エピソード

  • #77: Manufacturing's Future: Why Automation Is No Longer Optional for U.S. Plants
    2026/06/16

    Send us Fan Mail

    Welcome to Factory of the Future, E77, Manufacturing's Future: Why Automation Is No Longer Optional for U.S. Plants

    Join us as we discuss:

    - Why AI data centers may head to orbit—SpaceX's solar-powered data center test and the Anthropic–SpaceX partnership

    - The energy and supply chain squeeze: storage challenges, reshoring momentum, and continued reliance on Chinese minerals for semiconductors and batteries

    - Automation as a mandate, not a choice—how labor shortages will force U.S. manufacturers to act, and why leaders should prepare now

    - The workforce pivot: certification in automated manufacturing systems as a smarter bet than the traditional four-year degree

    And so much more.


    Register Now for our Upcoming Industry 4.0 Workshop - Spots are limited!

    Connect with A.W. Schultz

    Email: aw@awschultz.org

    Personal Website: https://www.awschultz.org/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/awschultz/

    Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@awschultz_Industry5.0/featured

    X: https://twitter.com/visual_controls

    A.W’s Ted Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKcBb6hGFjk


    Connect with Alexandria Burek
    Cell Phone: 708-262-2648

    Email: alexandria@vigorinvestments.co

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandriaburek1992

    Instagram: @unapologeticallyalexandria

    Threads: @unapologeticallyalexandria


    続きを読む 一部表示
    22 分
  • #76: How COVID, Reshoring & AI Reshaped U.S. Manufacturing in the 2020s
    2026/06/09

    Send us Fan Mail

    Welcome to Factory of the Future, E76, How COVID, Reshoring & AI Reshaped U.S. Manufacturing in the 2020s

    Join us as we discuss:

    - How COVID-19 exposed supply chain vulnerabilities and triggered a reshoring surge—roughly 360,000 jobs returned to the U.S. by 2022, a 53% jump

    - On-the-ground pandemic realities: safety protocols inside plants, plus the personal cost and professional growth that came with working through COVID

    - AI's transformative pull on the factory floor—25% of manufacturers eyeing adoption, and the shift from generative to agentic AI

    - The workforce question: which jobs AI disrupts (from low-skill service to white-collar legal work) and why partnering with AI is the path forward

    And so much more.


    Register Now for our Upcoming Industry 4.0 Workshop - Spots are limited!

    Connect with A.W. Schultz

    Email: aw@awschultz.org

    Personal Website: https://www.awschultz.org/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/awschultz/

    Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@awschultz_Industry5.0/featured

    X: https://twitter.com/visual_controls

    A.W’s Ted Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKcBb6hGFjk


    Connect with Alexandria Burek
    Cell Phone: 708-262-2648

    Email: alexandria@vigorinvestments.co

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandriaburek1992

    Instagram: @unapologeticallyalexandria

    Threads: @unapologeticallyalexandria


    続きを読む 一部表示
    22 分
  • **Special Guests** #75: From Food Truck to Robot Barista: How P!ng's Founders Are Automating the Coffee Drive-Through
    2026/06/02

    Send us Fan Mail

    Welcome to Factory of the Future, E75, From Food Truck to Robot Barista: How P!ng's Founders Are Automating the Coffee Drive-Through

    Join us as we discuss:

    - From iRobot and Amazon Robotics to a food truck rush: how Rob's operator experience exposed the drive-thru bottlenecks p!ng now solves

    - Hub-and-spoke model: central kitchens serving multiple pods, plus the Cometeer flash-frozen coffee partnership

    - Infrastructure and scaling realities—power, water, solar potential, zoning hurdles, and the emerging franchise pipeline

    And so much more.


    Get in touch with our guest: pingthrou.com


    Register Now for our Upcoming Industry 4.0 Workshop - Spots are limited!

    Connect with A.W. Schultz

    Email: aw@awschultz.org

    Personal Website: https://www.awschultz.org/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/awschultz/

    Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@awschultz_Industry5.0/featured

    X: https://twitter.com/visual_controls

    A.W’s Ted Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKcBb6hGFjk


    Connect with Alexandria Burek
    Cell Phone: 708-262-2648

    Email: alexandria@vigorinvestments.co

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandriaburek1992

    Instagram: @unapologeticallyalexandria

    Threads: @unapologeticallyalexandria


    続きを読む 一部表示
    33 分
  • **Special Guest** #74: Grid-Scale Battery Storage: Inside Inlyte Energy's Iron-Sodium Tech
    2026/05/27

    Send us Fan Mail

    Welcome to Factory of the Future, E74, Grid-Scale Battery Storage: Inside Inlyte Energy's Iron-Sodium Tech

    Join us as we discuss:

    - Antonio's path from Stanford's Chueh Group and the Activate Fellowship to launching a utility-scale battery company

    - How Inlyte's iron-sodium battery uses a ceramic membrane and abundant materials like iron powder and table salt to deliver safer, cheaper grid storage than lithium-ion

    - The manufacturing differences between iron-sodium and lithium-ion batteries — and why Inlyte is building a U.S.-based, non-Chinese supply chain with New Mexico as a leading site

    - Real-world applications replacing diesel generators for backup power at hospitals and data centers, with major wins on cost and footprint

    And so much more.


    Get in touch with our guest: antonio@inlyteenergy.com


    Register Now for our Upcoming Industry 4.0 Workshop - Spots are limited!

