Augmented Ops

For decades, the United States bet that invention alone would keep it competitive. Twenty years ago, the US led in 60 of 64 key technologies. Today, China leads in 57 of them. The country no longer has an invention problem, it has an industrialization problem. In this episode, Elisabeth Reynolds , Professor of the Practice at MIT and Tulip advisor, sits down with her MIT colleague Chris Love , che...

Three months into the agentic AI shift, manufacturing finds itself at the same inflection point a generation of CEOs faced at the dawn of digital: lean in now, or wait for someone else to prove it works. The cost of waiting just got steeper. Enno de Boer , Senior Partner at McKinsey and co-founder of the World Economic Forum Global Lighthouse Network , returns to Augmented Ops to talk with Natan L...

Geopolitical pressure is reshaping how the US buys and builds for defense. Nick Sinai of Insight Partners breaks down the shift from cost-plus to commercial procurement, the rise of venture-backed defense tech, and how to move fast without losing safety. In this episode of Augmented Ops, host Erik Mirandette, Tulip's Chief Business Officer, is joined by Nick Sinai, Managing Director at Insight Par...

Manufacturing is entering a new phase of AI adoption, one where intelligent systems don’t just generate insights but take action in context. In this episode of Augmented Ops, host Mason Glidden, Tulip’s Chief Product Officer, is joined by Olga Stroilova, Group Product Lead, and Pete Hartnett, Group Product Manager, to discuss how agentic AI is redefining what’s possible on the factory floor. Toget...

What do a floating barge the size of four aircraft carriers, a Shell refinery, and the future of energy resilience have in common? They all depend on knowing, with precision, how much life is left in the steel. In this episode of Augmented Ops, host Natan Linder sits down with Thomas Leurent, CEO and co-founder of Akselos, to unpack the often-overlooked world of structural performance management a...

Modernizing the U.S. industrial base is no longer a long-term goal. Between geopolitical competition, workforce constraints, and rising cybersecurity demands, manufacturers are under pressure to rethink how production systems are built and operated. Clark Dressen, CTO of MxD, joins the show to explain how this transformation is taking shape across the defense industrial base and broader manufactur...

What actually makes a region strong in manufacturing? In this episode, Gillian Catrambone sits down with Beatriz Gutierrez, CEO of CONNSTEP Inc ., Connecticut’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), to explore how regional ecosystems, through MEPs, workforce programs, and coordinated resources, create the foundation for industrial strength. Beatriz breaks down how manufacturers are navigating...

Global supply chains are being rewired in real time. From tariffs and geopolitics to labor constraints and energy infrastructure, manufacturers are navigating a level of volatility few have experienced before. Rosemary Coates , Founder and Executive Director of the Reshoring Institute , joins the show to unpack what’s actually happening beneath the headlines. Drawing on recent executive interviews...

Manufacturing is undergoing a generational shift. As experienced workers retire and automation accelerates, the industry must solve both a workforce shortage and a skills gap — and it must do so simultaneously. Jacob “MFG Kid” Sanchez is a well-known manufacturing influencer and content creator, and a vocal advocate for bringing new talent into the industry. With hands-on shop floor experience and...

The life sciences industry has long justified slow digital adoption through regulation. But as technology adoption accelerates faster than guidance, that logic is breaking down. In this episode, Michelle Vuolo and Gilad Langer discuss why speed has become a defining challenge for pharma and medical device manufacturers. Drawing on experience from ISPE, quality leadership, and decades in regulated...

Manufacturing is often discussed in terms of technology, productivity, and investment — but rarely in terms of people as infrastructure. In this episode of Augmented Ops, Stacey Weismiller, Founder of the American Manufacturing Futures Institute , joins Natan Linder to reframe the conversation. Stacey draws on her background spanning manufacturing, economic development, and global policy to explor...

Read about Tulip’s $120M Series D 👉 http://tulip.co/press/tulip-secures-120m-series-d/ In this conversation, Chris Luecke, host of the Manufacturing Happy Hour podcast, joins Natan Linder to discuss AI in manufacturing, and how Mitsubishi Electric’s lead investment in Tulip’s $120M Series D helps to accelerate our mission to scale our composable platform, support an open ecosystem for frontline o...

