Comcast, WWE, and the Nature Conservancy. We discuss how Geof ended up with AppHarvest, Martha Stewart joining the board, and the future of AgTech in Appalachia.
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On this week's episode, we sit down with Ethan Gill, a local software engineer with an impressive resume that includes experience working at Fooji, Accenture, and other well known startups. We discuss how Ethan worked his way to getting a job at one of the largest social media companies, the meta-verse, and some ethical dilemmas regarding tech companies.
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On this week's episode, we ventured out to Morehead, Kentucky to sit down with the founders of New Frontier Outfitters; Josh and Jared Ravenscraft. New Frontier was created to be the brand that represents Appalachia and all of the culture that we associate with it, while also sourcing sustainable materials for their products. We discuss why Josh and Jared are long on Appalachia, how their partnership with AppHarvest came to be, and where they see this area of the country heading into the future.
Visit New Frontier Outfitters: madeforthejourney.com
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On this week's episode, we sat down with Albert Lukonga to have him tell the incredible story of his journey to Kentucky from the Congo, the experiences he had along the way, and why he's now building a high-end men's fashion brand in Lexington, Kentucky. Albert tells story after story about overcoming adversity and how each one equipped him with the knowledge and experience he needed to finally launch his fashion brand - Albert Couture.
Learn more about Albert Couture at AlbertCouture.com
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On this week's episode, we sat down with the co-founder of NATIVE, Sarah Sanders. NATIVE is an agricultural technology company that is focusing on allowing consumers to trace the origins of their food right back to the farm it came from. With this technology, consumers can now directly support producers who are using responsible farming methods. We discuss Sarah's move from NYC to KY, the transparency of the ag-tech industry, and our experiences as students at the University of Kentucky.
Learn more about NATIVE at NativeAg.io
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On this week's episode, we sat down with Richard and Nathan Walsh, the co-founders of Continuud. Continuud is a telehealth platform that is focused on using data to improve patient retention rates, while also helping healthcare clinics gather insights on how they can improve their care. While Continuud envisions utilizing their platform to help clinics deal with all different types of chronic illnesses, they are currently focused on HIV. We discuss their experience being married LGBTQ founders, how their platform is changing HIV care, and the importance of telehealth.
Learn more about Continuud at continuud.com
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On this week's episode, we are releasing audio from a virtual event we put on in partnership with Startup Grind. We interview Randall Stevens about why entrepreneurship is a route new graduates should consider as they enter the job market in the middle of a pandemic.
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On this week's episode, we sat down with technology startup lawyer Brandon Johnson of The Johnson Law Group to discuss the services that an attorney can offer to a startup in its early stages. Whether you're the founder or an early employee, it's important to have an understanding of the legal side of startups to help you make informed decisions as the business progresses.
Visit The Johnson Law Group at thejohnsonlawgroup.com
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On this week's episode, we sat down with David Cottingham and David Bertram, CBO and CRO of Wrigley Media Group. As we've been exploring companies that help businesses develop branding and design, we wanted to focus an episode on the importance of high quality digital media. Wrigley Media Group is a digital media company that covers a variety of production verticals, from aerial to animation, and works with some of the country's biggest brands to help them effectively communicate with their audiences. We got to discuss the background of Wrigley Media Group, the importance of high quality digital media, and where the Davids see digital media heading in the future.
Visit Wrigley Media Group at wrigleymediagroup.com
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On this week's episode, we sat down with Co-Founder of the Silver Fern Group, Adam VanWingerden. Adam and his Co-Founders (Stephen VanWingerden & Kevin Short) are helping growers simplify their horticulture businesses through introducing new software and hardware aimed at improving the way their data is mined and managed. The Silver Fern Group is in a unique position to solve this problem as the VanWingerden Family has been building successful horticulture businesses for generations since moving from the Netherlands to America. We discuss Silver Fern Group's progress, the size of the problem they are addressing, and the future of the horticulture industry. Thanks for tuning in!
Visit The Silver Fern Group at silverfern.group
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On this week's episode, we sat down with Brad Flowers, one of the Founding Partners at Bullhorn Creative. We discussed how Bullhorn Creative got started, the importance & process of branding, and the release of his new book - The Naming Book. Throughout our conversation, we were able to take a deep dive into what it means to develop a good brand through the use of language and design, while also getting to pick Brad's brain about his team's creative processes.
Get The Naming Book e-book for just $1.99 (July only!)
Visit Bullhorn Creative at bullhorncreative.com
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On this week's episode, we revisit an old favorite episode of ours from season 2. We sat down with Joe Barnard of BPS.space to discuss how his company that started as a project to get a job at SpaceX turned into a full-fledged business building small-scale reusable rockets. After SpaceX's successful launch of Americans into space, we felt that this episode is an important one to revisit.
