In this episode of Industry Ignited, host Dr. Leeanne Aguilar speaks with Andrew Patrick, President and CEO of Eckert Machining Inc., about why the most powerful driver of manufacturing performance isn’t equipment or automation, but culture. Drawing on decades of experience transforming large machine shops in Silicon Valley and Europe, Andrew explains how management unity, consistent leadership behavior, and genuine recognition create environments where people show up engaged, accountable, and motivated to perform. Through real-world turnaround stories, he illustrates how fear-based cultures quietly destroy productivity, while trust, psychological safety, and disciplined systems unlock sustained operational excellence—proving that culture is not a “soft” concept, but a strategic advantage that directly impacts quality, profitability, and growth.

In this episode of Industry Ignited, host Dr. Leeanne Aguilar sits down with Matthew Guy, CEO of Niche 3D, to demystify additive manufacturing and show where 3D printing creates real business advantage beyond “hobby” perception. Matthew explains why the winners in 3D printing focus on applications and customer needs—not the novelty of the technology—then walks through how he designs and manufactures custom, low-volume production parts for pharmaceutical, medical, and assistive device companies when injection molding and traditional methods are too slow, too expensive, or too rigid. He breaks down how material selection, print orientation, tuning, and post-processing determine production-grade quality, why rapid iteration can compress product development cycles, and how 3D printing enables startups to launch without massive tooling costs or minimum order quantities. The conversation also touches on where AI is genuinely helping (error detection and early automation) versus where it is still immature, and what mindset shift helps innovators stop asking “Can we print this?” and start asking “What’s possible now?”

On this episode of Industry Ignited, host Dr. Leeanne Aguilar speaks with Zack Lyon, Chief Executive Officer of H3Pelvic Therapy Systems, an industrial designer and engineer with 30+ years of experience and 40+ U.S. patents, about how a personal health crisis sparked a breakthrough approach to pelvic pain care. Zack shares how the “Keep It Simple” design philosophy shaped a home-based pelvic therapy system that uses precisely controlled thermal modulation—aimed at influencing pain signaling locally rather than relying on systemic medications with heavy side effects. The conversation explores why pelvic pain remains under-discussed and underserved, what it takes to move from prototype to regulated medical device (including FDA pathway decisions and clinical trial readiness), and how connected, trackable home therapy could reduce ER visits, improve continuity of care, and restore dignity and control for people living with chronic pelvic conditions.