The C-List Podcast - Episode 3 Overview

Guest: Matthew Chang, Founder of Chang Robotics | Engineering Company in Jacksonville Beach, FL 

About: This episode features Matthew Chang as he shares the journey of building one of the leading autonomous robotics companies in the U.S. He discusses breakthrough projects, the future of tech in Jacksonville, FL, and how his venture capital efforts will help shape the next generation of startups and innovation in the community. 

00:00 – 01:30 | Introduction 

Overview of the episode with Matthew Chang and how his idea for Chang Robotics came to life. 

 01:45 – 06:15| What Does Chang Robotics Do?

Matthew shares the history of Chang Robotics, how it started in 2017, the projects they have worked on and his vision for their growth.

06:20 – 9:50 | Why Robotics

Jen and Arash dive into why Matthew started a robotics company and the autonomous projects that Chang Robotics has been working on such as building the first autonomous coffee factory and working on an exciting city project with an autonomous fixed-route service in Jacksonville, FL.

9:58 – 13:00 | Driverless Mass Transit Project

Matthew shares how his team beat 703 cities for this project and the work that went into winning the federal funding for it.

13:05 – 16:20 | Google X Labs Internship

Insights into how Matthew got his informal internship at Google X Labs while running his own company and the impact it had.

16:25 – 18:20 | Jacksonville as a Tech Hub

Discussion on why Chang Robotics decided to have an office in Jacksonville Beach, Fl, their robot studio at Jacksonville University, and why Matthew sees Jacksonville as the next Tech Hub.

20:20 – 25:00 | Discussion of Venture Capital, Startups, and Local Growth

Matthew breaks down how Venture Capital (VC) companies work, why Jacksonville needs more a of VC presence and why he launched a VC fund.

29:00 – 36:00 | Fund or Not Fund Game

Jen and Arash play a round of Fund or Not Fund Game with Matthew by only sharing the proposed new companies they have ideas for. 

36:00 – 41:30 | Humanoids

The group discusses the expectations, realities and limitations of humanoid robots.

41:30 – 48:20 | More on How VCs Work 

Matthew explains the company subscription strategy along with the power law models that most VCs use versus the unique approach his VC fund is taking to help grow and develop startups.

48:20 – 1:10:00 | Leadership & Engineering / Robotic Ethics

Matthew shares his “Give and Give” mantra around this VC fund, discusses his thoughts on MBAs and dives into the ethics of robotics as well as the importance and lessons learned of making sure the workforce is involved to successfully integrate robotics into the workplace. 

1:10:45 – 1:12:50 | Learnings & Wrap Up

Jen and Arash share a quick recap of their favorite learnings and insights from Matthew 

 To learn more about Matthew Chang and his company, Chang Robotics, please visit: https://www.changrobotics.ai/matthewchang. 

The C-List Podcast - Episode 2 Overview

 Guest: Andrew Rush – Co-founder of Star Catcher | Space Company in Jacksonville, FL

About: In this episode, Jen and Arash meet with Andrew Rush, Co-Founder and CEO of Star Catcher, a company based in Jacksonville, FL that is working to build the first power grid in space.

Podcast Breakdown with Timestamps

1:00 – 2:05 | Introduction
Overview of today’s episode with guest Andrew Rush.

2:14 – 5:40 | What is Star Catcher?
Andrew introduces his company, its goal of building the first power grid in space, and why space-based power remains a challenge.

5:40 – 7:40 | How does the technology work?
Explanation of how mirrors and magnifiers collect and redirect solar energy to satellites, concentrating power over long distances.

7:40 – 9:45 | Who are the competitors?
Comparison with other companies in Canada, the UK, and California working on power beaming. Star Catcher’s approach emphasizes backward compatibility to ease adoption.

9:45 – 11:00 | Where is Star Catcher in the development process?
Overview of Star Catcher’s timeline, team growth, funding, and their progress building prototypes.

11:00 – 16:39 | How does seed funding work?
Insights into raising seed funding, what investors look for, and the 200+ VC meetings Andrew and his co-founders did in a month. 

16:39 – 18:15 | What’s next for Star Catcher?
Key upcoming milestones, customer interest, and planned demonstrations.

18:15 – 21:10 | Rapid-fire word association game with Andrew
Fun and candid reactions to various space-related words and concepts.

21:10 – 24:40 | Andrew’s background and path to space entrepreneurship
From physics to patent law to space startups – how his diverse background helped him in the space industry.

25:30 – 29:44 | The commercialization of space
How the second golden age of space is transforming industries and everyday life.

29:44 – 31:40 | How do new discoveries happen in space?
Microgravity’s role in manufacturing, drug discovery, and the limitless energy from the sun.

31:40 – 33:17 | How long until space commercialization becomes mainstream?
Predictions for the next decade, moon missions, and longer-term prospects for Mars.

33:17 – 38:00 | Will we ever have flying cars?
Reflecting on past sci-fi predictions vs. today’s technological advancements.

38:00 – 40:17 | Does Andrew believe in aliens?
Personal thoughts on the possibility of extraterrestrial intelligence.

40:17 – 42:54 | Building a space business in Jacksonville
Why Jacksonville is an underrated tech hub and its advantages over traditional tech cities.

42:54 – 44:33 | COVID’s impact on tech and location flexibility
How the pandemic changed perceptions of tech startups outside Silicon Valley.

44:33 – 47:47 | Speaking at the United Nations World Space Forum
Andrew shares his experience discussing space policy and access at an international level.

49:10 – 50:33 | Preventing dystopian space scenarios
Addressing risks like space debris and orbital pollution.

50:33 – 53:00 | The role of government and policy in Star Catcher’s work
Navigating laws and regulations as part of operating in the space industry.

56:12 – 56:50 | Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs
Encouragement to share ideas, network, and embrace serendipity.

56:50 | Podcast Wrap-Up with Jen & Arash
Closing thoughts and episode summary.

Welcome to the C-List podcast! Our first episode features an insightful interview with NLP Logix's Co-Founder and CIO, Matt Berseth. Listen in as Jen and Arash get deep with Matt to learn how NLP Logix got started, the growing pains in went through, and how it continues to evolve from the past 13 years as a leading AI and Machine Learning consultant. Don't miss out on the ChatGPT rant, forecasting AI's future and more!