Visit BPS.space at BPS.space
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On this week's episode, we sat down with David Mann & Ron Watson of Dundee Ventures to discuss the work that their doing in Middle America, or the "Mighty Middle" as they call it. We dive into how Dundee Ventures makes the decision to invest, why they believe Middle America can and will continue to produce successful companies, and how David & Ron got into venture capital.
Visit Dundee Ventures at dundeeventurecapital.com
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On this week's episode, we are joined by Ben Schecter, Founder of Feed the Front Line. Feed the Front Line collects donations, uses the money to buy meals from local restaurants that have been affected by the pandemic, and then donates those meals to front line medical workers so that they can have a healthy meal while battling Coronavirus. After starting Feed the Front Line in Houston, word spread quickly and other cities began to follow Ben's lead in their own communities. Now, Feed the Front Line operates in 6 different cities, has raised over $1 million, and provided more than 75,000 meals from local restaurants for front line medical workers. Our own Logan Jones was also one of the founding members of Feed the Front Line Kentucky, a chapter of the organization that raised over $15,000 in the Lexington community.
Visit FTFL at ftfl.org
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On this week's episode, we are joined by the Founder of Stellar Plants, Joe Cox. Stellar Plants is an indoor vertical farming company that is using sustainable hydroponics to produce high quality leafy greens for local restaurants and groceries. However, Joe's vision for Stellar Plants and the AgTech industry extends far beyond just producing basil and the like. We dive into the current state of agricultural technology and what it will take to supply the human race with enough food to survive past 2050.
Visit Stellar Plants at stellar-plants.com/
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On this week's episode, we take a closer look into how Coronavirus is affecting the world of finance, specifically Venture Capital. During our conversation with Dan Beldy, we discuss how VC has had to adapt during the pandemic and what could change going forward. We also sat down with Shane Hadden, Founder of Seats Capital, to examine how a new method of investing could become more common after coronavirus is past us.
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On this week's episode, we sat down with the Founder of one of Kentucky's most successful companies - Appriss CEO, Mike Davis. Because of the work that Appriss does, 95% of all criminals in the US are tracked to ensure that the proper people can be notified upon their release and they are responsible for reducing the number of meth labs by 87%. Through the use of big data, Appriss is using knowledge for good.
Learn more about Appriss at Appriss.com
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On this week's episode, we sat down with the Executive Design Partner of Innovatemap, Christian Beck. Innovatemap is an Indianapolis-based design firm that helps companies of all sizes design & build digital products and services. In this episode, we focus heavily on the importance of good design. Christian walks us through what early stage companies should be doing in regards to design, and also shares lots of wisdom about the role that good design plays in building successful digital products.
Listen to more from Christian at his podcast, Better Product.
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On this week's episode, we are joined by Raffi Kayat of Borderless. Borderless exists to create a better way for companies and individuals to handle international payments without incurring large fees in the process. Recently, Raffi and his team relocated their company from New York to Louisville, Kentucky and we get to hear a unique perspective from a founder that has experienced building a company in two very different cities.
Visit Borderless at getborderless.com
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On this week's episode, we're joined by the Co-founders of Land Betterment, Kirk Taylor & Mark Jensen. As the name suggests, Land Betterment exists to give old coal mining land a new purpose. From a farm-to-bottle distillery, to a rubber recycling plant, their projects not only aim to give the land a new purpose, but the organization also exists to benefit the communities & environment in which they are established.
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On this episode of The Middle Tech Podcast, we get an update on Truman's newest releases from Co-founder, Alex Reed. Alex first came on Middle Tech in season 1, episode 52 to discuss how Truman's was changing how we think of cleaning products through the use of concentrates & fun branding. Truman's is now releasing laundry & dishwasher detergent in addition to their 4 surface cleaner products.
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This week’s episode is all about how companies can build practical cultures of innovation. As technology advances and companies mature, it's essential that all businesses - especially large corporations - not only be accepting of innovation, but actively encourage it and seek it out. Venture Labs, an Awesome Inc program, was created to help companies equip themselves with the right processes to make sure they are building a culture that encourages innovation. This week, we sat down with Mike Hilton to discuss what Venture Labs does & why intrapreneurship is important in corporate settings. To learn more about Venture Labs, you can reach out to Mike directly at mike.hilton@awesomeinc.org.
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As we continue to adapt to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, we decided to take a deep dive into two of the hardest hit industries - education & restaurants. We sat down with Tom Martin of EKU and Bryce Anderson of Vinaigrette to get a perspective on how this pandemic is affecting their respective fields and what this means going forward.
