Bold Visions Joe Rule

In this episode Joe speaks with Tom Moore, the Founder and CEO of ProvisionAi. He is a visionary entrepreneur with a track record of establishing and growing thriving supply chain software companies. With a wealth of experience partnering with industry giants like Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Nestle, and Kimberly-Clark, Tom has been instrumental in developing cutting-edge solutions for warehousing, truck loading, and network optimization.



Among his notable contributions are groundbreaking software systems such as AutoScheduler, AutoO2, and LevelLoad. Furthermore, Tom’s hands-on experience in manufacturing, warehousing, and trucking operations has provided him with invaluable insights into the intricacies of these industries. His multifaceted background uniquely positions him as a leader who understands the challenges and opportunities within the supply chain ecosystem.



In the beginning of the episode Tom explains the origins of the different companies and tools he and his teams have created. Then he talks about some of the problems in the trucking industry due to the relationship between shippers and carriers. In 2023 ProvisionAi removed 88,000 trucks from the road, so Tom talks about their goals to surpass that number in 2024. Towards the end he explains how their sales conversations are based around hard numbers and data. The episode closes by discussing his longer term goals and doing good in the world.



Timecodes



00:00 Intro

03:26 Tom's Background and the origins of ProvisionAi

07:47 Origins of AutoScheduler

09:17 Origins of LevelLoad

14:35 Pain Points of Supply Planning

16:16 The Boom and Bust Cycle in the Trucking Industry

20:05 Planning Transportation Better

24:50 How ProvisionAi is improving carbon emissions

26:09 ProvisionAi Growth Strategy

27:33 How they prove the value of load planning to a potential client

31:08 Vision for the future at ProvisionAi





Resources



ProvisionAi - https://provisionai.com/

AutoO2 - https://provisionai.com/autoo2-load-builder/

AutoScheduler - https://autoscheduler.ai/

Procter & Gamble - https://us.pg.com/

Rhett Butler - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhett_Butler

J.B. Hunt - https://www.jbhunt.com/

Knight Transportation - https://www.knighttrans.com/

UPS - https://www.ups.com

FedEx - https://www.fedex.com

George Lawrie (Analyst) - https://www.forrester.com/analyst-bio/george-lawrie/BIO709





Tom’s Contact info



Website: ProvisionAi.com

Email: Tom.Moore@ProvisionAi.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/transportationconsulting/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@provisionai





Raconteur Animation is a studio that helps disruptive tech and industrial hardware companies launch new products confidently with stunning CGI product movies



Website: http://raconteuranimation.com

Email: howdy@raconteuranimation.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joerule/

In this episode Joe speaks with Mary Hart, the Senior Content Marketing Manager at Locus Robotics. Locus has a robotics platform to help warehouse workers move what matters with autonomous mobile robots (AMRs). She is the author of “The Total Guide to Warehouse Automation” at Locus Robotics as well as “Some Horrific Evening”. Hart previously worked in marketing at B2B tech companies and earned her undergraduate degree in English from Stonehill College.



In the beginning of the episode Mary tells the origin story and rise to fame of her reptilian alter ego, Pinky T. Rexadero. Then she explains how Locus Robotics has had such great success around reducing customers fears of robotics, to the point where people actually celebrate and love the robots. She shares some wisdom around the best ways and places to connect with warehouse managers in logistics, including resources for making great meme posts. Then toward the end Mary shares some valuable copyrighting tips for ChatGPT and other recommendations for marketing in robotics.





Timecodes



00:00 Introduction

03:30 Origins of Pinky T. Rexadero

08:33 How Locus reduces customers fears around robotics

13:22 The biggest challenges for Mary moving from software to robotics

16:17 The Locus solution

17:09 How and where to connect with warehouse managers

20:43 Balancing the human and techie sides of B2B storytelling

23:58 Resources for meme posting

26:32 How Mary uses ChatGPT to write and brainstorm content for a customer persona

33:16 Marketing and storytelling advice for people in robotics

35:46 Asks for listeners and Mary's contact Info





Resources



Locus Robotics: https://locusrobotics.com/

AMRs: https://builtin.com/robotics/autonomous-mobile-robots

Pinky Tuscadero (Roz Kelly): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roz_Kelly

Pinky T-Rexadero in the news: https://www.5newsonline.com/video/weather/accuweather/t-rex-enjoys-a-snowy-spring-day-in-new-england/607-2f142649-e89b-49f3-a3b9-ba013ccb1c2f

Giphy: https://giphy.com/

ChatGPT: https://chat.openai.com/

All Marketers Are Liars: https://a.co/d/19uubSQ

MODEX: https://www.modexshow.com/

Total Guide to Warehouse Automation book: https://locusrobotics.com/resources/ebook/the-total-guide-to-warehouse-automation





