Middle Tech

Brad Luttrell is the co-founder and CEO of GoWild, a Louisville-based social commerce platform driven by a data-driven shopping experiences that makes outdoor activities easy to learn & fun to share. Since Brad first came on for ep. 85, GoWild has refined their business model, grown their user base, added several new employees, and raised $4.5mm in venture capital. Aside from hearing about how GoWild has grown, our conversation with Brad also covers his approach to managing a hybrid work environment, the Send It Slam festival GoWild is putting on, and what he's learned about raising capital along the way. Learn more about GoWild at TimeToGoWild.com Visit us at MiddleTech.com  Twitter Instagram Facebook LinkedIn Evan's Twitter Nate's Twitter Middle Tech is proud to be supported by: Our presenting sponsor, KY Innovation Bolt Marketing The Johnson Law Group Render Capital

New addition to the Middle Tech Podcast team, Evan Boggs, dives into some useful tips on how to combat the creative block and burnout.  Middle Tech socials: Instagram Facebook LinkedIn Visit us at MiddleTech.com 

Logan and Evan give their thoughts on remote work and the stance Elon has taken on it, and discuss the current state of the US & global economies as Jamie Dimon says we’re headed for an “economic hurricane”. Watch Middle Tech's Friday Updates LIVE at 8:30am EST on Instagram every week! @MiddleTechPod Today's Friday Update is sponsored by KY Innovation and Bolt Marketing Visit us at MiddleTech.com

Haley Cawthon is the Assistant Managing Editor at Louisville Business First, a business media publisher covering business news, data and networking for the Greater Louisville area. Our conversation with Haley centers around Ky Inno, a part of Louisville Business First covering Louisville's innovation economy, and working to connect & catalyze the region’s next-generation businesses and business leaders. Throughout this conversation, we discuss media's role in the startup and innovation ecosystem, how the media landscape is shifting thanks to technology such as social media, and what Haley has observed through covering some of Kentucky's top startups and founders. Learn more about Ky Inno at https://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/inno Visit us at MiddleTech.com  Twitter Instagram Facebook LinkedIn Evan's Twitter Nate's Twitter Middle Tech is proud to be supported by: Our presenting sponsor, KY Innovation Bolt Marketing The Johnson Law Group Render Capital

Nate reads a blog originally by Tom Monarch about the importance of an effective Shareholder Agreement when starting a company. Middle Tech socials: Instagram Facebook LinkedIn Visit us at MiddleTech.com 

Nate and Danny discuss continued Twitter/Elon drama, Amazon Style stores, Ethereum 2.0, and Saudi Aramco potentially buying Lexington's Valvoline. Watch Middle Tech's Friday Updates LIVE at 8:30am EST on Instagram every week! @MiddleTechPod Today's Friday Update is sponsored by KY Innovation and Bolt Marketing Visit us at MiddleTech.com

For this episode, Logan arranged an interview with a key player in Tampa’s tech community during his visit during CommerceLex's Leadership Visit. Forbes recently named Tampa the #1 Emerging Tech Ecosystem and we wanted to dig into why that is. Lakshmi Shenoy is the CEO of Embarc Collective, a Tampa-based organization that supports the city’s entrepreneurs by curating the experiences, resources, and environment that helps forward-thinking founders and their teams thrive. Embarc believes that each company is different and measures success in different ways, and therefore works with companies to provide individualized support based on their defined milestones. Prior to leading Embarc, Lakshmi attended University of Chicago and Harvard Business School, and worked to build Chicago’s startup ecosystem through her role at 1871. Our conversation covers the approach that Embarc takes to support Tampa’s entrepreneurs, the catalysts that have allowed their ecosystem to thrive, and their areas of focus as they look to es

Nate takes a closer look into a trending breaking news headline regarding well-known rappers Young Thug and Gunna. The two rappers, along with several others were involved in a grand-jury indictment for members of the YSL (Young Slime Life). Will this change the rap scene and the creative process forever? What's next? Middle Tech socials: Instagram Facebook LinkedIn Visit us at MiddleTech.com 

Logan, Nate, and Ross discuss new legislation and policies emerging around content moderation on social media and Ross gives a summary on the new development coming to downtown Lex. Watch Middle Tech's Friday Updates LIVE at 8:30am EST on Instagram every week! @MiddleTechPod Today's Friday Update is sponsored by KY Innovation and Bolt Marketing Visit us at MiddleTech.com