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This week, we are revisiting a great conversation we had in season 1 with Dan Beldy, Founding Partner at Airwing Ventures. Dan discusses his experience in the Navy, venture capital, Disney's Steamboat Ventures, investing Fooji, and his journey to working in venture capital. Originally published on 10/29/18.
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For a lot of different professions, continued education is essential to ensuring that you are operating with most up to date information regarding your field. For nurses, this continued education is not only essential, but could make the difference between a patient living or dying. As a nurse himself, Shane Slone noticed a problem with continued education in nursing. Shane saw that nurses viewed their continued education classes as a box to check off rather than critical information needed to do their job properly. With little entrepreneurial experience and hardly any knowledge of coding, Shane created Nursing CE Central, a way for nurses to complete their continued education requirements while also learning vital information in an engaging & entertaining way. Tune in to listen to Shane's story and learn about the progress that his company has had so far.
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This week, we sit down with Terry Samuel, President of the Kentucky Science & Technology Council, to talk about the role the organization plays in the state of Kentucky, and how that role has evolved over time. Although KSTC has changed with the times, their mission has remained constant - to act as a resource for businesses and entrepreneurs in Kentucky that are pursuing advances in science and technology. Tune in to find out how KSTC is helping businesses across the Commonwealth.
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John Willmoth is the Managing Partner at Poplar Ventures where he invests in many of Kentucky's most successful software companies. Before getting into the venture capital space, John helped grow the communications giant, Nextel, from just a few million dollars in revenue to $15 Billion. On this episode, we will discuss the Nextel story, the ZirMed story, what it means to be a venture capitalist, and John's opinions on the state of entrepreneurship in Kentucky.
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As remote work becomes more prominent for companies and their employees, one of the big concerns is how can culture be created and maintained among a team that never physically meets. Charley Miller saw this problem manifest as he worked on a startup with a remote team and knew that it was a problem worth solving. His company, Unitonomy, ensures that remote workers have a more frictionless communication experience, while also providing analytics and data for management teams.
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In season 2, we got to sit down with Jonathan Webb to discuss the vision and mission of AppHarvest. In this episode, we sat down with Amy Samples, AppHarvest's Director of Culture, to take a deeper dive into how AppHarvest is creating a movement in Appalachia through partnerships and the story they're telling.
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5Ks and other exercise-based fundraisers are great for giving people incentive to get in shape, while also raising money for good causes. However, 5Ks are time-bound and location-bound. This is where Moolathon comes in with their platform that gives people the opportunity to participate in these fundraisers, anytime & anywhere.
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Andy Eastes has been a successful entrepreneur his entire life. From mowing lawns, to flipping items on ebay, Andy has managed to take simple ideas and make them into successful businesses. So it comes as no surprise that he took inventory management and created a software that make keeping track of your inventory a breeze. Listen in to hear the lessons that Andy learned along the way and how he's managed to build SkuVault into a successful business.
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After the crazy bitcoin bull run in 2017, it's likely that you've at least heard the terms "bitcoin" and "cryptocurrency". But now that the hype has died down, where does bitcoin go from here? Lexington Bitcoin Consulting is working to make sure that the state known for basketball, bourbon, and horse racing is not left behind when it comes to the cryptocurrency space.
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The outdoor recreation industry accounts for more than $400 Billion of America's economic activity. Brad Luttrell recognized that there was a gap in the market for a social media platform dedicated to the outdoors and came up with the idea for GoWild, a social media and activity tracking platform for outdoor enthusiasts.
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Over 50% of donated organs never make it to a recipient. This is obviously a huge problem - one that Dalton Shaull and Eric Pahl have dedicated the past couple years of their lives to solve. Their company, OmniLife, is streamlining the gift of life through increasing access, affordability, and quality of organ transplantation to thousands of patients suffering from organ failure.
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Arian and Briana Green are a brother/sister team, building a basketball analytics company to help deliver teams real time analytics on their players and plays. Their company, Play Vision Sports, has customers that have used their product in big time venues, such as the 2019 NCAA Basketball Tournament.
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After a short break to strategize and plan, Evan Knowles and Logan Jones are back to bring you the stories of the some of the most interesting and exciting businesses and startups in the Bluegrass.
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If you're looking to start a business, there are a ton of lessons you can learn from Chase Fairchild. The Co-Founder of multiple business (Manchester Coffee Co, Bolt Marketing) sits down with us this week to talk about his journey and lessons he's learned himself.
This episode will be our LAST of Season 2. Thank you for everything this year, we're looking forward to being back in January 2020 for Season 3!
