Nomad Futurist

In this episode of the Nomad Futurist, hosts Nabeel Mahmood and Phillip Koblence welcome Kevin Imboden, the Global Director of Market Research and Competitive Intelligence at EdgeConneX. With a strong research background in commercial real estate, Imboden’s work at EdgeConneX involves advising hyperscalers and investors in the data center industry and discovering trends in current and future markets across the world.

During the episode, Imboden talks about the future markets of the data center industry, how to get communities on board with data center construction and expansion, and his personal feelings about tech being a positive force or a negative force on the world:

“How do we create a level of understanding for an average person that [data centers] are not bad for society, for the community, and for the planet? We need to be more involved in communities, so we’re not this strange thing that shows up one day and builds an ugly building. 

It might sound like the most basic thing in the world — going up and talking to people at community meetings. But we don’t do it as an industry. Are we afraid to talk to people? Are we afraid to educate people? We shouldn’t be.”

When asked if he was pessimistic or optimistic about the future of humanity, Imboden shared:

“I’m trying to be optimistic, because I think technology is a force for good. For someone to use it for malign purposes is going to be extremely difficult, because there are so many positive forces through corporate business, government, and any number of community organizations who use this technology for positive ends. I think, ultimately, the positive outweighs the negative.” 

Imboden drew on his research background to illustrate how he keeps up with the constantly evolving world of tech:

“When I used to hire researchers, one thing that made someone good is not technical skills. It’s not even knowledge. It’s honestly just being curious. More than anything, you have to want to know things. You have to want to get answers, be curious, and genuinely believe that.”

During the episode, as Imoboden discusses his circuitous route to working in the data center industry and the need to educate young people through programs like Nomad Futurist about the importance of the industry, his desire to share the “humanization” of data centers is impossible to ignore.

In this community-minded episode of Nomad Futurist, hosts Nabeel Mahmood and Phillip Koblence welcome Paul Hammer, the co-founder and host of Uptime Punks, a digital transformation-focused podcast that interviews tech experts from Europe and all over the world. With a background in tech events and marketing, Hammer leverages his skills in events with tech.STARS, an event series centered on building community in tech.

During the episode, Hammer discusses the ground-up approach to changing tech events to reach through the generational gap and draw in younger tech enthusiasts:

“If you have an event, which runs the same way for 10, 15, 20 years, you're not going to change it. You might change the packaging and the colors of it, but the inside is still the same, and this is something that can't be changed. You need to find somebody who gives you the backing and the support. I think this is worth a shot. Why don't we try to do something completely different?”.

Hammer shares how he was inspired to innovate the setup of tech events:

“I was always passionate about communities and bringing people together. There's nothing that brings you more than bringing people together and seeing people smile. For me, it's a reward when people make connections and take knowledge away from it.”

Hammer’s passion lies in making space for the younger generations in tech and allowing them to innovate and lead the industry in new directions:

“Let's put these young people on stage and let them express how they actually feel. I think this will be a jaw-dropping moment for a lot of executives in the tech industry. Let's empower them and put them on the stage and let them talk, and everybody should listen to them because they're the leaders of the future.”



Hammer highlights throughout this episode how his background, surrounded by different cultures, ages, and classes of people, inspired him to center these differences in his event planning. By opening up the tech industry beyond the same people who have been involved in it for the past decades, everyone can benefit from the diversity of experiences that the tech industry can promote through centering different ages, backgrounds, and groups of people.

In this special series podcast episode spotlighting Ambassadors for the Nomad Futurist Foundation, host Nabeel Mahmood warmly introduces Lindsay McConville, a Senior Consulting Engineer based in Amsterdam at Northshore. McConville's expertise spans energy efficiency projects, asset validation, and data analytics across various client portfolios. Passionate about fostering connections and addressing sustainability challenges within the digital infrastructure sector, she thrives on interdisciplinary collaboration and data-driven insights.

McConville stumbled into the data center industry by chance, yet her enthusiasm to engage young minds in this field is palpable. Honored with the 2022 Emerging Talent Award by Infrastructure Masons, Lindsay's dedication to the industry is evident. Beyond her professional endeavors, Lindsay actively engages in community-driven initiatives, including empowering girls in STEM education in The Gambia and supporting local youth programs like the Boys & Girls Club of America.

For the past three years, McConville has returned to her high school engineering class to share her experiences in the data center industry, witnessing the evolving reactions of students firsthand:

“I most recently did that a couple of weeks ago for the class, and it was a really great conversation with them. I was quite surprised by how much they knew about the data center industry before I even presented. So that was quite impressive to me.”

