The ReForge Podcast

The Case for the Gap Year (with Matt and Colin) | ReForge 009

In this episode, Matthew Chang and Colin Russ dig into the questions that flooded in after Episode 6, tackling the real decisions facing students, parents, and employers as the workforce shifts faster than anyone expected.  If you care about education, workforce development, manufacturing, or what to actually tell a 15-year-old right now, this one is for you.  What we cover  * The decision matrix every student should run before taking on two more years of debt, and when it makes sense to pivot out of a degree entirely  * Why the US manufacturing sector is facing a shortage of 1.9 million workers by 2033, and why that number is probably understated  * How a gap year and a PA school decision led to a better career, more kids, and eight years of ER experience before most med school classmates started practicing  * Why flex shifts and remote flexibility are the single biggest unlock for attracting women and parents back into the workforce  * Matt's step-by-step roadmap for a 15-year-old: AI projects, paid internships, and why every 18-year-old needs to be somebody's apprentice  Chapters  00:00 Gap Years and Real Jobs  02:56 Finish Degree or Pivot  11:14 1.9 Million Manufacturing Jobs Nobody Is Talking About  22:28 The Smarter Path Nobody Recommends  26:21 The Secret Weapon for Attracting Talent  36:23 AI Apprenticeship Roadmap  Find Matthew Chang: https://x.com/MatthewChang [https://x.com/MatthewChang] https://www.instagram.com/the.matthewchang [https://www.instagram.com/the.matthewchang] https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewachang/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewachang/] https://www.tiktok.com/@the.matthewchang [https://www.tiktok.com/@the.matthewchang]  Find Colin Russ: https://x.com/ThaaatColin [https://x.com/ThaaatColin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/colinruss/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/colinruss/]  Find Chang Robotics: https://changrobotics.ai [https://changrobotics.ai/] https://www.linkedin.com/company/changrobotics/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/changrobotics/]  Follow ReForge  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-reforge-podcast/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-reforge-podcast/] X: https://x.com/thereforgepod [https://x.com/thereforgepod] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thereforgepod/ [https://www.instagram.com/thereforgepod/] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thereforgepod [https://www.tiktok.com/@thereforgepod] Website: https://thereforgepodcast.com/ [https://thereforgepodcast.com/]  Want to be a guest or partner?  If you're building, funding, operating, or shaping the future of U.S. manufacturing, we'd love to hear from you. Email: inquiries@thereforgepodcast.com [inquiries@thereforgepodcast.com]   About ReForge  ReForge is a podcast featuring conversations with the leaders reindustrializing America. This show exists to prove American reindustrialization is possible, pivotal, and pressing. Hosted by Matthew Chang and Colin Russ.  Produced by Chang Robotics.

Shielding the Space Race (with Adam Rossi) | ReForge 008

In this episode, Matthew Chang and Colin Russ sit down with Adam Rossi (CEO of Total Shield) to talk about what it actually takes to acquire a highly specialized American manufacturer, build a 100% domestic supply chain, and ride the coming wave of space industry growth.  If you care about manufacturing, aerospace, defense, American supply chains, or what real reindustrialization looks like on the ground, this one is for you.  What we cover  - How Adam went from scaling a 250-person software company to acquiring Total Shield, a blast and ballistic shielding manufacturer with 20 years of proprietary testing data  - Why space is now Total Shield's fastest growing market, and what well-funded space startups are actually building behind closed doors  - A walkthrough of the shielding rooms protecting satellites, fuel tanks, and high-pressure test environments for customers like SpaceX  - Why Total Shield runs a 100% American supply chain, and why Adam says the real barrier to doing it isn't cost, it's relationships  - How to use AI to capture the knowledge of a retiring founder before it walks out the door forever  Chapters  0:00 Space Startup Boom  0:49 Meet Adam Rossi  2:21 From Software to Manufacturing  5:14 The Hard Truth About Acquiring a Niche Manufacturer  11:34 Inside the Shielding Rooms  23:13 The Retiring Founder Problem and What's Next  Guest: Adam Rossi, CEO at Total Shield  Find Adam Rossi:  https://x.com/RossiAdam  https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamrossi-indie/  Find Total Shield: https://totalshield.com  Find Matthew Chang:  https://x.com/MatthewChang https://www.instagram.com/the.matthewchang https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewachang/ https://www.tiktok.com/@the.matthewchang  Find Colin Russ:  https://x.com/ThaaatColin  https://www.linkedin.com/in/colinruss/  Find Chang Robotics:  https://changrobotics.ai  https://www.linkedin.com/company/changrobotics/  Follow ReForge  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-reforge-podcast/ X: https://x.com/thereforgepod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thereforgepod/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thereforgepod Website: https://thereforgepodcast.com/  Want to be a guest or partner?  If you're building, funding, operating, or shaping the future of U.S. manufacturing, we'd love to hear from you. Email: inquiries@thereforgepodcast.com  About ReForge  ReForge is a podcast featuring conversations with the leaders reindustrializing America. This show exists to prove American reindustrialization is possible, pivotal, and pressing. Hosted by Matthew Chang and Colin Russ.  Produced by Chang Robotics.