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This week we're joined by returning guest Justin Hall to talk all about Awesome Inc's initiative to develop (pun intended) software engineers in the Bluegrass, the Web Developer Bootcamp. We're also joined by recent graduate Taylor Akin to talk all about the experience from a student's perspective.
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Many words describe Don Skaggs: entrepreneur, inventor, consultant, and more. On this week's episode, we talk to the President of The Fulson Group about his past experience and current project helping entrepreneurs with business strategy, IP, and commercialization.
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As huge as oceans are, the ecosystems within them maintain a balance that can be easily thrown off if caution is not exercised by the companies that provide us with our seafood. Sarah and Jacob created FlyWire Cameras to provide data and analytics that are used to verify sustainable fishing practices.
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Landon Kasey of Reach Influencer Marketing is bringing awareness to the social influence space with his company currently going through VACE'S Bootcamp, as well as showcasing it himself though some promotion of Lexington nightlife.
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Evan, Nate, Logan, and Nico break down some of biggest recent tech stories and give their takes on the issues impacting our lives. Topics include WeWork's meltdown, political ads on social media, and Google purchasing Fitbit.
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Wes Holbrook has had his fair share of career experience, and it's led him to administering LUFCG's JOBS Fund along with Mayor Linda Gorton's CDO Kevin Atkins. On this episode, we explore how the Fund is supporting business expansion in Lexington and ensuring some of the city's most known startups are set up for success.
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Tony Schmidt, UK grad and ex-Microsoft employee, was the sole founder and employee of his lifestyle greek organization software company, GreekTrack, until he recently hired the second employee: his wife. The two are thriving with a lifestyle business powered by its unique product.
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This week we're in Louisville talking to Jackie Willmot about XLerateHealth and capitalizing on the city's expertise in healthcare while applying startup mindsets to it.
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Koby Hastings is one of the most exciting young entrepreneurs in Lexington. His company, Leadrilla, is transforming and shining a light on a traditionally shady industry: insurance leads. But it wasn't a straightforward path to getting there... Visit us at middletechpod.com Follow @middletechpod on Social: Twitter: www.twitter.com/middletechpod Instagram: www.instagram.com/middletechpod Facebook: www.facebook.com/middletechpod Send in your topic suggestions, feedback, and questions to us at middletechpodcast@gmail.com. Nate: twitter.com/nateante Evan: twitter.com/EvanKnowles42_ Logan: twitter.com/lojo23
The Governor's School for Entrepreneurs is fostering the next generation of startups and innovation throughout Kentucky. This week, we talk to Tasha Sams about how she's transformed the program and how its alumni are starting to have very real impacts on the state.
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Nico Ferreyra is our new Louisville Business Development Rep. As we move into covering more stories in the Louisville market Nico will be crucial in forging relationships. Today we sit down with him and talk all about the multiple projects he's working on.
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Louisville's Senex has been doing market research for years, and now they've found a way to productize it with Typ, allowing entrepreneurs and innovators to get invaluable feedback on the speed of a startup.
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The uncut opinions of Drura Parrish on entrepreneurship an innovation in Kentucky.
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Drura Parrish is a staple in the Lexington entrepreneurship space. After founding MakeTime and joining Xometry, he has a ton of controversial thoughts on entrepreneurship in this region and a whole.
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Have you ever seen a line of dump trucks just waiting outside of a construction site? Guess what, that's pretty inefficient. Meta Construction Technologies is here to fix that.
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Traditional recruiting firms are inefficient, slow, and don't take good enough advantage of the wealth of data we now have available at our fingertips online. That's why Hunt Club is changing the game by digitizing networking and allowing anyone to refer their connections to top jobs.
Visit Hunt Club at huntclub.com.
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On this episode of Middle Tech we’re switching it up a bit and exploring the history of the tech scene in Kentucky. Nate originally wrote this piece for his blog in 2017, and now this updated version is serving as the first in a new series of narrative deep dives into business subjects that impact your life. This is Middle Tech: Inspect.
View the episode's full transcript.
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AppHarvest just broke ground on what will be the world's largest greenhouse in Morehead, KY. With several environmental and political threats to our food supply, AppHarvest is hoping to make Kentucky the AgTech Capital of the World by creating fresh, quality produce that can be grown efficiently and safely within a day's drive of 75% of the US.
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Justin Hall of BitSource and Awesome Inc U sees the benefit of a technically skilled workforce for the modern era and is changing the landscape of Kentucky labor by teaching coding to everyone: from seasoned minors to young children.