    Connect with A.W. Schultz

    Email: aw@awschultz.org

    Personal Website: https://www.awschultz.org/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/awschultz/

    Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@awschultz_Industry5.0/featured

    X: https://twitter.com/visual_controls

    A.W’s Ted Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKcBb6hGFjk


    Connect with Alexandria Burek
    Cell Phone: 708-262-2648

    Email: alexandria@vigorinvestments.co

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandriaburek1992

    Instagram: @unapologeticallyalexandria

    Threads: @unapologeticallyalexandria


    続きを読む 一部表示
    35 分
  • #73: Reinventing the Safe: Oscar Hedaya on Building Smart Security with The Space Safe
    2026/05/19

    Send us Fan Mail

    Welcome to Factory of the Future, E73, Reinventing the Safe: Oscar Hedaya on Building Smart Security with The Space Safe

    Join us as we discuss:

    - Oscar's "aha moment": why he set out to modernize a product category that hadn't meaningfully evolved in 30 years, and how The Space Safe combines touchscreens, cameras, and connected software

    - Inside the build: manufacturing partnerships in Asia, quality control measures, and protecting innovation through utility patents and copyrighted code

    - Go-to-market strategy: starting with consumers, then retail, then enterprise — including how the notification system can prevent hotel burglaries and open dual-revenue opportunities

    - Founder lessons: surrounding yourself with supportive people, using AI tools for market research, and the wild story of being stranded in a Middle East war zone


    And so much more.


    Get in touch with our guest:
    oscar@thespacesafe.com

    Register Now for our Upcoming Industry 4.0 Workshop - Spots are limited!

    Connect with A.W. Schultz

    Email: aw@awschultz.org

    Personal Website: https://www.awschultz.org/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/awschultz/

    Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@awschultz_Industry5.0/featured

    X: https://twitter.com/visual_controls

    A.W’s Ted Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKcBb6hGFjk


    Connect with Alexandria Burek
    Cell Phone: 708-262-2648

    Email: alexandria@vigorinvestments.co

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandriaburek1992

    Instagram: @unapologeticallyalexandria

    Threads: @unapologeticallyalexandria


    続きを読む 一部表示
    45 分
  • **Special Guest** #72: Leading with Character Across Cultures: Björn Vikard on Global Manufacturing Spanning 12 Countries
    2026/05/13

    Send us Fan Mail

    Welcome to Factory of the Future, E72, Leading with Character Across Cultures: Björn Vikard on Global Manufacturing Spanning 12 Countries

    Join us as we discuss:

    - Managing unionized operations in India

    - Stories of how Björn advocates for women in manufacturing

    - Building an industrial park in Sri Lanka from scratch

    - The importance of self-awareness and listening skills required for effective leadership

    And so much more.


    Register Now for our Upcoming Industry 4.0 Workshop - Spots are limited!

    Connect with A.W. Schultz

    Email: aw@awschultz.org

    Personal Website: https://www.awschultz.org/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/awschultz/

    Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@awschultz_Industry5.0/featured

    X: https://twitter.com/visual_controls

    A.W’s Ted Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKcBb6hGFjk


    Connect with Alexandria Burek
    Cell Phone: 708-262-2648

    Email: alexandria@vigorinvestments.co

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandriaburek1992

    Instagram: @unapologeticallyalexandria

    Threads: @unapologeticallyalexandria


    続きを読む 一部表示
    55 分
  • #71: Unionization Crossroads: Ethical Leadership in Manufacturing
    2026/05/05

    Send us Fan Mail

    Welcome to Factory of the Future, E71, Unionization Crossroads: Ethical Leadership in Manufacturing

    Join us as we discuss:

    - Core tension between operational efficiency and protecting workers’ safety and rights

    - Two extreme approaches: actively obstructing unionization and fully embracing it

    - The “Mediated Ethical Bridge” framework with prioritization on transparency, open dialogue, and proactive workplace improvements

    - The smarter long-term play: preparing for unionization rather than fighting it

    And so much more.


    Register Now for our Upcoming Industry 4.0 Workshop - Spots are limited!

    Connect with A.W. Schultz

    Email: aw@awschultz.org

    Personal Website: https://www.awschultz.org/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/awschultz/

    Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@awschultz_Industry5.0/featured

    X: https://twitter.com/visual_controls

    A.W’s Ted Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKcBb6hGFjk


    Connect with Alexandria Burek
    Cell Phone: 708-262-2648

    Email: alexandria@vigorinvestments.co

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandriaburek1992

    Instagram: @unapologeticallyalexandria

    Threads: @unapologeticallyalexandria


    続きを読む 一部表示
    20 分
  • **Special Guest** #70: Building the Future: Advanced Manufacturing, Workforce, and Tech with Bryce Carpenter
    2026/04/28

    Send us Fan Mail

    Welcome to Factory of the Future, E70, Building the Future: Advanced Manufacturing, Workforce, and Tech with Bryce Carpenter

    Join us as we discuss:

    - Advanced Manufacturing in Indiana

    - Education and workforce development challenges and solutions

    - The positive impact of technology adoption on workforce growth and wages

    - The evolution of manufacturing roles alongside automation

    And so much more.


    Register Now for our Upcoming Industry 4.0 Workshop - Spots are limited!

    Connect with A.W. Schultz

    Email: aw@awschultz.org

    Personal Website: https://www.awschultz.org/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/awschultz/

    Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@awschultz_Industry5.0/featured

    X: https://twitter.com/visual_controls

    A.W’s Ted Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKcBb6hGFjk


    Connect with Alexandria Burek
    Cell Phone: 708-262-2648

    Email: alexandria@vigorinvestments.co

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandriaburek1992

    Instagram: @unapologeticallyalexandria

    Threads: @unapologeticallyalexandria


    続きを読む 一部表示
    31 分