AI is rapidly reshaping life sciences manufacturing—but as intelligent systems move into regulated environments, questions around validation, governance, and trust become unavoidable. In this episode of Augmented Ops, host Michelle Vuolo, Head of Quality at Tulip, is joined by Bryan Ennis, Chief Quality Officer and Founder of Sware, and Martin Heitmann, of the Triality Group. Together, they explor...

Robotics has promised to transform manufacturing and logistics for decades — but turning intelligent machines into reliable, everyday operators remains hard. In this episode of Augmented Ops, Natan Linder sits down with Yaro Tenzer, co-founder and CEO of RightHand Robotics , to talk about what it actually takes to deploy AI-powered robotics in real operational environments. Yaro shares lessons fro...

What does the future of process engineering look like in an era shaped by AI, automation, and rapid operational change? In this episode, Chris Luecke joins Natan Linder to explore how the role is evolving, what still defines great engineering, and why human judgment remains essential on the modern shop floor. Chris is the host of Manufacturing Happy Hour and one of the most connected voices in the...

AI is often described as a revolution, but every technological leap has deep roots in the human story. In this episode of Augmented Ops, MIT Professor and author David Mindell joins Tulip CEO Natan Linder to discuss how history can help us navigate the rise of intelligent systems. Mindell, a historian, engineer, and entrepreneur, shares insights from his latest book, The New Lunar Society , which...

Manufacturing is entering a new phase of AI adoption, one where intelligent systems don’t just generate insights but take action in context. In this episode of Augmented Ops, host Mason Glidden, Tulip’s Chief Product Officer, is joined by Olga Stroilova, Group Product Lead, and Pete Hartnett, Group Product Manager, to discuss how agentic AI is redefining what’s possible on the factory floor. Toget...

Kicking off Season 6, Natan and Tulip CMO Madilynn Castillo reflect on Operations Calling 2025 —recorded just after nearly 800 manufacturing leaders, engineers, and frontline pros converged at Tulip HQ for Tulip’s biggest event to date. More than a showcase of technology, this two-day experience blended strategy, execution, and genuine community. Attendees dove into headline keynotes, fireside cha...

In this bonus episode, our guest is Liz Reynolds, manufacturing and workforce expert at MIT and strategic advisor to Tulip.. Fresh from Detroit's Reindustrialize conference, Liz and Natan share key insights on America's urgent push to bring manufacturing back home. They explore the "Spring of momentum" in reindustrialization efforts, from AI moving beyond hype to real implementation on the shop fl...

This week marks the final episode of Season 5 of Augmented Ops! Natan and Erik look back and share their biggest takeaways from conversations with CEOs, frontline engineers, and operations leaders. They unpack marketing hype vs. the current state of AI on the shop floor, the rise of citizen developers, and why “digital transformation” needs a serious rebrand. They also dive deep into the demise of...

This week’s guest is Bob Buhlmann , Head of Quality Digital and Computer Strategy at AstraZeneca. Bob shares how technology has evolved over the course of his 35+ years in the pharma industry, the hurdles pharma companies often face when adopting emerging technology, and the future of quality management. He also takes a deep dive into validation, the challenges associated with validating software...

This week’s guests are Ryan Infantozi of VEKA, Esmeralda Gonzalez of Stanley Black & Decker, and Cuyler Monahan of Agility EMS. The three represent a new generation of frontline engineers—dedicated shop floor problem solvers applying digital technology to tackle the diverse set of challenges each of their operations face on a daily basis. The three share best practices and lessons learned on t...

This week’s guest is Jim Fox , SVP of Americas Supply Operations at AstraZeneca. Jim explains how digital manufacturing in pharma has evolved over his nearly 3 decades in the industry, from basic automation and data collection to advanced predictive modeling and integrated digital ecosystems—and why having humans in-the-loop continues to be critical despite these advancements in autonomy. He also...

This week’s guest is Joel Fidalgo , CIO of NextPharma. Joel shares how NextPharma is bridging IT and operations to lead digital transformation across a decentralized CDMO network, and taking a modular, app-based approach to MES and eBR. He also explores the changing role of the CIO in driving innovation on the shop floor, the importance of cross-functional collaboration, and the challenges of scal...

This week, Natan Linder , Co-Founder and CEO of Tulip sits down with Madilynn Castillo , Tulip’s CMO for a recap of their experiences at this year’s Hannover Messe—the world’s largest industrial trade fair. They explore the overwhelming AI hype at the fair, the confusion it creates for manufacturers, and the persistent gap between marketing and real operational impact when it comes to these shiny...