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Josh Lau of Lexington-based Nymbl Systems is changing the game for a myriad of businesses with his practice management software. But after raising money and building a team, the company is thinking about getting out of Lexington for a number of reasons. Visit us at middletechpod.com Follow @middletechpod on Social: Twitter: www.twitter.com/middletechpod Instagram: www.instagram.com/middletechpod Facebook: www.facebook.com/middletechpod Send in your topic suggestions, feedback, and questions to us at middletechpodcast@gmail.com. Nate: twitter.com/nateante Evan: twitter.com/EvanKnowles42_ Logan: twitter.com/lojo23
Dean Crockett and Danny Perry both specialize in new forms of digital media and are based in Lexington, highlighting the continued top-caliber creatives that come out of the area. On this episode we talk everything from motion graphics, to drones, to content quantity, to VR, and so much more. Learn about what's next for Lexington creatives.
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Abigail Cheek and Adie Preston got the idea for DoseDefense, a physical in-bottle pill limiter, after a scary family incident with Abigail's brother. Years later, after help from Kentucky's GSE and other organizations, these two young entrepreneurs are working to make their invention as ubiquitous as the current child lock on the pill bottle.
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In this episode we each discuss our backgrounds and experiences leading up to Middle Tech and why we're interested in entrepreneurship in Kentucky and beyond. We each have unique perspectives, so what are they?
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Odds are, you or someone you know has had a sports related concussion. Did you know the majority of concussions are not reported and the ones that are were likely not electronically documented for future reference? It's a huge issue in the medical space and the consequences of poor data management around concussions could lead to devastating brain trauma for athletes. Kate Van Pelt, Doug Van Pelt, and James McCullum are working hard to improve the space and they explain it all on this podcast. Take a listen to hear their story and where plan on taking Synaptek in the future!
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Awesome Inc just finished up Lexington Entrepreneurship Day which is one of their biggest events of the year. On this episode, Keith McMunn, Garrett Fahrbach, and Evan will give you a behind the scenes look into what it takes to make an event like that happen and we will recap 5 Across, a pitch competition where 5 companies have 5 minutes to pitch for a prize of $500 and a chance to make it to the finals.
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Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer and Microsoft US CTO Jennifer Byrne announced a multi-year, multifaceted partnership to embrace automation and act as a model for creating the smart city of the future. This landmark partnership will focus on AI, IoT, and Data Science and has the potential to impact the region for generations, if it's done right. Nate and Evan give their takes on this episode.
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WeatherCheck is Kentucky's first ever YC company, and they're changing how consumers and insurance providers alike check for property damage and handle claims. We talk to Co-Founder and CEO Demetrius Gray in this episode to learn about his career journey and starting the Louisville-based company.
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We sit down with Joe Barnard of BPS Space to discuss how his company that started as a project to get a job at SpaceX turned into a full-fledged business building small-scale reusable rockets. Visit us at middletechpod.com Follow @middletechpod on Social: Twitter: www.twitter.com/middletechpod Instagram: www.instagram.com/middletechpod Facebook: www.facebook.com/middletechpod Send in your topic suggestions, feedback, and questions to us at middletechpodcast@gmail.com. Nate: twitter.com/nateante Evan: twitter.com/EvanKnowles42_ Logan: twitter.com/lojo23
Evan interviews Lexington entrepreneurship mainstay (and his current boss) Randall Stevens, Founder of AVAIL, ArchVision, Base 110, Base 163, and more about his journey and where he sees the Lexington community moving forward.
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Alex Reed, Co-Founder and CMO of Truman's, joins the show this week to talk about his journey from the University of Kentucky to Big Ass Fans to starting a cheeky brand that is innovating in the consumer cleaning space.
Learn more about Truman's at trumans.com and follow on social @trumanscleans!
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This week we sit down to discuss all the stories happening in the Kentucky tech and entrepreneurship scene:
- Xometry raises $50 million
- BatBNB raises $100,000 on Shark Tank
- Amazon breaks ground at CVG
- And more.
In addition, after recording, previous guest VividCharts was awarded a $250,000 investment as the winner of ServiceNow's CreatorCon Challenge!
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This week we're thrilled to be joined by Dave Knox: Cincinnati entrepreneur, author, and investor. Dave covers topics including his career, the Cincy startup community, The Brandery accelerator, and his book Predicting the Turn.
Learn more about Dave at predictingtheturn.com!
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As the world gets more demanding, we're demanding more flexibility from our spaces and services. That's why we're talking about The We Company this week, as they file for an IPO, and look forward to the continuing growth of the Space as a Service model. We also look at how WeWork is or is not influencing smaller markets like Lexington.
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VividCharts is creating a ServiceNow reporting visualization tool and is headquartered in downtown Lexington! Interesting enough, but they're about to pitch the platform itself for a quarter of a million dollar investment...
Visit VividCharts at vividcharts.com
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Is there a culture clash happening in Lexington, KY as the city sits at a tipping point? We think so.
