In this electrifying episode, host Bo Kemp sits down with Dr. Francis Wang, former Chair of Nano Graf, a Graf’s silicon oxide anode manufacturer, to explore the unseen but essential force powering our technological future: energy storage. With a career rooted in battery chemistry, advanced materials, and manufacturing innovation, Dr. Wang shares his journey from the lab bench to the executive suite — and what it means to build at the frontier of science and entrepreneurship in Illinois and beyond. Together, they unpack Dr. Wang’s early fascination with battery technology and how it became the foundation for his scientific and entrepreneurial legacy, why Nano Graf’s silicon oxide anode technology is a game-changer in improving battery performance, longevity, and charging speeds, how energy storage is the invisible infrastructure enabling industries like AI, quantum computing, and robotics — and why future progress depends on the next wave of battery breakthroughs, a look at Illinois’ competitive edge in clean energy and manufacturing, from talent pipelines to research institutions, and how regional ecosystems can lead global innovation, the challenges and insights from bridging the gap between deep research and commercialization and what it really takes to bring breakthrough science to market, and Dr. Wang’s long-term vision: a world where energy technology underpins more equitable, sustainable, and intelligent systems — and where the next generation of innovators are empowered to lead. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, scientist, policymaker, or investor, this conversation offers a rare inside look at the forces shaping tomorrow’s economy — and the people building it behind the scenes.