Podcast: Manufacturing an American Century – From Prototype to Commercialization: The FORGE Playbook for Success with Laura Teicher

Welcome back to Manufacturing an American Century! Today, I had the pleasure of talking with Laura Teicher, the president and executive director of FORGE, a nonprofit that’s laser-focused on helping hard tech entrepreneurs turn their prototypes into real-world solutions. FORGE is filling a crucial gap in the manufacturing ecosystem, making sure that companies working on physical products—whether it’s next-gen solar panels or AI-driven industrial systems—get the connections and support they need to scale and succeed.

Laura walked us through FORGE’s unique approach, which isn’t your typical incubator or accelerator. Instead, FORGE acts as a matchmaker between innovators and the manufacturers who can help bring their ideas to life. And they do it all with a deep commitment to local manufacturing, helping strengthen regional economies while reducing global supply chain risks and emissions. We also got into Laura’s personal passion for climate-focused innovation and sustainable economic development, which drives her work at FORGE. She sees firsthand how manufacturing and hard tech solutions can tackle some of the world’s biggest challenges, from climate change to supply chain resilience. 

If you’re an entrepreneur, a manufacturer, or someone looking to help build America’s hard tech future, FORGE is a resource you need to know about. That’s it for today’s episode—keep innovating, keep making, and let’s manufacture a stronger future together!