In this episode, Matthew Chang and Colin Russ sit down with Dr. Nahshon Nicks (Founder and President of Team Nitro MMA) to talk about building the talent pipeline that American reindustrialization actually needs, starting with the kids everyone else overlooks. 

If you care about workforce development, community, manufacturing, or the next generation of American builders, this one is for you. 

What we cover 

• How Dr. Nicks went from inner city youth who couldn't read in fifth grade to earning two PhDs, three black belts, and running an after-school program serving hundreds of kids across Jacksonville 
• Why Team Nitro uses martial arts, mentorship, and exposure to technology to build confidence, discipline, and real workforce skills 
• Students placed in the U.S. Marines, Merchant Marines, colleges, and trade programs, and what it actually took to get them there 
• Why "kids don't want to work" is the wrong diagnosis, and what's really missing in underserved communities 
• Matt's story coaching inner city robotics students at Matthew Gilbert Middle School, and what presence alone can do for kids who have none 

Chapters 

00:00 Exposure Broadens Perspective  

01:08 Meet Dr. Nahshon Nicks  

03:09 Team Nitro Mission and Method  

05:48 From Hardship to Mentorship  

11:12 Success Stories and Robotics Field Trips  

23:11 Civic Leadership and Closing Thoughts 

Guest: Dr. Nahshon Nicks, Founder and President at Team Nitro MMA 

Find Dr. Nahshon Nicks: 

https://teamnitromma.com 

https://www.instagram.com/nahshonnicks/  

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-nahshon-nicks-6610702a/  

https://x.com/NahshonNicks  

https://www.facebook.com/nahshon.lamir.nicks

Find Matthew Chang: 

https://x.com/MatthewChang 

https://www.instagram.com/the.matthewchang 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewachang/ 

https://www.tiktok.com/@the.matthewchang 

Find Colin Russ:  

https://x.com/ThaaatColin 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/colinruss/ 

Find Chang Robotics:  

https://changrobotics.ai 

https://www.linkedin.com/company/changrobotics/ 

Follow ReForge 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-reforge-podcast/  

X: https://x.com/thereforgepod  

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thereforgepod/  

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thereforgepod  

Website: https://thereforgepodcast.com/ 

Want to be a guest or partner? 

If you're building, funding, operating, or shaping the future of U.S. manufacturing, we'd love to hear from you. Email: [email protected] 

About ReForge 

ReForge is a podcast featuring conversations with the leaders reindustrializing America. This show exists to prove American reindustrial