McConville highlights the main topic that has been getting her excited to continue work in the data center space:

“Looking at the differences I'm seeing between the U.S. and Europe is sort of one thing I've been thinking about a lot recently. And when I was working in the U.S., the data center industry was really driven by the hyperscalers. It's really driven by the larger companies, what they're doing. Whereas over in Europe, I'm seeing so much revolving around compliance and regulation."

When asked what advice for her younger self, McConville emphasizes:

“Stay motivated. Stay curious. Continue to ask really good questions. I think we don't do that enough. I think questions are really valuable.”

This episode showcases Lindsay McConville’s journey into the data center industry and displays her passion for getting other young professionals into the space. Her story serves as an inspiration for those navigating their career paths in telecommunications. Connect with Lindsay McConville on LinkedIn to stay updated about her ongoing journey.

In this compelling episode of Nomad Futurist, hosts Nabeel Mahmood and Phillip Koblence welcome Shannon Hulbert, the CEO of Opus Interactive and a member of the Yurok Tribe. With over twenty years of experience in data centers, cloud, utilities, and advocating for digital inclusion, Hulbert offers a unique blend of professional expertise and personal background. Raised in a rural village on the Yurok Tribe reservation in Northern California—a place largely untouched by modern conveniences like electricity, telephone, or internet—she brings a distinctive perspective to the tech industry.

During the episode, Hulbert shares insightful reflections on her early industry experiences, particularly noting the absence of utility companies at data center conferences and the rampant energy consumption:

“Coming from an energy efficiency company as a Native American who has grown up with sustainability at the core of who [I am], to coming into the data center industry, at some of those early conferences, it was like, where are the utility companies? Like we're burning through energy here and there's so much opportunity for efficiency.”

Hulbert explains how conversations and her drive help her keep up with the constantly evolving technology sector:

“I'm just really passionate about innovation. So nothing else in the history of mankind is happening as quickly as what we're building right now in data centers and the cloud, the introduction of AI is here and that's huge."

One notable trend Hulbert highlights seeing in her career was the migration towards sustainable, efficient power solutions, which has consequently shifted focus towards IT:

“Now, nothing happens at the business level unless IT is involved and so it becomes very important to make sure that we have sustainable IT. Because for companies that have corporate social responsibility initiatives, this becomes one of the only ways that they're now able to show that they're doing their best where there's no longer brick and mortar.”

This episode not only showcases Hulbert's unique insights as a representative of the Native American community but also serves as an inspiration for those navigating their career paths in telecommunications. Connect with Shannon Hulbert on LinkedIn to stay updated about her ongoing journey.

BONUS: As promised during the Podcast interview, you can listen to Shannon Hulbert's electronic music here.

Dive into the dynamic world of data center innovation with Karen Petersburg as she joins Jodie Lin in this engaging episode of the Academy Committee special series. With 17 years of expertise, Petersburg has navigated through complex projects and spearheaded major infrastructure renovations. As the Vice President of Data Center Development and Construction at PowerHouse, and with a rich background as the director of design at Digital Realty Trust, she is a driving force behind cutting-edge developments in the industry.

Beyond her professional life, Petersburg actively contributes to the data center industry as the president of the local 7x24 DC Chapter, with board and committee positions for the Data Center Coalition and the Nomad Futurist Foundation. Furthermore, Petersburg is dedicated to exploring the philosophical and socio-economic dimensions of data, contemplating how it impacts our daily lives and shapes our globalized society's future.

Petersburg discusses her strategic thought process behind initiating the Nomad Futurist Academy committee structure, emphasizing the necessary steps to integrate essential modules into the curriculum:

“How can we get to the end result? Which is to get a module into the course. What are the steps that we need to take in order to do that? And so we came up with a program on what we thought made sense, and we're trying to streamline some of the activities for the folks who are trying to put the content together because one of the biggest hurdles to anything is, the amount of work that has to go in in order to make it reality.”

Touching on the critical importance of data center education for younger generations, Petersburg states:

“And having young children, it's so important at this young age to get them understanding that there is more out there… There's just so much misperception out there that we can fix by hitting the younger generation because then they'll learn it's, hey, it's not actually what you're thinking by just looking at the big box, right?”

Petersburg further speaks about the issues the Nomad Futurist Academy is working to solve:

“The Nomad Futurist solves a lot of great problems, right? Because it not only grabs the education and the experience from some of these more senior people and passes it along to the younger generations, we capture those lessons learned, but it also provides a way to educate the public."

Karen Petersburg’s episode explores how the Nomad Futurist Academy is tackling industry challenges head-on, bridging the gap between generations and revolutionizing public education on digital infrastructure. Whether you're a seasoned professional or an aspiring trailblazer, this episode is your gateway to shaping the digital landscape of tomorrow. Tune in now and stay ahead of the curve with the Nomad Futurist Foundation on LinkedIn.