325 | Paducah’s Nuclear Revival: Global Laser Enrichment CEO Steve Long on America’s Energy Future

Steve Long is the CEO of Global Laser Enrichment (GLE) - a company bringing a multi-billion-dollar nuclear fuel facility to Paducah, Kentucky, marking one of the most significant energy investments in the state’s history. In this episode, we sit down with Steve to understand how GLE’s laser enrichment technology could reshape the U.S. nuclear supply chain and what it means for Kentucky’s evolving role in the energy economy.We discuss how the project builds on Paducah’s long history in uranium enrichment, how laser enrichment can convert legacy materials into usable fuel, and why reliable, carbon-free power is becoming increasingly important in the age of AI and advanced manufacturing. Steve also shares how the project could create new opportunities for Kentucky’s workforce and support long-term innovation in U.S. energy.Middle Tech is proudly supported by:KY Innovation → kyinnovation.comAwesome Inc → awesomeinc.org

In this episode, we sit down with Cameron Lippert, co-founder of ElectraMet, and Chris Young, President of Bluegrass Angels, to explore how a hard-tech startup spun out of university research is solving one of industry’s biggest challenges: removing metals and oxidants from wastewater. By turning costly waste streams into valuable resources, ElectraMet is helping critical sectors like semiconductors, mining, battery recycling, and defense.Expect to learn how university research in Kentucky sparked the idea that became ElectraMet, why early investors and mentors were crucial to navigating commercialization, how the team pivoted from desalination to metals recovery, and why ElectraMet’s journey is a blueprint for the type of circular economy manufacturing that the GAME Change initiative aims to grow.Middle Tech is proudly supported by:KY Innovation → kyinnovation.comAwesome Inc → awesomeinc.org

Tim Rausch is the soon-to-be-retired Chief Nuclear Officer for the Tennessee Valley Authority - the utility responsible for providing power to homes and businesses across the Tennessee Valley. In this episode, we sit down with Tim to explore the future of nuclear energy, TVA’s role in advancing next-generation reactor technologies, and what it looks like to build a long-term career in one of the country’s most critical industries.This episode goes beyond a single interview. Middle Tech was invited for a rare behind-the-scenes tour of TVA’s Sequoyah Nuclear Plant, led by Fire Marshal Jake Carroll. Alongside Alex Mercer of Able Construction, we explored the control room, turbine deck, and cooling towers, capturing audio along the way to give you an immersive look inside one of the nation’s largest sources of carbon-free power.We cover the surging demand for energy driven by AI and advanced manufacturing, why TVA believes in a diverse energy portfolio, how the Southeast is becoming a hub for innovation in energy production, and what makes nuclear energy so uniquely safe, scalable, and essential to America’s future.Also - we'd recommend watching this one on YouTube so you can see the actual facility in action.Chapters:02:33 - Intro06:14 - Interview with Tim38:56 - Nuclear Plant Tour44:02 - Turbine Room48:18 - Cooling Towers51:21 - Control Room01:03:14 - Final ThoughtsMiddle Tech is proudly supported by:KY Innovation → kyinnovation.comAwesome Inc → awesomeinc.org

In this episode, we sit down with Eric Hauck, founder and CEO of Parasight Systems, to explore how a biotech hardware startup based in Lexington is solving one of veterinary medicine’s most overlooked problems: parasite resistance caused by overmedication. From pasture animals to household pets, Parasight is building AI-powered diagnostic machines that make fecal testing easy, accurate, and accessible—replacing outdated lab work with push-button automation.Expect to learn how SBIR matching grants brought Hauck to Kentucky and helped launch a scalable biotech business, why animal diagnostics is a $100B opportunity growing 8% annually, how Parasight uses 3D printing and machine learning to rapidly iterate and improve its hardware, and why Lexington's mix of research, funding, and quality of life makes it a rising hub for hard tech innovation.Middle Tech is proudly supported by:KY Innovation → kyinnovation.comAwesome Inc → awesomeinc.orgDon't miss Awesome Inc's September 5 Across → ⁠⁠⁠Free Ticket for Middle Tech listeners

In this episode, we sit down with Raechele Smalls, Director of Invest Blue, and Eric Hartman, Senior Associate Director at UK Innovate, to explore how Invest Blue is building a mission-driven community of angel investors dedicated to backing Kentucky startups. Through a founder-friendly syndicate model, Invest Blue is making early-stage investing more accessible—connecting small checks with big ideas to fuel innovation across the Commonwealth.Expect to learn why the real barrier to capital isn’t money but know-how and networks, how Invest Blue is helping first-time investors deploy smart capital alongside experienced operators, what role the University of Kentucky plays in commercializing deep tech and attracting follow-on funding, and how this syndicate is creating a pipeline of future fund managers, super angels, and ecosystem builders—all rooted in Kentucky.🎙 Hosted by Logan JonesChapters:02:31 – Addressing the Capital Allocation Problem05:11 – Rochelle's Journey in Venture Capital12:55 – Eric's Background and Role at UK Innovate17:43 – The Mission and Vision of Invest Blue22:22 – UK's Involvement and Ecosystem Impact26:56 – Crowdsourcing Talent for Kentucky Startups27:26 – Criteria for Founders and Investors at Invest Blue31:00 – The Role of Accredited Investors38:09 – Collaborating with Other Investment Groups41:45 – The Macro Impact of Angel Investing48:07 – How to Get Involved with Invest BlueMiddle Tech is proudly supported by:KY Innovation → kyinnovation.comAwesome Inc → awesomeinc.orgDon't miss Awesome Inc's September 5 Across → ⁠⁠Free Ticket for Middle Tech listeners

