Circuit Talk: Recent Episodes
Circuit Talk
Semiconductors are a key driver of the global economy, with far reaching impact touching all aspects of government, industry, and our every day lives. Recent shortages in the semiconductor market have brought about the looming threat of a supply chain crisis, meaning now is the time for collaborative innovation to drive generational change. Join Dr. Nadia Schadlow, Senior Fellow at the Hudson institute, and a visiting fellow at MITRE and the Hoover Institute along with Pavneet Singh, nonresident fellow at the Brookings Institution as they speak with some of the world's top semiconductor experts to discuss how the U.S. can leverage its unique capabilities to reemerge as a leader in the semiconductor ecosystem.
Gayathri Radhakrishnan, Partner at Hitachi Ventures, joins John Cole in this episode of Circuit Talk: Funders and Founders. Through the corporate venture arm of Hitachi, Radhakrishnan helps create partnerships with start-ups, forging relationships with companies ready to scale and deliver value for their industry, the nation, the globe, and Hitachi.
With a keen eye on the impact that technological advancements can have on the global marketplace, Radhakrishnan speaks on the importance of making hardware engineering cool again. As she says, “as much as software may be eating the world, that software needs to run on underlying hardware. It’s not magic.”
Learn more about the work Hitachi Ventures does here: https://www.hitachi-ventures.com/
Tom Leahy, Head of Aerospace & Defense Business Development at SiFive, joins John Cole for this episode of Circuit Talk: Funders and Founders. Leahy speaks at length about the critical work that SiFive is doing in the semiconductor industry; work that is not going unnoticed by both the public and private sector. Recent partnerships with Google and NASA show how SiFive serves as a trusted organization for micro architecture.
SiFive is currently being used by a staggering eight of the top ten semiconductor companies, as well as increasing their work with the Department of Defense and the wider Defense Industrial Base. Leahy's perspective is invaluable as semiconductor fabrication continues to expand across the ecosystem in the wake of the CHIPS Act.
Learn more about SiFive at SiFive.com.
Listen to other episodes of Funders and Founders, as well as our full range of Circuit Talk podcasts, and be sure to subscribe.
Sam Salama, CEO of Hyperion Technologies, joins John Cole for this newest episode of Circuit Talk: Funders and Founders. With a focus on advanced packaging, Hyperion Technologies is operating at the forefront of one of the most critical aspects of semiconductor technology. The CHIPS Act specifically calls out and allocates funds directly to advanced packaging, so what makes it such an essential component of America’s plan for success as a domestic industry?
Mohamed Kassem, co-founder and CTO of efabless, joins John Cole in this week’s Circuit Talk: Funders and Founders. Beginning with a brief but informative history of his position within the industry, Kassem dives into what he feels are the most pressing issues facing the semiconductor industry. From workforce development to the need for a semiconductor major in undergrad, Kassem and Cole engage in a wide-ranging discussion centered around the future of the domestic industry and how efabless is putting in a concerted effort to shape it into something accessible for all.
Dan Marrujo, President and Managing Director at Trusted Strategic Solutions, LLC joins MITRE Engenuity Chief Technologist Raj Jammy to discuss the impact of semiconductor innovation on national security. Long time friends and collaborators, Marrujo and Jammy enjoy a robust conversation ranging from issues critical to national security to dreams of a shared digital architecture for semiconductor technology.
Shahin Farshchi, General Partner at Lux Capital, joins John Cole for episode six of Circuit Talk: Funders and Founders to talk about the important ways that a semiconductor startup can differentiate themselves to garner game-changing investment. Farshchi goes into detail about how Lux Capital determines whether an organization meets the requirements for investment, where some of the best start-ups are coming from, and the impact he believes the CHIPS Act will have on the ecosystem.
Jimmy Kan, partner at Anzu Partners, joins John Cole on this episode of Circuit Talk: Funders and Founders. The two speak about how Anzu is focused on investing not just in emerging tech, but in the tech that will define the next generation. Kan speaks specifically about how much the landscape of deep tech, and specifically semiconductor, investing has changed in the last five years - he sees a bright future, but one that will come with necessary changes to the ecosystem. He and the team at Anzu Partners are working to guide that restructuring.
