by Chris Luecke
Welcome to Manufacturing Happy Hour, the podcast where we get real about the latest trends and technologies impacting modern manufacturers. Hosted by industry veteran Chris Luecke, each week, we interview makers, founders, and other manufacturing leaders that are at the top of their game and give you the tools, tactics, and strategies you need to take your career and your business to the next level. We go beyond the buzzwords and dissect real-life applications and success stories so that you can tackle your biggest manufacturing challenges and turn them into profitable opportunities. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
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April 15, 2025
Hosts Andy Lonsberry, CEO of Path Robotics, Nima Gard, Director of AI at Path Robotics, and Nils Root of Drive Capital discuss the Midwest's rise as a manufacturing and tech innovation hub in an interview
April 8, 2025
<p>Robotics is a cool field, no doubt about that. But what’s cooler than using it to change people’s lives?</p><p>When he was seven years old, Aadeel Akhtar met a girl in Pakistan with a missing leg. This kickstarted a fascination with helping people regain control over lost limbs and a decision that pivoted his planned career in medicine to robotics and prosthetics. </p><p>Today, he’s the CEO and Founder of PSYONIC, the company behind the world’s first touch-sensing bionic hand. He’s on a mission to make this tech as accessible as possible, and we hear about the challenges of balancing philanthropic ventures with running and scaling a business. </p><p>Host Chris Luecke gets to try out the hand remotely in this episode and talks about the different use cases of bionic tech, from helping humans to helping robots. We talk about crowdfunding, getting investment, how the hand works, and what PSYONIC is working on right now to make the Ability Hand even better.</p><p>Plus, Aadeel is our very first Shark Tank alumni, so we get to hear about the nerve-wracking behind-the-scenes story of demonstrating the Ability Hand in front of the Sharks. </p><p>In this episode, find out:</p><ul><li>What PSYONIC does to help people regain mobility and control with bionic limbs </li><li>The moment that kickstarted Aadeel’s passion for helping people with lost limbs and pivoted his planned career from medicine to robotics </li><li>The challenges of funding R&D in bionics and making the tech accessible to as many people as possible</li><li>What the early days of making prototypes and testing them out on the first patients </li><li>What made Aadeel realize he needed to go into business and production rather than just researching bionics </li><li>Why San Diego is PSYONIC’s chosen HQ and how it’s partnering with medical and biotech companies </li><li>What PSYONIC is working on now to make bionic hands feel more natural for users </li><li>Chris gets to remotely control the Ability Hand from across the country </li><li>How Aadeel is working on making the tech accessible through Medicare and the Ability Fund</li><li>Different ways Aadeel and PSYONIC have approached getting funding, from crowdfunding to venture capital to government grants </li><li>The challenge of keeping up with demand and prioritizing accessibility while running a successful business that’s focused on the mission </li><li>How PSYONIC helps both humans and robots with its tech, including NASA</li><li>The biggest tech advances that have made this possible today, including micro controllers and AI</li><li> What it’s really like being a contestant on Shark Tank and how Aadeel prepared for his pitch and eventual negotiations </li><li>Why Aadeel is optimistic that bionics is becoming a bigger industry </li></ul><br/><p><a href="http://manufacturinghappyhour.com/iTunes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here.</a> Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!</p><p>Tweetable Quotes:</p><ul><li>“We're bridging both the neurotech side with the robotic side, with AI being the connecting piece between the two.”</li><li>“We would be attaching the hand directly to your bones, muscles and nerves that are in your forearm to give them the most optimal control possible.”</li><li>“Seeing the amount of interest at the intersection of neurotech and robotics and having big investors behind it shows this is an exciting field that's up and coming.”</li></ul><br/><p>Links & mentions:</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.psyonic.io/?utm_source=show+notes&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=manufacturing+happy+hour" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">PSYONIC</a>, supercharging humans and robots with advanced capabilities, including the world’s first touch-sensing bionic hand</li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saQV4F-rJz8" rel="noopener noreferrer"...
April 1, 2025
<p>We’ve been on tour for the past couple of months, recording live episodes in some of the manufacturing hot spots around the country. Indiana is our current stop, where Guggman Haus Brewing hosted us for an episode all about innovation, technology, culture, and, of course, Indiana’s manufacturing prowess. </p><p>Manufacturing makes up a huge portion of Indiana’s economy and culture, so we look behind the scenes at what the state is getting right to make it a manufacturing hub. </p><p>We welcomed Noel Hopkins, the Principal of Digital Growth at CliftonLarsonAllen and digital transformation expert, joins along with self-titled “private equity mercenary” Steve Martin, who sits on the board at Elevate Ventures. We also welcomed Kathy Miller, President and Co-Founder of YK2020 and OPSisters, plus co-author of the book Steel Toes and Stilettos.</p><p>Noel, Steve, and Kathy share their takes on local manufacturing and how it’s adapting to the rapid evolution of tech like AI. But it’s not just tech that’s shaping the industry. We also explore the human element of manufacturing and why we need leaders who are open to change and growth (even if it means making some mistakes along the way). </p><p>In this episode, find out:</p><ul><li>What can manufacturers learn from Indiana</li><li>The role of digital transformation in manufacturing and the best ways to implement it </li><li>Why leadership is key to driving transformation and the top characteristics good leaders need </li><li>The challenges facing Indiana’s manufacturing industry from a private equity viewpoint </li><li>Why you should always look at the problems facing your organization first, then find tech to solve it (not the other way around)</li><li>Why fewer companies are using tech for the sake of it and are becoming more intentional</li><li>Lessons learned from past experiences and why manufacturing is all about the people </li><li>Areas where technology is making the most difference and how it impacts the people working with it </li><li>How to build scale and transferability within organizations with the three Ps – people, planning, process </li><li>The importance of having a vision and the ability to execute on it and why leaders are central to this </li><li>Why hesitancy is the most dangerous thing manufacturers could do right now </li><li>Innovation’s impact on psychological safety in the workplace, plus why we need to be open to making mistakes </li></ul><br/><p><a href="http://manufacturinghappyhour.com/iTunes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here.</a> Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!</p><p>Tweetable Quotes:</p><ul><li> ”If we create a culture that basically penalizes thinking, then we're never going to get any new ideas.” – Steve Martin</li><li>“ I think the most dangerous thing manufacturers could do right now is pause or wait, or be overly cautious and risk falling way, way behind.” – Noel Hopkins</li><li>“No matter what technology we're working with, what inventions, manufacturing is about people. And so, we can't lose sight of that.” – Kathy Miller</li></ul><br/><p>Links & mentions:</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.claconnect.com/en/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen)</a>, an advisory, audit, tax and consulting firm</li><li><a href="https://www.claconnect.com/en/resources/blogs/manufacturing/industry-trends-lessons-learned-from-florida-manufacturing-days" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Industry Trends: Lessons Learned from Florida Manufacturing Days</a></li><li><a href="https://guggmanhausbrewing.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Guggman Haus Brewing</a>, a family-owned microbrewery and coffee Haus in the northwest side of downtown Indianapolis</li><li><a href="https://elevateventures.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Elevate Ventures</a>, an
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