Justin Maierhofer is the Senior Vice President of Government Relations at the Tennessee Valley Authority and serves as TVA’s representative on the newly formed Kentucky Nuclear Energy Development Authority. With more than two decades of experience in public power and federal energy policy, he’s helping lead TVA through a landmark moment: becoming the first U.S. utility to advance a small modular reactor (SMR) construction permit through the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s initial review phase.What does this milestone mean for America’s energy future? Why are SMRs such a big deal - and why now? And how does Kentucky fit into this next-generation nuclear conversation?Expect to learn why TVA’s Clinch River SMR project is seen as a blueprint for clean, scalable baseload power, how AI and data centers are reshaping electricity demand, the opportunity Kentucky has to repurpose coal infrastructure for nuclear, what the newly established Kentucky Nuclear Energy Development Authority is working on, and how public-private partnerships are driving this new energy era forward.If you'd like to stay up to date on all things Middle Tech subscribe to our newsletter at middletech.beehiiv.com.🎙 Hosted by Logan Jones00:20 - Intro03:04 - Discussion on TVA's Nuclear Energy Initiatives05:23 - Background of TVA and Its Mission12:46 - Justin's Career Path and Experience17:12 - Kentucky Nuclear Energy Development Authority20:33 - Potential of Repurposing Coal Plant Sites27:17 - Future of Energy Demand and AI28:31 - Clinch River SMR Project Details37:06 - Public vs. Private Nuclear Energy Initiatives41:17 - Future Vision for Energy Production44:16 - Conclusion and Final Thoughts—Middle Tech is proudly supported by:KY Innovation → kyinnovation.comAwesome Inc → awesomeinc.orgDon't miss Awesome Inc's September 5 Across → ⁠Free Ticket for Middle Tech listeners

In this special live recording from our Lexington AI Meetup, we sit down with Steve Crossan, a founding member of Google DeepMind’s AlphaFold team and former Google product leader. Steve helped launch groundbreaking AI research as part of the team that built AlphaFold, the model that cracked one of biology’s grand challenges.AlphaFold can predict a protein’s 3D structure using only its amino acid sequence - a task that once took scientists months or years now completed in minutes. With the release of AlphaFold 3, the model now maps not just proteins, but how they interact with DNA, RNA, drugs, and antibodies - a huge leap for drug discovery and synthetic biology.Steve breaks down the origin story of AlphaFold, the future of AI-powered science, and what’s next for healthcare, drug development, and beyond. A special thank you to Brent Seales and Randall Stevens for helping us coordinate Steve's talk during his visit in Lexington!If you'd like to stay up to date about upcoming Middle Tech events, subscribe to our newsletter at middletech.beehiiv.com.🎙 Hosted by Logan Jones & Evan Knowles00:00 – Welcome & meetup context 04:15 – Steve’s journey from Google to DeepMind & AlphaFold birth 15:24 – Hackathon origin story & early experiments 20:10 – Accuracy breakthroughs & “contact distance” insight 25:48 – AlphaFold 3, docking, and drug-design potential 30:30 – Preventative medicine & the doctor-in-your-pocket vision 39:00 – Democratizing AI: open source and startup opportunities 51:25 – Audience Q&A on data bottlenecks & engineering culture —Middle Tech is proudly supported by:KY Innovation → kyinnovation.comAwesome Inc → awesomeinc.orgDon't miss Awesome Inc's September 5 Across → Free Ticket for Middle Tech listeners

What happens when Cincinnati’s first nine-figure startup exit gets reinvested into the region’s next big opportunity?In this episode, we’re joined by Adam Koehler, the Covington-based entrepreneur behind Content Credits. After being part of the Dotloop exit to Zillow for $108 million in 2015, Adam didn’t head for the coast. Instead, he reinvested his capital into Northern Kentucky, launching Content Credits to tackle one of publishing’s most pressing issues: the paywall.Content Credits gives readers an alternative to subscriptions by letting them pay $0.25 to unlock a single article, helping publishers capture revenue from audiences they’re currently turning away.We cover how Dotloop was built during the housing crash, what it was like selling to Zillow, how Content Credits is addressing broken media monetization models, and the role that large exits play in building a regional “startup flywheel”.Timestamps:00:00 – Adam’s early design career02:00 – Building Dotloop during the housing crisis06:30 – Selling Dotloop to Zillow for $108M10:30 – Reinvesting in Northern Kentucky real estate and startups12:00 – Why media is ready for disruption14:00 – How Content Credits micropayments work20:00 – Gamifying reader engagement through social layers25:00 – Raising capital with KY Innovation & Keyhorse28:00 – Thoughts on Kentucky’s startup ecosystem🎙 Hosted by Logan Jones🌐 Visit contentcredits.com—Middle Tech is proudly supported by:KY Innovation → kyinnovation.comAwesome Inc → awesomeinc.org

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