Faran Nouri of Lam Research joins John Cole on this week's episode of Circuit Talk: Funders and Founders. Nouri brings a wealth of information and a fresh perspective on the importance of corporate venture groups, the specific projects that an organization like Lam Research partners with, and her hope for the future of investment in the ecosystem thanks to the CHIPS Act and a renewed national focus on the ecosystem.
In this episode of Circuit Talk: Funders and Founders, John Cole is joined by Rob Snowberger and Rahul Sen, CEO and CTO of Nantero. Nantero, along with being an active member of The Semiconductor Alliance, is a start-up ingeniously disrupting the manufacturing ecosystem. With humble beginnings as an idea formed in class at Harvard to being selected by the Japanese government for their National Green Data Center, Nantero has unique insight into the critical role of start-ups in the semiconductor ecosystem.
In this episode of Circuit Talk: Full Stack, host Nitin J. Shah welcomes Todd Holmdahl, Microsoft’s Corporate Vice President. A longtime employee of Microsoft, Todd played an instrumental role in the development of Xbox, one of the industry’s best examples of full stack innovation. Beginning with an overview of full stack innovation and the essential role it plays in groundbreaking technology, Todd uses both his personal experience revolutionizing gaming with the Xbox, as well as detailing Apple’s intricate design of the iPhone to highlight the success that can be achieved through full stack innovation.
This conversation is essential listening for anyone interested in the history, importance, and far-reaching impact of full stack innovation for the impending growth of the domestic semiconductor industry
In episode one of Circuit Talk: Funders and Founders, MITRE Engenuity's John Cole is joined by Meghali Chopra, CEO of Sandbox Semiconductor. A benevolent disruptor in the semiconductor ecosystem, Sandbox Semiconductor seeks to revolutionize the way that process engineers conduct experiments on innovations within the field. Chopra and Cole speak on the difficulties of breaking into a field so cautiously protective of IP, as well as the benefits to be shared by producing anonymized case studies.
A window into the future of innovation for the semiconductor industry, this conversation with Meghali Chopra is an inspiring listen for anyone interested in the success of an innovator changing the game and defining new paths to succeed in this critical technology.
Deirdre Hanford, Chief Security Officer at Synopsys, joins Nitin in episode four to discuss her work in the semiconductor industry, and where she sees it growing in the future. In a wide-ranging discussion around her thoughts on the industry as a whole, Hanford touches on Synopsys’ work with electronic design automation (EDA), IP building blocks, and software security. These areas of focus pave the way for a robust discussion around innovations in cloud infrastructure, which Hanford believes holds a key to workforce development, enabling greater equity among designers around the globe. An essential piece of the semiconductor ecosystem puzzle, Hanford’s insights as CSO of Synopsys are essential listening.
To get an on-the-ground perspective on the critical fight for semiconductor workforce development, Nitin brings Jim Vandevere, President of BRIDG, a nonprofit focused on technology commercialization in Orlando, FL to join him on the podcast. After an overview of the work BRIDG does in their development of semiconductor capabilities, specifically advanced packaging, Vandevere details some of their critical work in workforce development. With a uniquely large quantity of higher education institutions (public, private, and community), as well as access to local high schools and military veterans, Vandevere presents the case that BRIDG is well-suited to shape the semiconductor workforce of tomorrow.
Nitin is joined in episode two by Rick Gottscho, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Lam Research. Gottscho details the legacy of innovation from Lam Research, noting specifically how their work both touches all semiconductors in everyday devices, as well as how their manufacturing is done primarily in America with an impact felt across the globe.
Gottscho gives an overview and deep dive into his vision of the “semiverse,” a concept that could pave the way for experimentation and coordination among a network of interconnected laboratories and research centers. By utilizing digital twinning and operations through the cloud, this concept could pave the way for interactions and innovations between entities spread throughout the nation providing their unique capabilities to unite for full stack innovation.
In Episode 7, the finale of MITRE Engenuity's Circuit Talk, Dr. Nadia Scahdlow and Pavneet Singh welcome Susie Armstrong, Senior Vice President at Qualcomm. A veteran of the technology industry, she is uniquely placed to provide her current assessment on the real engineering and financial challenges that the U.S. chip industry faces. We will learn how the U.S. fares in the global market, as well as what lessons we can learn from other countries as the U.S. orients itself to compete over the coming decades.