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Nate and Evan are joined this week by Wendy Lea, an esteemed entrepreneur with several major successes, the former CEO of Cincinnati's Cintrifuse, advisor to the Commonwealth’s LEAP Initiative in Louisville, and a Techstars board member. This is a CANNOT MISS episode!
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Nate goes one on one with the Chief Marketing Officer of Keeneland Association, Inc, Christa Marrillia. The Spring Meet this Thursday, April 4th, and the two discuss the changes this year, Keeneland's increasing involvement in the Central Kentucky community, Railbird Fest, and more.
Learn more at keeneland.com.
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We're joined this week by Tatiana Holifield, the VP/Head of Digital Strategy for Pacers Sports & Entertainment. PS&E includes the NBA's Indiana Pacers, the WNBA's Indiana Fever, the G-League's Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the NBA 2K League's Pacer's Gaming, the Pacers Foundation, Inc., and Banker's Life Fieldhouse. With all of these brands and properties, Tatiana is continually defining and evolving digital strategy for the company. We talk all about her work and what it's like getting it done in Indianapolis.
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This week, Mark Zuckerberg announced what seems to be sweeping changes to Facebook's view of privacy and its ultimate goal to become a privacy centric product and company. Days later, two high profile executives left the company. We look back at last year's discussion on Facebook executives' exits and update the conversation with the even further examples from this week.
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Evan makes a bold claim: Amazon will ALWAYS be on top. We talk all about the giant, its business lines, its strengths, and even its threats.
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As the coasts are seeming to become saturated with tech, companies are increasingly looking towards Middle America for high caliber talent and other solutions. This week, we talk all about this trend, the ecosystem is exists in, and get fired up about the lack of coverage.
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In an update on last year's Facebook episode, we talk about the most recent scandal to rock the social media giant. How would you feel if a company offered you $20 to see EVERYTHING you do?
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3D Printing is one of the most underreported on advances in tech that is continuing to change how we live life everyday. This week we talk to a guy who knows the insides and out of the industry and is doing it professionally everyday in Lexington, Ben Van Den Broeck.
Check out Ben's company, Art Lab, at artlab3dprinting.com. Visit our website at middletechpod.com, and don't forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
We're pumped to be joined this week by Case Kenny, Founder & Editor-in-Chief at PRSUIT and Host of the New Mindset, Who Dis? Podcast. Case helps his audience daily with casual, no-BS content "helping you become the bad*ss human you’re meant to be."
Follow Case on Instagram: @case.kenny
Visit our website at middletechpod.com, and don't forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Chase Minnifield knew he always wanted to do his own thing, and the lessons he learned playing in the NFL translated perfectly to entrepreneurship. We sit down with the Forbes 30 Under 30 entrepreneur to talk about his ventures and perspectives on Lexington's tech scene.
Learn more about Chase at chaseminnifield.com.
Visit our website at middletechpod.com, and don't forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Nate and Evan recap their week in Las Vegas for the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show. Full of 5G, AI, and of course partying, the week in Vegas was one for the books.
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This week, the Season Finale with Awesome Inc’s founder Brian Raney. Awesome Inc. is a pillar of the technology and entrepreneurship space in Lexington and is the PERFECT way to wrap up the season. We sat down with Brian to discuss his history with business and tech and what led him to finding his definition of Awesome.
Visit Awesome Inc at awesomeinc.org. Follow Awesome Inc: facebook.com/awesomeinclex twitter.com/awesome_inc instagram.com/awesomeinclex
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We'll be back in early 2019 with Season 2!
Happy Cyber Monday! This week we're all about Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and every deal in-between. With online shopping on the rise, what's the future of event sales? Or the future of retail in general? We cover it all here.
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This week, a rebroadcast of our episode with the Shop Local Kentucky Chief Kentuckian himself, Rick Paynter! Make sure to check out thekyshop.com when your shopping this holiday season.
After Shop Local as an Instagram account in 2014, Rick has grown the company to become a household name across the Bluegrass with a robust online presence, a physical store, and events that attract thousands. Rick sits down with us to discuss personal branding, giving back to the community, and what's next for Shop Local.
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An awesome conversation this week with Wit Wang. Wit was born in China, moved to Lexington for school, and stuck around when he fell in love with the Bluegrass. Now he works on recruiting foreign investors to bring money to Kentucky projects.
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This week, Evan talks about a tech company he's been following for a long time: Yext.
Read his article about Yext: https://medium.com/@evanknowles/building-the-internets-brain-yext-b4d7e14877c6
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We have a great conversation this week with Dan Beldy, Founding Partner at Airwing Ventures. From the Navy, to venture capital, to Disney's Steamboat Ventures, to Fooji, we talk about Dan's journey and where he sees opportunity now.