Mary’s Contact info



Website: https://locusrobotics.com/

Email: mhart@locusrobotics.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maryehart/





Raconteur Animation is a studio that helps disruptive tech and industrial hardware companies launch new products confidently with stunning CGI product movies



Website: http://raconteuranimation.com

Email: howdy@raconteuranimation.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joerule/

In this episode Joe speaks with Alex Kingsbury. Alex is a well-known additive manufacturing technical expert and has worked in metal additive manufacturing in technical, leadership, and advisory roles for the last ten years. She is currently the Market Development Manager for nLIGHT, a leading provider of high-power semiconductor and fiber lasers. In this role Alex leads nLIGHT’s Additive Manufacturing business, facilitating the adoption of lasers that provide the next breakthrough in quality and productivity in additive manufacturing.

 

Prior to nLIGHT, Alex has held leadership positions at CSIRO and then RMIT University, both in Melbourne, Australia. Additionally, Alex maintained a private consultancy, Additive Economics, to provide expert, strategic advice to investment firms, company boards, and government agencies on the commercialization of and investment in advanced manufacturing technologies. More recently, Alex has been co-creator and occasional guest of ‘Printing Money’, a podcast on finance and investment in the additive manufacturing industry. Alex is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and holds a Bachelor of Engineering from RMIT University.

In the beginning of the episode Alex explains some of the the tech behind nLight lasers and what it means for the additive manufacturing industry. She tells the story of how she got into the 3D printing industry which eventually brought her to the US from Australia. Alex shares insights on the psychology and finances behind marketing and adoption of new technology—specifically the Diffusion of Innovations Theory. Then towards the end Alex offers perspective and advice for women wanting to get into 3D printing and the STEM fields in general.



Timecodes

00:00 Introduction

03:05 nLight and Lasers

08:22 Beam Shaping Lasers in Additive Manufacturing

13:47 Alex's Career Path

16:54 Alex's experience in media and podcasting

19:44 nLight and moving to the US

28:16 Diffusion of Innovations and Barriers to Adoption

33:57 Finances of 3D Printing

39:48 Tech Alex is exited about

48:07 Advice for Women in 3D Printing and STEM

55:43 Closing Remarks and Contact Info



Resources

NLight: https://www.nlight.net/

AFX Laser: https://www.nlight.net/programmable-rackmount-single-mode-fiber-lasers

Gaussian Beams: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaussian_beam

CSIRO: https://www.csiro.au/en/

RMIT: https://www.rmit.edu.au/

Diffusion of Innovations Theory: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QnfWhtujPA

DfAM: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Design_for_additive_manufacturing

SPAC: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special-purpose_acquisition_company

Arno Held: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arno-held/

AM Ventures: https://amventures.com/

Summary of Arno’s keynote at AMS 2024: https://3dprint.com/307039/charting-the-future-3d-printing-investments-at-ams-2024/

DED: Directed Energy Deposition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jAyUQJoAr8

Laser Powderbed Fusion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wrxef_4DL_g

Binder Jet 3D Printing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhxSrWuzIdA



Alex’s Contact info

Website: https://www.nlight.net/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexbkingsbury/





Raconteur Animation is a studio that helps disruptive tech and industrial hardware companies launch new products confidently with stunning CGI product movies



Website: http://raconteuranimation.com

Email: howdy@raconteuranimation.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joerule/

In this episode Joe speaks with Daniel Theobald. Daniel has decades of experience leading research scientists and teams of engineers in developing cutting edge robotics technology. He has 67 issued patents and over 30 patents pending. He achieved a perfect academic record and was chosen by the faculty at MIT as the engineering student most likely to make a significant impact on engineering and humanity. He also received a prestigious Hertz Foundation Fellowship.  



In 2018 he founded Vecna Robotics, now a global leader in autonomous forklifts. In 2014 he co-founded MassRobotics, a non-profit dedicated to the global advancement of the robotics industry. His passion project is agriculture mechanization at Twisted Fields research farm on beautiful Rancho San Gregorio.  He is currently focused on helping large organizations successfully automate through his latest startup Mekable.com.  He is dedicated to the idea that technology can be used to improve life for everyone on the planet.



In the opening of the episode Daniels shares the story of how he met Edward Teller, “the father of the hydrogen bomb” as a boy and how that influenced him. He talks about how the teachings of his father and the Mormon faith have influenced him as a leader; what it means to be a responsible engineer, and the counterintuitive benefits of helping other people. Then toward the end Daniel shares insights into the current problems with food production and how automation can make food more sustainable and healthy for both humans and the earth.