To sign up for the June 29th Circuit Talk Live event, please visit https://mitre-engenuity.org/circuit-talk
For more information about Semiconductors and other MITRE Engenuity projects, please visit https://mitre-engenuity.org
Music provided by bensound.com
In episode 6, Prof. Zak Holman from Arizona State University joins Dr. Nadia Schadlow and Pavneet Singh to pose questions and unpack the challenges and opportunities in the University setting for discovering future semiconductor technologies. Where is the Academy in uncovering future materials and processes for semiconductor technology? What does University need from Government and Industry to make their work more fruitful? What are the gaps in STEM talent or federal funding that can be alleviated? How should we create safe and productive collaborative environments with international partners? Listen in to hear these answers and more.
To sign up for the June 29th Circuit Talk Live event, please visit https://mitre-engenuity.org/circuit-talk
For more information about Semiconductors and other MITRE Engenuity projects, please visit https://mitre-engenuity.org
Music provided by bensound.com
In episode 5, Ken Hansen, President & CEO, HTKH LLC joins Dr. Nadia Schadlow and Pavneet Singh to speak about why the Semiconductor Research Corporation was created, as well as the role that it played in the industry in its early years. Hansen speaks about how companies are working to bridge the "lab to fab challenge" and how the private sector and policy officials can work together to solve those challenges facing the industry. We'll also hear about the Decadal Plan, the role the USG might play in advancing its research agenda, and recent legislation such as the CHIPS Act.
To sign up for the June 29th Circuit Talk Live event, please visit https://mitre-engenuity.org/circuit-talk
For more information about Semiconductors and other MITRE Engenuity projects, please visit https://mitre-engenuity.org
Music provided by bensound.com
In Episode 4, Dr. Nadia Schadlow and Pavneet Singh welcome Dan Armbrust, the Co-founder and Director of Silicon Catalyst. Mr. Armbrust explains the launch of Sematech and the critical collaboration between the US Government and the semiconductor industry that led to its creation. Using this successful collaboration as a window into the future, Mr. Armbrust provides insight about how federal funds can be utilized to spur the semiconductor innovation.
To sign up for the June 29th Circuit Talk Live event, please visit https://mitre-engenuity.org/circuit-talk
For more information about Semiconductors and other MITRE Engenuity projects, please visit https://mitre-engenuity.org
Music provided by bensound.com
Episode 3 introduces Willy Shih, Professor of Management Practice at Harvard Business School. He joins Nadia and Pav to discuss the links between manufacturing and innovation. As the past can often teach us about the future, Prof. Shih gives a brief historical perspective on the growth of Taiwan’s successful semiconductor foundry capacity and the vulnerabilities that history may pose for the US today.
To sign up for the June 29th Circuit Talk Live event, please visit https://mitre-engenuity.org/circuit-talk
For more information about Semiconductors and other MITRE Engenuity projects, please visit https://mitre-engenuity.org
Music provided by bensound.com
In Episode 2, hosts Dr. Nadia Schadlow and Pav Singh talk with Dr. Victoria Coleman, Chief Scientist at the U.S. Air Force, and former Director of DARPA, as she explains why the U.S. needs a thriving domestic semiconductor market that ensures availability, price, trust, and performance.
To sign up for the June 29th Circuit Talk Live event, please visit https://mitre-engenuity.org/circuit-talk
For more information about Semiconductors and other MITRE Engenuity projects, please visit https://mitre-engenuity.org
Music provided by bensound.com
In Episode 1 of MITRE Engenuity Circuit Talk, co-hosts Dr. Nadia Schadlow, Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute, visiting fellow at MITRE and visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution, and Pavneet Singh, nonresident fellow at the Brookings Institution, begin our speaker series with a conversation about the physics of semiconductors.
Their first guest, Dr. Edlyn Levine, Chief Technologist at MITRE Engenuity, explains the scientific challenges behind creating smaller and smaller chips and then talks about the impact that has on the semiconductor ecosystem. Dr. Levine makes it clear that US Leadership and thoughtful investment in translational R&D are critical.
To sign up for the June 29th Circuit Talk Live event, please visit https://mitre-engenuity.org/circuit-talk
For more information about Semiconductors and other MITRE Engenuity projects, please visit https://mitre-engenuity.org
Music provided by bensound.com