From Wall Street to Silicon Beach (with Jason Engelhardt) | ReForge 007

In this episode, Matthew Chang and Colin Russ sit down with Jason Engelhardt (Founder of Silicon Beach) to talk about what it actually takes to build an entrepreneurial ecosystem from scratch, and why Jacksonville may be one of the most overlooked cities in America for innovation and manufacturing.  If you care about startups, venture capital, community building, advanced manufacturing, or the future of American cities, this one is for you.  What we cover  * How Jason went from 20 years on Wall Street to building Jacksonville's most active pitch and networking community  * Why Silicon Beach now runs three pitch events a month, draws 130 to 150 people per event, and has 10 to 15 institutional investors in the room  * What real hardware innovation looks like: basalt rebar that won't corrode and robotic surgery accessories made in the USA  * Why Jason is launching a formal incubator and what's missing in most cities that keeps startups from scaling  * Silicon Beach Development: advanced manufacturing R&D facilities, FDA clean rooms, and military-facing innovation spaces coming to Jacksonville  Chapters  00:00 Pitch Events Take Off   01:00 Meet Jason and Silicon Beach   09:07 How Silicon Beach Finds and Builds Winners   18:56 What They Don't Teach You in Business School   21:32 How Silicon Beach Gets Startups to Exit   25:21 Silicon Beach Development Vision  Guest: Jason Engelhardt, Founder at Silicon Beach   Find Jason Engelhardt:  https://siliconbeach.ai [https://siliconbeach.ai/]  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonengelhardt/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonengelhardt/]  Find Matthew Chang:  https://x.com/MatthewChang [https://x.com/MatthewChang]  https://www.instagram.com/the.matthewchang [https://www.instagram.com/the.matthewchang]  https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewachang/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewachang/]  https://www.tiktok.com/@the.matthewchang [https://www.tiktok.com/@the.matthewchang]  Find Colin Russ:  https://x.com/ThaaatColin [https://x.com/ThaaatColin]  https://www.linkedin.com/in/colinruss/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/colinruss/]  Find Chang Robotics:  https://changrobotics.ai [https://changrobotics.ai/]  https://www.linkedin.com/company/changrobotics/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/changrobotics/]  Follow ReForge  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-reforge-podcast/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-reforge-podcast/]   X: https://x.com/thereforgepod [https://x.com/thereforgepod]   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thereforgepod/ [https://www.instagram.com/thereforgepod/]   TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thereforgepod [https://www.tiktok.com/@thereforgepod]   Website: https://thereforgepodcast.com/ [https://thereforgepodcast.com/]  Want to be a guest or partner?  If you're building, funding, operating, or shaping the future of U.S. manufacturing, we'd love to hear from you. Email: inquiries@thereforgepodcast.com [inquiries@thereforgepodcast.com]  About ReForge  ReForge is a podcast featuring conversations with the leaders reindustrializing America. This show exists to prove American reindustrialization is possible, pivotal, and pressing. Hosted by Matthew Chang and Colin Russ.  Produced by Chang Robotics.

