This week we sit down with Ben Kellie, CEO & co-founder of Applied Atomics, and formerly a lead engineer at SpaceX.

Ben believes something simple and profound: energy is the single biggest unlock for humanity.

If we solve clean, stable, abundant power, we can unleash progress in food, housing, manufacturing, materials science – even the technologies we haven’t invented yet.

Applied Atomics is building that future through small nuclear reactors, combining proven engineering with a level of execution discipline Ben honed during his years landing rockets at SpaceX.

But this conversation goes far beyond nuclear.

• We talk about:
• Why energy scarcity is the bottleneck to global progress
• How small reactors can strengthen local communitie
• The reality of burnout – and what SpaceX taught Ben about limits, purpose and resilience
• The myth vs. the truth of “genius CEOs,” and why companies are built by teams, not figureheads
• How to recognise when you’re doing your “greatest work” – and the courage to trust your intuition

This is a conversation about energy, but also about meaning, ambition and the art of navigating a life you actually want to live.

Check out Applied Atomics:

https://www.applied-atomics.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/applied-atomics/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/benkellie/

More on Basis:

https://www.buildbasis.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@BasisCapital https://www.linkedin.com/company/basiscapitalltd/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/harrietsgreen