The Founders Who Left Tesla to Rebuild America | a16z

Erin Price-Wright speaks with Turner Caldwell and Drew Baglino about what it will take to close America's critical minerals gap and modernize the power infrastructure that underpins the AI economy. With the US more than 50 years behind China in critical mineral supply and grid infrastructure built on systems designed a century ago, they examine where the real bottlenecks are and how to move faster. The conversation covers how automation, reinforcement learning, and vertically integrated operations can compress the timelines for mining and refining, and why co-locating supply chains matters more than labor costs in the race to reshore manufacturing. Baglino explains how solid state transformers can replace aging mechanical grid equipment with silicon and software, while Caldwell outlines how Mariana Minerals is applying autonomous systems to remove the know-how bottleneck from critical mineral processing. They also discuss the lessons both founders carried from Tesla — techno-optimism, appetite for risk, and mission-driven talent — and what durable industrial policy, smarter permitting, and a federal grid investment framework would unlock for American competitiveness. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 00:47 AI Needs Physical Infrastructure 02:23 Meet the Builders 03:11 Mariana Minerals Explained 04:19 Heron Power's Grid Upgrade 05:31 Why Onshoring Matters 07:48 Tesla Lessons and Workforce 21:09 Policy Asks and Wrap Resources: Follow Michael on X: https://x.com/tbc415 Follow Drew on X: https://x.com/baglino Follow Erin on X: https://x.com/espricewright Stay Updated: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends! Find a16z on X: https://twitter.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Listen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYX Listen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711 Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see http://a16z.com/disclosures.

Turner CaldwellguestDrew BaglinoguestErin Price-Wrighthost

May 13, 202623mWatch on YouTube ↗

EPISODE INFO

Released: May 13, 2026
Duration: 23m
Channel: a16z
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Erin Price-Wright speaks with Turner Caldwell and Drew Baglino about what it will take to close America's critical minerals gap and modernize the power infrastructure that underpins the AI economy. With the US more than 50 years behind China in critical mineral supply and grid infrastructure built on systems designed a century ago, they examine where the real bottlenecks are and how to move faster. The conversation covers how automation, reinforcement learning, and vertically integrated operations can compress the timelines for mining and refining, and why co-locating supply chains matters more than labor costs in the race to reshore manufacturing. Baglino explains how solid state transformers can replace aging mechanical grid equipment with silicon and software, while Caldwell outlines how Mariana Minerals is applying autonomous systems to remove the know-how bottleneck from critical mineral processing. They also discuss the lessons both founders carried from Tesla — techno-optimism, appetite for risk, and mission-driven talent — and what durable industrial policy, smarter permitting, and a federal grid investment framework would unlock for American competitiveness. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 00:47 AI Needs Physical Infrastructure 02:23 Meet the Builders 03:11 Mariana Minerals Explained 04:19 Heron Power's Grid Upgrade 05:31 Why Onshoring Matters 07:48 Tesla Lessons and Workforce 21:09 Policy Asks and Wrap Resources: Follow Michael on X: https://x.com/tbc415 Follow Drew on X: https://x.com/baglino Follow Erin on X: https://x.com/espricewright Stay Updated: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends! Find a16z on X: https://twitter.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Listen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYX Listen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711 Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see http://a16z.com/disclosures.

SPEAKERS

Turner Caldwell
guest
Founder/operator of Mariana Minerals, a software-first mining and refining company working on U.S. copper and lithium projects.
Drew Baglino
guest
Founder of Heron Power and former long-tenured Tesla leader focused on powertrain/energy and power electronics.
Erin Price-Wright
host
Host and interviewer for a16z, moderating discussions with founders on industrial and technology topics.

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of a16z, featuring Turner Caldwell and Drew Baglino, The Founders Who Left Tesla to Rebuild America | a16z explores tesla alumni target minerals, grid upgrades to reindustrialize America fast AI leadership is constrained less by algorithms than by “atoms”: materials, energy generation, and grid capacity to deliver power where needed.

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