Gary Briggs is the former CMO of Facebook and has deep experience in the tech industry, serving in leadership roles with Google, PayPal, Ebay, and IBM, among others. Gary is part of a group called Meeting of America that is working to build a platform aimed at addressing the growing divisiveness that we see forming in our country through facilitating conversations among those who might share different views, in a constructive and open-minded way. Meeting of America just conducted their first pilot in Lexington, Kentucky and is planning a roll out to the rest of the country. Our conversation covers Gary’s extensive background in the tech industry, his views on how social media and technology have influenced society, and what he hopes to accomplish with Meeting of America. Learn more about Meeting of America at MeetingOfAmerica.us Visit us at MiddleTech.com  Twitter Instagram Facebook LinkedIn Evan's Twitter Logan's Twitter Middle Tech is proud to be supported by: Our presenting sponsor, KY Innovation Bolt

One of Middle Tech’s newest additions, Brad Farley, pushes against the concept of chasing after unicorn investment dollars and instead encourages us to start small. A champion for low code platforms, such as bubble.io, Brad’s personal stories of startup failures and successes led him on a path which ultimately led to his involvement in Middle Tech’s KY Tech Map. Listen for a few minutes on the legitimacy, ease, and advantages of starting small. Check out some of Brad’s work on the Tech Map and at www.growthstageops.com. Check out Brad’s favorite development platform @ www.bubble.io.

Logan and Nate cover stories on Elon's insistence that Twitter prove the amount of its fake orders, the iPod being dead, and layoffs hitting the tech industry. Watch Middle Tech's Friday Updates LIVE at 8:30am EST on Instagram every week! @MiddleTechPod Today's Friday Update is sponsored by KY Innovation and Bolt Marketing Visit us at MiddleTech.com

Debbie Gordon is the CEO & Founder of Cloud Range, a Nashville-based cybersecurity company that allows companies to simulate cyber attacks to train & prepare their teams. As we move more of our lives and systems online, cybersecurity is becoming more important than ever. Our conversation covers Debbie’s experience as a serial entrepreneur, why everyone should care about cybersecurity, and tangible processes that she uses in her business to be an effective leader. Learn more about Cloud Range at CloudRangeCyber.com Visit us at MiddleTech.com  Twitter Instagram Facebook LinkedIn Evan's Twitter Logan's Twitter Middle Tech is proud to be supported by: Our presenting sponsor, KY Innovation Bolt Marketing The Johnson Law Group Render Capital

Social Media wizard, TJ Barnett shares a little bit about what our social media game is like over here at Middle Tech.

Logan, Nate, Evan, and Tj announce the winner of the Forecastle giveaway and cover stories on Cerebral getting cut off from Adderall prescriptions, China dumping foreign hardware, and AppHarvest’s Q1 earnings report. Watch Middle Tech's Friday Updates LIVE at 8:30am EST on Instagram every week! @MiddleTechPod Today's Friday Update is sponsored by KY Innovation and Render Capital Visit us at MiddleTech.com

Rick West is the Co-founder and CEO of Field Agent, a marketplace platform connecting retail brands to shoppers and stores, allowing them to gain transparency, feedback, and other valuable data in real time. Rick is a graduate of the University of Kentucky and our conversation covers his corporate experience with P&G, how he took the leap to entrepreneurship, and his philosophies on leadership in this new post-covid world. Learn more about Field Agent at FieldAgent.net Visit us at MiddleTech.com  Twitter Instagram Facebook LinkedIn Evan's Twitter Logan's Twitter Middle Tech is proud to be supported by: Our presenting sponsor, KY Innovation Bolt Marketing The Johnson Law Group Render Capital

Gather a deeper understanding of both thinking long-term and goals within a professional environment. Nate reflects upon past experiences on his professional journey and the moments that brought him to where he stands today.  Middle Tech socials: Instagram Facebook LinkedIn Visit us at MiddleTech.com 

Logan and Evan discuss Apple’s challenges with supply chain issues and AirBnb embracing a fully remote work environment. This week in tech history: the iTunes Store launches in 2003. Would you still pay $0.99 per song? Watch Middle Tech's Friday Updates LIVE at 8:30am EST on Instagram every week! @MiddleTechPod Today's Friday Update is sponsored by KY Innovation and Render Capital Visit us at MiddleTech.com

Lecresha Sewell is the Founder and CEO of Melanated Healthcare, a platform for helping black and brown patients find healthcare providers that share their racial identity. Through their work, Lecresha hopes to help healthcare providers deliver a higher quality of care to their patients. Our conversations covers how Lecresha overcame adversity to become a doctor and a founder, the importance of the problem Melanated Healthcare is solving, and how she balances being a founder with family life. Learn more about Melanated Healthcare at MelanatedHealthcare.app Visit us at MiddleTech.com  Twitter Instagram Facebook LinkedIn Evan's Twitter Logan's Twitter Middle Tech is proud to be supported by: Our presenting sponsor, KY Innovation Bolt Marketing The Johnson Law Group Render Capital

Danny dives deeper into the advancements of text-to-image generation through the usage of Artificial Intelligence. Middle Tech socials: Instagram Facebook LinkedIn Visit us at MiddleTech.com