Timecodes



00:00 Introduction

02:51 Early Life and Education

06:54 The Impact of Meeting Edward Teller

09:04 Influences from Childhood - Mormonism and Daniel's Father

16:25 Founding and Growth of Vecna Technologies

26:48 Founding Mass Robotics

29:31 Founding Vecna Cares, Twisted Fields, Tree41, and Mekable

34:00 Twisted Fields and Automating Food Production

40:27 Fear of Robotics and AI

42:33 The Acorn Platform and Power of Open Source

49:06 How people can help





Resources



Edward Teller: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Teller

Lawrence Livermore Lab: https://www.llnl.gov/

Cray Supercomputer “Bubbles”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cray-2

Debbie Theobald: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborah-theobald-6899947/

Vecna Technologies: https://vecna.com/

MIT: https://www.mit.edu/

Space Systems Lab UMD: https://ssl.umd.edu/

W3 Health: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/w3health

BEAR Robot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rdRxV-qn3w

Clayton Christensen: https://claytonchristensen.com/

Innovators Dilemma: https://www.amazon.com/Innovators-Dilemma-Revolutionary-Change-Business/dp/0062060244

Mass Robotics: https://www.massrobotics.org/

Vecna Cares: https://www.vecnacares.org/

Vecna Robotics: https://www.vecnarobotics.com/

Twisted Fields: https://www.twistedfields.com/

Tree41: https://www.tree41.com/

Mekable: https://www.mekable.com/

Acorn Platform: https://www.twistedfields.com/research

Ken Salisbury (MIT/Stanford): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Kenneth_Salisbury_Jr.

Twisted Fields Github: https://github.com/Twisted-Fields





Daniel’s Contact info



Website: https://www.twistedfields.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-theobald/





Raconteur Animation is a studio that helps disruptive tech and industrial hardware companies launch new products confidently with stunning CGI product movies



Website: http://raconteuranimation.com

Email: howdy@raconteuranimation.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joerule/

In this episode Joe speaks with Keith Moore, the CEO of AutoScheduler.ai which is a warehouse resource planning and optimization platform. Moore was voted by Hart Energy Magazine as an Energy Innovator of the Year in 2020, was selected as a Pi Kappa Phi 30 under 30 member, and holds multiple patents in the fields of neural architecture search and supply chain planning.



Keith shares his first journeys into entrepreneurship as a kid and college student and how he got started in machine learning. He also shares how they were able to build trust and a reputation in the supply chain world when AutoScheduler was a young and unknown company.



Timecodes

00:00 Introduction

02:15 College and Fantasy Sports

03:30 National Instruments and Spark Cognition

06:06 Starting AutoScheduler

10:27 Challenges in Supply Chain Software and How AutoScheduler Helps

13:35 Building Awareness and Trust with a Young Company

16:39 Industry Articles and PR

20:24 Goals for AutoScheduler

22:25 Changing the WMS Landscape

25:10 Obstacles to the Vision

26:49 Hiring for Demand Gen and Marketing



Resources

Spark Cognition: https://www.sparkcognition.com/

National Instruments: https://www.ni.com/en.html

Amir Husain: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amir_Husain

Procter & Gamble: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Procter_%26_Gamble

ERP: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enterprise_resource_planning

SAP: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAP 

TMS: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transportation_management_system



Keith’s Contact info

Website: https://autoscheduler.ai/

Email: info@autoscheduler.ai

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithdmoore13/



Raconteur Animation is a studio that helps disruptive tech and industrial hardware companies launch new products confidently with stunning CGI product movies



Website: http://raconteuranimation.com

Email: howdy@raconteuranimation.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joerule/

In this episode Joe speaks with Ben James, the Co-Founder and CEO of Tubular Network which is a startup building the future in Hyperlogistics. Ben was on the top American Hyperloop team at the University of Texas, previously worked for MagicLeap and VRBO in spacial computing and is a self titled Mad Scientist and Dad. 



Ben talks about the history of Tubular Network, his background with Hyperloop, his vision for Hyperlogistics, how being a parent is actually a huge benefit to startup founders, how to handle stress and how Ben navigates the resistance that comes with pitching revolutionary tech to old-school companies.



Timecodes



00:00 Intro

01:24 Background and Story of Tubular Network

08:44 What it means to “Packetize” goods

12:50 Taking Care of Mental and Physical Health

22:40 Advantages of being a founder and parent

26:43 Helping old-school companies to innovate and change

33:15 Communicating Technical Ideas to a Broad Audience

37:52 Closing – Fundraising and contact info





Resources



Hyperloop: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperloop

Hyperlogistics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxj2ut6gPHE





Ben's Contact info



Website: https://www.tubular.network/

Email: info@tubular.network

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tubular-network/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-p-james/





Raconteur Animation is a studio that helps disruptive tech and industrial hardware companies launch new products confidently with stunning CGI product movies



Website: http://raconteuranimation.com

Email: howdy@raconteuranimation.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joerule/