311. Prologue: Brad Luttrell on Learnings from Shutting Down GoWild and Starting Again

In this episode, we sit down with Wes Keltner, founder & CEO of Gun Interactive, to unpack how his Lexington-grown studio turned cult-classic horror IPs like Friday the 13th and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre into viral, multiplayer blockbusters. Wes walks us through his “make fear fun” philosophy, his jouney from Second Life storefronts to server-melting game launches, and how a network of Kentucky investors helped build a global horror-gaming powerhouse from Lexington.Expect to learn why asymmetrical multiplayer makes horror so addictive, how Gun mixes Hollywood partnerships with Kickstarter-style funding to de-risk launches, what it takes to scale servers when 7x more players show up than expected, and how community-driven design keeps fans glued between updates.Middle Tech is proudly supported by:KY Innovation → kyinnovation.com

In this episode, we sit down with Valent co-founders Evan Knowles and Ryan Rudd to explore how their Lexington-based startup is transforming how teams respond to RFPs. Through a concept they call Decision Rooms, Valent empowers human teams to collaborate directly with AI agents - streamlining proposal workflows, unlocking collective intelligence, and accelerating revenue across RFP-driven industries like government contracting, IT, and engineering.Expect to learn how teams are collaborating with AI agents to win government and enterprise contracts faster, why traditional software can’t handle the complexity of RFP workflows, how Valent's “Decision Rooms” are reimagining business collaboration from the ground up, and what it takes to build a lean AI startup tackling trillion-dollar workflows - right from Lexington, KY.Check out Valent at getvalent.comMiddle Tech is proudly supported by:KY Innovation → kyinnovation.com

This episode marks Part 3 of a special mini-series - produced by Middle Tech in collaboration with the GAME Change coalition. Over the course of three episodes, we’ll explore how Kentucky and Tennessee are working to become a national hub for circular economy innovation and sustainable manufacturing. This initiative is part of a regional effort to secure a $160 million grant from the National Science Foundation’s Engines Program.Two years ago, a small group of visionaries began mapping out a bold idea: to build the U.S. innovation hub for circular economy technologies right here in the Southeast Commerce Corridor. That idea has grown into GAME Change - a 400+ member coalition of universities, national labs, policy leaders, and private industry partners reshaping the future of manufacturing in Kentucky and Tennessee.Middle Tech has been closely embedded in this journey from the start, documenting key moments, stakeholder voices, and the growing momentum behind a new vision for regional economic developmentGAME Change Website: https://gamechangeengine.org/NSF Regional Innovation Engines Program: https://www.nsf.gov/funding/initiativ...Attend GAME Change's 5th summit on September 17, 2025 at Lexmark International, Lexington, KY

This episode marks Part 2 of a special mini-series - produced by Middle Tech in collaboration with the GAME Change coalition. Over the course of three episodes, we’ll explore how Kentucky and Tennessee are working to become a national hub for circular economy innovation and sustainable manufacturing. This initiative is part of a regional effort to secure a $160 million grant from the National Science Foundation’s Engines Program.Two years ago, a small group of visionaries began mapping out a bold idea: to build the U.S. innovation hub for circular economy technologies right here in the Southeast Commerce Corridor. That idea has grown into GAME Change - a 400+ member coalition of universities, national labs, policy leaders, and private industry partners reshaping the future of manufacturing in Kentucky and Tennessee.Middle Tech has been closely embedded in this journey from the start, documenting key moments, stakeholder voices, and the growing momentum behind a new vision for regional economic developmentGAME Change Website: https://gamechangeengine.org/NSF Regional Innovation Engines Program: https://www.nsf.gov/funding/initiativ...Attend GAME Change's 5th summit on September 17, 2025 at Lexmark International, Lexington, KY

Lepidext is a Lexington-based biotech company developing a natural, non-chemical solution to control one of agriculture’s most damaging pests - the corn earworm. Founded by Dr. Bruce Webb, a University of Kentucky professor emeritus and virus researcher, Lepidext uses a modified virus to sterilize pest populations without harming the environment.The technology originated from research into a major equine reproductive crisis in Kentucky and evolved into a scalable product with the potential to replace traditional pesticides in the field. With a regulatory decision pending from the EPA, Lepidext is preparing for commercial rollout with a focus on farmer partnerships and sustainable impact.In this episode, Bruce and research scientist Dr. Mary Wallace share the journey from university research to ag-tech startup, the science behind their approach, and what’s next for Lepidext as they bring biological pest control to market.Expect to learn how a virus discovered in nature became the foundation for a new kind of pest management, what the EPA approval process really looks like, and why timing, team structure, and field trials matter when scaling a startup in agriculture.Middle Tech is proudly supported by:KY Innovation → kyinnovation.com

