The SPAC Podcast
🎙️ Welcome to The SPAC Podcast — your front-row seat to the dynamic world of Special Purpose Acquisition Companies.
Hosted by Michael Blankenship, a leading capital markets attorney and partner at Winston & Strawn LLP, and Joshua Wilson, executive producer and capital markets advisor, The SPAC Podcast brings you candid conversations, insider insights, and sharp analysis from the people shaping the future of the SPAC market.
Whether you’re a sponsor, investor, founder, attorney, banker, or just curious about the mechanics and momentum behind SPACs — this show is your go-to source for education, strategy, and real-world stories from the dealmakers behind the deals.
🚀 What You’ll Hear
In each episode, we’ll unpack:
- The structure, lifecycle, and mechanics of SPACs — from IPO to de-SPAC
- Legal and regulatory insights that matter to sponsors and targets
- Interviews with founders, investors, and advisors who’ve navigated successful transactions
- Trends and forecasts from the front lines of capital markets
- Lessons learned, deal strategies, and ways to leverage SPACs as a growth vehicle
We’re not just watching the SPAC market — we’re talking to the people building it.
🎧 Meet Your Hosts
Michael Blankenship is the Office Managing Partner of Winston & Strawn LLP (Houston) and Co-Chair of the firm’s Capital Markets practice. He has represented over 100 public companies, private equity firms, and SPACs in IPOs, M&A, de-SPACs, and securities offerings. Known for his clarity, legal acumen, and deal fluency, Michael brings unmatched insight into the regulatory, transactional, and strategic forces shaping the SPAC space.
Joshua Wilson is experienced in investment banking and the founder of multiple media brands, including The Investor Relations Podcast. With over 2,000 interviews under his belt and deep experience in real estate, private capital, and investor engagement, Josh brings a fresh voice and strategic lens to every conversation — helping connect deals with the stories and people behind them.
Together, they bridge law, finance, and media — guiding listeners through the world of SPACs with clarity, credibility, and curiosity.
🌎 Who This Show is For
- SPAC Sponsors & CEOs
- Institutional and Private Investors
- Investment Bankers & Corporate Attorneys
- Venture-backed Founders and Startups
- Private Equity & Family Offices
- Finance Professionals and Capital Markets Enthusiasts
🔔 Subscribe, Follow, and Join the Conversation
This isn’t just a show — it’s a platform for education, connection, and business development in the SPAC ecosystem. Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube. New episodes drop weekly.
Follow us on LinkedIn and share the show with colleagues, clients, and fellow capital markets pros.
The SPAC Podcast
Where sponsors meet stories, markets meet momentum, and strategy meets execution.
The SPAC Podcast
Reshoring, Minerals, and Energy Security
Chris Sorrells discusses how reshoring, critical minerals, and energy security are shaping U.S. investment trends. He shares how investor sentiment is aligning around domestic production, rare earths, and defense resilience.
Guest: Chris Sorrells – Chairman and CEO of Spring Valley
Connect with Chris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-sorrells-5a6a836/
Watch more episodes at: YouTube.com/@UCiOCVRrRqqmq20QNV9I43Zg
Let’s Connect on LinkedIn:
👉 Michael J. Blankenship - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeblankenship/
👉 Joshua Bruce Wilson - https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuabrucewilson/
To Contact Us or Collaborate:
🎙️ https://www.TheSPACPodcast.com/contact/
Disclaimers:
The views, opinions, and statements expressed by the guest are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of The SPAC Podcast, its hosts, or affiliated organizations. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as investment, legal, tax, or accounting advice.
Michael J. Blankenship is a licensed attorney and is a partner at Winston & Strawn LLP. Joshua Wilson is a licensed Florida real estate broker and holds FINRA Series 79 and Series 63 licensure. The content of this podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be interpreted as legal, financial, or compliance advice. The views and opinions expressed by the hosts and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the official policies or positions of any regulatory agency, law firm, employer, or organization.
Listeners are encouraged to consult their own legal counsel, compliance professionals, or financial advisors to ensure adherence to applicable laws and regulations, including those enforced by the SEC, FINRA, and other regulatory bodies. This podcast does not constitute a solicitation, offer, or recommendation of any financial products, securities transactions, or legal services.
Let’s Connect on LinkedIn:
👉 Michael J. Blankenship - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeblankenship/
👉 ...
Mike Blankenship: So the US and Department of Energy and the administration's talking a lot about reshoring and energy security, especially around critical minerals and uranium.
We, we know that minerals is a hot topic now with China and everything. So how do you see investor sediment changing around those themes and where do you think capital will float next?
Chris Sorrells: As long as we're. Focused on reassuring, and we're focused on, domesticated energy security. I think you're going to see all of these areas revitalized, be it, the rare earth complex, the radium and other things that can be produced here have historically been produced here, but ultimately were abandoned at a different point in the cycle.
You are watching and witnessing the USA rare earth movement, grow pretty significantly and we've seen quite a bit of that activity already in the SPAC market and more to come. So I think investors are very keen on the Trump trade. And this is a key part of the Trump trade, how do we reshore, how do we make sure that the inputs we need, to drive all kinds of components of this economy is certainly in defense and ai and energy security are here.
So I don't at this point see. A big shift from that, and I think that probably carries over even to in a different administration. We watch Russia rattle that sword in Europe around gas supply, and I think it, we, you knew it existed, 30% of gas was coming from Russia. They're not the most stable partner.
But once they rattled the sword, it spooked the markets. And it, it certainly scooped countries and governments. We're seeing China do it with rare Earth now. Every month there's some rattling of we're not sending you rare Earth. And if that happens, we can't grow our defense segment, we can't grow our AI segment.
So it becomes a major competitive advantage. So I think there's real focus on these long-term projects and making sure that we can produce or mine process. The elements and commodities right here in the us.