Is College Still Worth It? (with Matt and Colin) | ReForge 006

In this episode, Matthew Chang and Colin Russ go head to head on one of the most debated questions in workforce development: is college still worth it, and what should the next generation of American builders actually do?  If you care about workforce, education, manufacturing, trades, or the future of American industry, this one is for you.  What we cover  * Why student loan debt is the core distortion driving the college problem, and what happens when universities have no skin in the game  * How Jacksonville University cut from 100 degree programs to 43, and why that's the right move  * Why Google, Palantir, and Hadrian are already telling kids to skip college, and what that signals  * The case for trades: compressed path to entrepreneurship, real skills, and why Gen Z actually wants to build things  * Matt's advice for every 16-year-old: build a website, get certifications, and stop waiting on a four-year degree to start  Chapters  00:00 College vs. Trades Debate 03:10 Student Loans and Hobby Degrees 08:29 Tech Change and Trade Pathways 19:45 Fixing Incentives in Higher Ed 23:23 Alternative Paths and Career Flexibility 27:48 Advice for Teens and Parents  Find Matthew Chang: https://x.com/MatthewChang [https://x.com/MatthewChang] https://www.instagram.com/the.matthewchang [https://www.instagram.com/the.matthewchang] https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewachang/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewachang/] https://www.tiktok.com/@the.matthewchang [https://www.tiktok.com/@the.matthewchang]  Find Colin Russ: https://x.com/ThaaatColin [https://x.com/ThaaatColin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/colinruss/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/colinruss/]  Find Chang Robotics: https://changrobotics.ai [https://changrobotics.ai/] https://www.linkedin.com/company/changrobotics/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/changrobotics/]  Follow ReForge  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-reforge-podcast/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-reforge-podcast/]  X: https://x.com/thereforgepod [https://x.com/thereforgepod]  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thereforgepod/ [https://www.instagram.com/thereforgepod/]  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thereforgepod [https://www.tiktok.com/@thereforgepod]  Website: https://thereforgepodcast.com/ [https://thereforgepodcast.com/]  Want to be a guest or partner?  If you're building, funding, operating, or shaping the future of U.S. manufacturing, we'd love to hear from you. Email: inquiries@thereforgepodcast.com [inquiries@thereforgepodcast.com]  About ReForge  ReForge is a podcast featuring conversations with the leaders reindustrializing America. This show exists to prove American reindustrialization is possible, pivotal, and pressing. Hosted by Matthew Chang and Colin Russ.  Produced by Chang Robotics.

Simulating the Future of Factories (with Richard Schrade) | ReForge 005

In this episode, Matthew Chang and Colin Russ sit down with Richard Schrade (President and Co-Founder of Automation Intelligence) to talk about digital twins, the gap between where industrial automation is and where it needs to be, and a new AI tool that could change how PLC engineers work.  If you care about manufacturing, automation, robotics, industrial software, or the future of American production, this one is for you.  What we cover  * What digital twins actually are, how they work, and why the biggest manufacturers in the country use them before touching the factory floor  * Why Richard is disappointed with the pace of industrial innovation, and why he thinks we're still at 1% of what's possible  * How narrowing the gap of uncertainty is the real value proposition for capital allocators looking at automation investments  * The Auto Intel Cloud: making digital twins accessible without expensive hardware or license headaches  * PLC Forge: the AI-powered tool for PLC engineers that Automation Intelligence is bringing to market now  Chapters  00:00 Why Manufacturing Innovation Can't Wait  01:00 Meet Richard Schrade and Automation Intelligence  02:54 How Digital Twins Work and Why They Matter  12:14 Are We at 1% of What's Possible?  21:14 The Auto Intel Cloud  25:21 PLC Forge: AI for the Factory Floor  Guest: Richard Schrade, President and Co-Founder at Automation Intelligence Find Richard Schrade: https://autointel.io [https://autointel.io/] richard@autointel.io [richard@autointel.io]  Find Matthew Chang: https://x.com/MatthewChang [https://x.com/MatthewChang] https://www.instagram.com/the.matthewchang [https://www.instagram.com/the.matthewchang] https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewachang/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewachang/] https://www.tiktok.com/@the.matthewchang [https://www.tiktok.com/@the.matthewchang]  Find Colin Russ: https://x.com/ThaaatColin [https://x.com/ThaaatColin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/colinruss/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/colinruss/]  Find Chang Robotics: https://changrobotics.ai [https://changrobotics.ai/] https://www.linkedin.com/company/changrobotics/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/changrobotics/]  Follow ReForge  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-reforge-podcast/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-reforge-podcast/]  X: https://x.com/thereforgepod [https://x.com/thereforgepod]  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thereforgepod/ [https://www.instagram.com/thereforgepod/]  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thereforgepod [https://www.tiktok.com/@thereforgepod]  Website: https://thereforgepodcast.com/ [https://thereforgepodcast.com/]  Want to be a guest or partner?  If you're building, funding, operating, or shaping the future of U.S. manufacturing, we'd love to hear from you. Email: inquiries@thereforgepodcast.com [inquiries@thereforgepodcast.com]  About ReForge  ReForge is a podcast featuring conversations with the leaders reindustrializing America. This show exists to prove American reindustrialization is possible, pivotal, and pressing. Hosted by Matthew Chang and Colin Russ.  Produced by Chang Robotics.