This episode marks Part 1 of a special mini-series - produced by Middle Tech in collaboration with the GAME Change coalition. Over the course of three episodes, we’ll explore how Kentucky and Tennessee are working to become a national hub for circular economy innovation and sustainable manufacturing. This initiative is part of a regional effort to secure a $160 million grant from the National Science Foundation’s Engines Program.Two years ago, a small group of visionaries began mapping out a bold idea: to build the U.S. innovation hub for circular economy technologies right here in the Southeast Commerce Corridor. That idea has grown into GAME Change - a 400+ member coalition of universities, national labs, policy leaders, and private industry partners reshaping the future of manufacturing in Kentucky and Tennessee.Middle Tech has been closely embedded in this journey from the start, documenting key moments, stakeholder voices, and the growing momentum behind a new vision for regional economic developmentGAME Change WebsiteNSF Regional Innovation Engines ProgramAttend GAME Change's 5th summit on September 17, 2025 at Lexmark International, Lexington, KY

Silas Deane is a founder, serial entrepreneur, and University of Kentucky graduate who bootstrapped his company, VendEngine, from a back-of-the-napkin idea to an $84 million exit. VendEngine serves correctional facilities, providing a solution that transforms how families support incarcerated loved ones. With no outside funding, Silas grew the company steadily over 12 years, leading to an $84 million acquisition by Tyler Technologies. His accomplishments recently earned him a place in UK's Gatton College of Business and Economics Hall of Fame, a recognition of his successes since his time at UK.In this episode, Silas shares how he navigated the Dot-Com boom and bust, the challenges of bootstrapping a tech company, and the strategies he used to scale VendEngine in a complex industry. Expect to learn how Silas approached building technology solutions for underserved markets, why he never raised capital for the business, and what advice he has for entrepreneurs looking to grow without outside capital.Middle Tech is proudly supported by:KY Innovation → kyinnovation.com

Nick Touran is a nuclear engineer, educator, and advocate who spent nearly 16 years designing advanced reactors at TerraPower and building one of the most trusted resources in nuclear education, WhatIsNuclear.com. Now, he’s on a mission to help America rethink its relationship with nuclear energy - and its future.What would it take for nuclear to fuel America's next era of innovation? Why did we fall behind - and can we catch up before it's too late?Expect to learn why Nick believes a nuclear renaissance is critical for the U.S., how China’s aggressive investment in nuclear is reshaping global energy leadership, the biggest myths still holding nuclear back, the reality behind nuclear waste and radiation fears, and why advanced reactor designs could change everything.Middle Tech is proudly supported by:KY Innovation → kyinnovation.com

In this episode, we’re joined by Courtland Leer, co-founder of Plastic Labs, to explore how AI can be made more personal, contextual, and aligned to individual users. Courtland walks us through his team’s mission to “decentralize alignment” and build agents that don’t just process inputs - they understand who you are.We dive into:- The philosophy and tech behind Honcho, a natural language memory layer for AI apps.- Why post-training alignment is more scalable and flexible than pre-training.- How synthetic identity lets agents model users more accurately.- The link between education and AI—and how Courtland’s background as a teacher shapes his thinking.- A wild story about meme coins, agent grants, and AI agents with crypto wallets.This one goes deep on AI, identity, education, and the frontier of decentralized tech. If you’re building in the AI space or thinking about the future of human-agent collaboration, don’t miss it.

Brad Luttrell is a founder and storyteller who recently made the difficult decision to shut down his company, GoWild. Now, he’s building again—with more focus and experience behind his new company, Prologue.What actually happens when a startup fails? How do founders know when it’s time to pull the plug—and what comes next?Expect to learn how Brad came to the decision to shut down GoWild, what it felt like to have not one, but two 8-figure acquisition offers fall through, the lessons he’s carrying into Prologue, how he approached fundraising differently the second time around, and why starting again doesn’t mean starting from scratch.📲 Follow us on social: ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠TikTokMiddle Tech is proudly supported by:KY Innovation → kyinnovation.com