Coffee with a Founder Podcast: Ben Kellie of Applied Atomics

04- Dec-2025

On this episode of Coffee with a Founder,Beck Bamberger sits down with Ben Kellie, Co-Founder and CEO of Applied Atomics. Broadcasting from Alaska—a rare location for venture-backed founders—Ben shares his journey from SpaceX engineer to tackling the challenges of nuclear power deployment.

The conversation dives deep into Ben's philosophy on minimizing unnecessary miracles in technology and the PR and messaging hurdles nuclear energy faces.

show notes:

01:03 - Choosing Alaska

02:37 - Applying SpaceX lessons

04:07 - Nuclear’s evolving image

07:25 - Minimizing miracles

09:47 - The founder’s sabbatical

16:16 - VC reactions to Alaska

Read More About The Episode:

00:29 - Starting with a mission
Beck Bamberger introduces Matt Pavelle and Doctronic's bold goal: free, AI-driven healthcare for everyone.

01:35 - Inside Doctronic’s AI
Details are shared on how Doctronic’s AI achieves high alignment with clinicians and why it stands out for diagnostic accuracy and efficiency.

04:02 - Privacy sets Doctronic apart
The hosts discuss the platform’s strong privacy stance and how it protects user data compared to general AI tools like ChatGPT.

07:09 - Making doctors’ lives easier
Doctronic’s ability to ease doctor burnout and streamline patient visits through admin automation is highlighted.

11:17 - Founder’s path to impact
Matt recounts his unusual journey from other industries to healthcare, emphasizing what drove him to take the plunge.

16:12 - Success: personal and professional
Matt reflects on success, aiming to make a positive impact while steering the company toward sustainable growth.