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This week's episode is an absolutely great conversation with Allee Williams, Founder of Leia Rising. We talk about everything from entrepreneurial mindsets to working with women led and owned companies.
Follow Alee on IG: www.instagram.com/rightupyourallee
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This week, we rebroadcast our episode about sports gambling in Kentucky, five months after the Supreme Court decision. Since this episode, Kentucky has moved towards legalizing the practice with multiple bills at various points in the legislative process.
The federal ban on sports gambling is now UNCONSTITUTIONAL, meaning it's up to the states to decide if people should be able to bet on games within their borders. Kentucky is set up perfectly to benefit, but only if the state government decides to make it legal. Nate and Evan go in depth about the potential opportunities Kentucky has in the near future.
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We're excited to be joined by Ian McClure, UK's Director of the Office of Technology Commercialization. Ian comes to Lexington after a successful background in law and entrepreneurship, and we cover everything from that to the several programs he's championing that will change business throughout the South and Midwest.
Learn more about the OTC at https://www.research.uky.edu/office-technology-commercialization.
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When Mark Zuckerberg buys your company he will probably promise to let you run it independently. And then he won't. This week, Nate and Evan discuss the histories of Facebook's biggest acquisitions and what has caused nearly all founders to leave Menlo Park.
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Apple introduced new phones and a new watch this week and one focus for the company is abundantly clear: Health. Nate and Evan discuss all the new products and their implications for the future.
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After a week off, Nate and Evan talk about Nate's move to Chicago, the future of the podcast, and of course share their opinions on the latest tech news.
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Morgan Franklin has done a lot in his life, but he likes to call himself a Social Media Ninja. We sit down for a thorough conversation with the Owner and Real Estate Advisor at Atlas Trust Real Estate to talk about everything from digital marketing to the future of real estate. Plus, Morgan is #LongOnLex of course.
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As part of the #LongOnLex series we're replaying our episode with Tim Guthrie, Operating Partner at Base 110, to discuss coworking and the future of the shared spaces economy in Lexington. Base 110 just tripled its space downtown, proving that the demand for these spaces is strong in central Kentucky. Checkout Base 110 at base110.com or head in to work for free any Friday for Freelance Friday! Follow @middletechpod on social: facebook.com/middletechpod twitter.com/middletechpod instagram.com/middletechpod Send in your topic suggestions, feedback, and questions to Nate and Evan at middletechpodcast@gmail.com Nate: twitter.com/nateante Evan: twitter.com/EvanKnowles42_
This week, we're joined by self-proclaimed Lexington nightlife expert Simon Loik. As part of the #LongOnLex series we dive into an important cultural and lifestyle aspect of the city: going out.
Follow Simon on Twitter and Instagram: @simonloik
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This week, Nate and Evan are joined for an amazing conversation with Tom Martin, the Executive Director of the Center for Economic Development Entrepreneurship & Technology at Eastern Kentucky University. While #LongOnLex, Tom takes a tempered approach to where Central Kentucky is in the national market and what needs to change to make it a first class hub of the future.
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This week Nate and Evan are Downtown at City Hall, joined by Lexington's Director of Project Management Brandi Peacher to discuss Town Branch Commons, the massive greenspace project that just broke ground. Learn more about the project: lexingtonky.gov/townbranchcommons Follow @middletechpod on social: facebook.com/middletechpod twitter.com/middletechpod instagram.com/middletechpod Send in your topic suggestions, feedback, and questions to Nate and Evan at middletechpodcast@gmail.com Nate: twitter.com/nateante Evan: twitter.com/EvanKnowles42_
Scott Shapiro, Mayor Jim Gray's Chief Innovation Officer, is #LongOnLex. Nate and Evan sit down with Scott to learn more about University Cities, Lexington's new gigabit internet, the bikeshare partnership with Spin, and more.
Share why you're excited for Lexington's future on social media with #LongOnLex. Check out more about University Cities at universitycities.org.
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Introducing a new initiative, #LongOnLex. We'll be highlighting unique ideas, initiatives, and innovations that are currently moving Lexington forward to become a world-class city. Here, Nate and Evan intro the series and talk about why they're long on Lexington, KY.
As social media platforms try keep people online longer with things like longform video, pop culture seems to be rebelling against the platforms themselves. On this episode Nate and Evan discuss IGTV, YouTube, Facebook Watch, and other video contenders while highlighting the competing trend of Digital Health.
