Rethinking the Trades with Kate Glantz

00:00

43:48

Culture is the lens through which everything happens.

Kate Glantz joins the show to talk about building a culture-first movement that puts real tradeswomen at the center of the story.

We get into why representation changes decisions, how a print magazine in schools can beat the algorithm, and why AI might shrink some white-collar roles while exploding demand for blue-collar work.

Kate shares the why behind Move Over Bob, the plan to go beyond construction into semiconductors, data centers, mining, and civil infrastructure, and a practical path for companies, schools, and parents to get involved.

What You’ll Hear

• How Kate’s through line is helping women reach financial independence and why that domino changes families and communities

• Why storytelling is not fluff and how culture speeds up real change on the ground

• Why recruiting women is part of a bigger youth awareness gap and the messenger problem in the trades

• How Move Over Bob uses tactile print to reach students, libraries, nonprofits, and even women’s prisons

• The winter issue plan that connects welding, ironworking, and heavy equipment to data centers, chips, mining, and civil projects

• How AI and automation can erase some office jobs while creating a massive need for electricians and craft labor

• Leadership lessons from tech and Hollywood to construction and workforce

• A five-year outlook where the trades get a glow-up without sugarcoating the work

• Exactly how to support the mission and why this is pro-Bob, not anti-Bob

Topics Covered

Culture as catalyst, not garnish

Representation, role models, and behavior change in teens

CTE awareness, apprenticeships, and the cost myths around college

Workwear, PPE, and making safety and self-expression compatible

Semiconductor and data-center build-outs and what they mean for craft careers

AI’s impact on labor markets and why electricians matter more than ever

Partnership models for associations, contractors, and brands

Key Quotes

“Culture is the lens through which everything happens.”

“We tell ourselves stories in order to live.”

“Entrepreneurs don’t see problems. They see opportunities.”

“If not us, then who.”

“We’re not asking Bob to leave. We’re asking him to scoot over so we can build the table together.”

About the Guest

Kate Glantz is the co-founder of Move Over Bob, a culture-driven platform bringing tradeswomen into the center of mainstream culture and into schools at scale.

Her background spans Peace Corps, tech, Hollywood, and national policy work, all pointed at a single why: helping women reach financial independence.

Website: https://moveoverbob.com

How to Get Involved

• Profiles and school visits for tradeswomen who want to demo and speak

• Advertisers, sponsors, and associations who want to expand the talent pool

• Educators, CTE directors, and librarians who want copies for students

Start at moveoverbob.com

Sponsor

Med Device Boston is your go-to med-tech sourcing and education expo on September 30 to October 1 at the BCEC in Boston.

Over 200 suppliers, 1,500 attending professionals, and OEM decision-makers.

Explore 3D printing, AI, materials, regulatory tech, and contract manufacturing under one roof.

Watch & Listen

Full episode on The Manufacturing Connector website and on YouTube.