The 2026 Manufacturing Boom Nobody's Talking About

In this special episode of The ReForge Podcast, PR expert Cheryl Snapp Conner turns the tables and interviews host Matthew Chang about the year ahead for American manufacturing, faith-based entrepreneurship, and what it takes to write an Amazon bestseller. If you're looking for business advice on building a company with purpose while positioning for the coming capex wave, this conversation delivers the blueprint for leading with both conviction and strategy. Matthew Chang is the founder of Chang Robotics, a Christian engineering company at the forefront of advanced manufacturing and collaborative robotics. Founded in 2017, the company has grown to four locations nationwide and was named one of Fast Company's Best Workplaces for Innovators 2024 and Inc.'s Best in Business. Matthew has led engineering projects across 20 disciplines in multiple countries, including designing the first autonomous mass transit system for a municipality—pioneering four of the world's firsts in autonomous systems. In 2025, he launched the $50M Chang Robotics Fund, a seed-stage VC firm that deployed capital into nine portfolio companies in its first year, with seven being first VC investments. His Amazon bestselling book "Risk-Taking is Biblical" hit #1 on release and has been adopted by companies for leadership training. Matthew is an EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2025 finalist, TEDx Jacksonville speaker, columnist for Inc. and Fast Company, and serves on the boards of Jacksonville University and Lifework Leadership. Cheryl Snapp Conner is the founder and CEO of SnappConner PR and a nationally recognized columnist for Forbes, Inc., Entrepreneur, and The Wall Street Journal. Named one of the Top 20 Business Thought Leaders globally, she specializes in crisis PR, reputation management, and thought leadership with 32+ years of experience. She is the author of "Beyond PR: Communicate Like a Champ in the Digital Age." Chapters: 0:00 - The Story Behind "Risk-Taking is Biblical" 8:00 - How Amazon Publishing Actually Works 15:00 - Faith-Based Business in Today's Media Climate 18:00 - The 2026 Manufacturing Capex Wave 25:00 - Chang Robotics Fund: Year One Results 32:00 - Scaling Culture Without Losing Soul Connect with Matthew Chang: 🔗 Website: changrobotics.ai 🔗 Fund: cr.fund 🔗 Book: "Risk-Taking is Biblical" on Amazon 🔗 LinkedIn: Matthew Chang Connect with Cheryl Snapp Conner: 🔗 Website: snappconner.com 🔗 LinkedIn: Cheryl Snapp Conner About The ReForge Podcast: The ReForge Podcast explores the intersection of advanced manufacturing, technology innovation, and the entrepreneurs reshaping American industry. ⚡ Powered by NXC Podcast Network #thenxcpodcastnetwork #thereforgecast #entrepreneurship