Middle Tech

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...

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 Nash...

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 entrepreneurshi...

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 managem...

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 co...

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 continu...

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 clos...

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 insi...

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 t...

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 gro...

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 compa...

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 re...

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 M...

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 ep...

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 Inst...

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 buildi...

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 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...

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.  Visit AppHarvest at appharvest.com Visit us at middletechpod.com...

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.  Visit us at middletechpod.com Watch t...

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 partners...

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 l...

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 transpar...

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 ill...

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. Visit us at middletechpod.com Watch the episode on YouTube Twitter Instagram Facebook LinkedIn Evan's Twitter Logan's Twitter