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On this special episode of Middle Tech the guys are joined by Michael Lewis, Tj Barnett, Danny Perry, and Sam Marks to look back at their freshman year startup: FinanceU. FinanceU used crowdfunding to solve the 1.2 trillion dollar student debt crises one user at a time. A special thanks to Michael, TJ, Danny, and Sam for joining us on this episode. Follow @middletechpod on social: facebook.com/middletechpod twitter.com/middletechpod instagram.com/middletechpod Send in your topic suggestions, feedback, and questions to Nate and Evan at middletechpodcast@gmail.com Nate: twitter.com/nateante Evan: twitter.com/EvanKnowles42_
We started Middle Tech four months ago to highlight the technology, the innovation, and the people changing Kentucky and the Midwest. Already on this journey we've met so many people working everyday to improve the area, and have discovered so many new ideas through conversation. Today, we look back on our first episode to revisit why Middle Tech exists and see our progress so far.
Originally recorded in February 2018, this is our first episode ever recorded.
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Nate and Evan talk about Apple's 2018 Worldwide Developers Conference which included a huge focus on digital health and screen addiction. Do you know just how much you use your phone? Also: a couple hot takes on Microsoft who just acquired GitHub.
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Evan and Nate sit down with Tim Guthrie, Operating Partner at Base 110, to discuss coworking and the future of shared spaces. Base 110 is the newest coworking space in Lexington, currently operating at full capacity and tripling their space within the next couple of weeks with an expansion onto two more floors. Checkout Base 110 at base110.com or come in to work for free any Friday for Freelance Friday! Follow @middletechpod on social: facebook.com/middletechpod twitter.com/middletechpod instagram.com/middletechpod Send in your topic suggestions, feedback, and questions to Nate and Evan at middletechpodcast@gmail.com Nate: twitter.com/nateante Evan: twitter.com/EvanKnowles42_
The federal ban on sports gambling is now UNCONSTITUTIONAL, meaning it's up to the states to decide if people should be able to bet on games within their borders. Kentucky is set up perfectly to benefit, but only if the state government decides to make it legal. Nate and Evan go in depth about the potential opportunities Kentucky has in the near future.
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Where is all of this cryptocurrency stuff heading? Nate and Evan are joined this week by Shane Hadden, a multi-talented guy and self-proclaimed "Bitcoin maximalist." Among other things, Shane writes about the future of decentralized global currency and the tokenization of finance at globalcurrencyreport.com.
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Make sure to visit globalcurrencyreport.com!
Last weekend Justify won the 144th Kentucky Derby, an event that drew an attendance of over 150 thousand horse racing fans. With an event that big, you already know technology will be involved at almost every level. Nate and Evan discuss how even such a traditional industry is embracing tech for the future.
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This week, Nate and Evan are joined by the Shop Local Kentucky Chief Kentuckian himself, Rick Paynter! After starting the company as an Instagram account in 2014, Rick has grown Shop Local Kentucky to become a household name across the Bluegrass with a robust online presence, a physical store, and events that attract thousands. Rick sits down with the guys to discuss personal branding, giving back to the community, and what's next for Shop Local.
Follow Shop Local Kentucky on social: instagram.com/shoplocalky facebook.com/ShopLocalKy/
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Warren Nash, the Executive Director of the Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship, joins the podcast this week to discuss the local startup scene, what UK is doing to support budding entrepreneurs, and what work there still is to be done. Follow @middletechpod on Social: Twitter: twitter.com/middletechpod Instagram: www.instagram.com/middletechpod Facebook: www.facebook.com/middletechpod Send in your topic suggestions, feedback, and questions to Nate and Evan at middletechpodcast@gmail.com Nate: twitter.com/nateante Evan: twitter.com/EvanKnowles42_
Nate and Evan had to talk about Facebook this week after Mark Zuckerberg testified in front of Congress about user privacy, monopolies, and more. Is regulation on the way?
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Nate and Evan continue the conversation on technology in education, this time focusing on the University of Kentucky and others' relationship with entrepreneurship. Through research commercialization, incubators, and more it seems like things are headed in the right direction.
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Following Apple's education event in Chicago last week, Nate and Evan discuss the company's approach to bringing technology into the classroom and debate what's more important for the future of education: hardware or software.
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Doyle Friskney, CTO Emeritus of UK and computer evangelist from the beginning joins the podcast to discuss his career, what's exciting him in tech now, and how he thinks about the future of higher education.
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On the third episode of Middle Tech, Nate and Evan broaden the scope beyond just Kentucky and the Midwest to give a different perspective on something that's been in the national news a lot lately: Facebook.
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Nate and Evan are back to talk about fifth generation wireless systems and what they mean for both metro and rural areas. It might not all be positive...
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On the first episode of the Middle Tech podcast, Nate and Evan talk about the future of smart homes and the Internet of Things.