326 | Bourbon Meets Biotech: How Brandon Corace and Meridian Biotech Turn Stillage into Sustainable Products

In February 2021, Winter Storm Uri plunged Texas into darkness, exposing the fragility of the modern American grid. For Will Howard, it was a call to action.In this episode, Will joins us to discuss his journey from data science to the forefront of the nuclear renaissance as a Project Developer for Elementl Power. He explains how Elementl is pioneering a new "developer model" for the industry, acting as the "quarterback" to secure land, navigate regulations, and de-risk projects for major buyers.The conversation covers Elementl’s partnership with Google to power AI data centers, the concept of "Energy Realism," and why the "Iron Law of Power" means reliability will always win. Will also breaks down the Texas model for nuclear advocacy and outlines the massive opportunity for Kentucky to leverage its industrial legacy in this new atomic age.Hosted by Logan JonesMiddle Tech is proudly supported by:KY Innovation → kyinnovation.comAwesome Inc → awesomeinc.org

A new digital marketplace is modernizing how bourbon barrels are bought, sold, and valued across Kentucky’s signature industry.In this episode, Hogshead co-founder and CEO Chris Wiedmar joins us to share how his company is bringing transparency and technology to the bourbon supply chain - transforming a relationship-driven trade into a data-driven market.From his early experience launching the NFT-powered brand Party Horses to building a two-sided platform used by distilleries, brokers, and investors, Chris explains how Hogshead is helping the industry adapt to a world where barrels are not just aging whiskey, but appreciating assets.The conversation explores how Hogshead is positioning Kentucky at the center of a global market for barrel-aged spirits - connecting tradition, technology, and entrepreneurship in one of the state’s most iconic sectors.Hosted by Logan JonesMiddle Tech is proudly supported by:KY Innovation → kyinnovation.comAwesome Inc → awesomeinc.org

A $40 million partnership with Buffalo Trace is giving new life to one of bourbon’s biggest byproducts: stillage.In this episode, Meridian Biotech founder Brandon Corace joins us to share how his company is transforming distillery waste into sustainable products that fuel industries like aquaculture, pet food, and fertilizer. From winning a “reverse pitch” competition with the Governor’s Office to relocating from Austin to Lexington, Brandon’s story shows how innovation, biotech, and Kentucky’s bourbon heritage are coming together to create the state’s next major industry.Hosted by Logan JonesMiddle Tech is proudly supported by:KY Innovation → kyinnovation.comAwesome Inc → awesomeinc.org

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