Nomad Futurist
The nomads put a new spin on the tech genre by shining a light not only on technology but also on the human side of the digital age. Tune in if you find yourself thinking about how to integrate into the digital landscape and be a part of the evolving industry. For over two decades, Phil and Nabeel have provided a powerful catalyst for organizations to create a vision of the future and the will to innovate. As futurists, they deliver a dynamic and entertaining vision of change, blending technology, economics, demographics, culture, and human nature. With real business experience...
Navigating the Energy Landscape and Future of Data Center Power
In the latest episode of Nomad Futurist, hosts Nabeel Mahmood and Phillip Koblence welcome Jeff Barber, the Vice President of Global Data Centers for Bloom Energy. In his role, he is dedicated to empowering data center developers, tenants, and operators to take control of all their data center power requirements with greener, more reliable, more resilient, and more predictable onsite power via fuel cells from Bloom Energy.
Barber joined from Roseville, California, home to the ​100-megawatt Bloom Tower. Bloom has been around for a little over a decade and went public in 2018. Bloom has always dabbled in da...
Embrace the Slime: An Immersion Cooling Journey
In this episode of the Nomad Futurist, hosts Nabeel Mahmood and Phillip Koblence welcome Daniel Pope, Chief Technology Officer of Submer, an immersion cooling technology company. Pope embarked on his journey in the web hosting business at just 16, transforming a single-bedroom server into a multi-million dollar data center. Boasting over 20 years of experience in data center design and operations, his expertise and vision are focused on enabling the transition toward sustainable and future-proofed digital infrastructure.
As Pope starts to share his journey, he explains that Submer, the company he helped found, is revolutionizing the way the industry...
Curiosity and Communities: Bringing Data Centers to the World
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 fo...
Innovation through Inclusion: Cultivating Community in Tech
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 sa...Ambassador Spotlight
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...
From Rural Roots to Tech Titan
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...
Blueprints of Innovation: Creation of the Nomad Futurist Academy
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 7...
The Data Center Intersection of Marketing, Economics, and Psychology
In this engaging episode of Nomad Futurist, Nabeel Mahmood and Phillip Koblence are joined by Melissa Reali-Elliott, the Content Marketing Manager for DC BLOX. With nearly two decades dedicated to marketing digital technologies, Melissa, a self-proclaimed data center enthusiast, is a consistent contributor to various industry publications. Notably, she authors the Data-Centered column for Mission Critical Magazine. Beyond her background in marketing and communications, Melissa has lent her voice as an advocate for diversity and sustainability initiatives. To these efforts, she contributed to the 2022 bestseller "Greener Data," a multi-author, visionary book that features the voices, stories, and perspectives of...
Inside Scoop: How the Academy is Made
In this captivating episode of the Academy Committee special series, Emma Grace Myers, Community Engagement Manager at iMiller Public Relations (iMPR), engages in an insightful discussion with Phillip Koblence, host of Nomad Futurist. Transitioning directly from college to the digital infrastructure world two years ago, Myers has been on a journey of growth. Alongside her role as a Board Member and Advisor for the Nomad Futurists, she holds a unique position as the head of the Audience Quality Assurance committee, actively contributing to shaping and promoting the curriculum of the Nomad Futurist Academy — a dedicated resource tailored for emerging da...
From Submarines to Datacenters
In this captivating episode of Nomad Futurist, Phillip Koblence and Nabeel Mahmood are joined by Sean James, Senior Director of Datacenter Research at Microsoft. Sean, a visionary leader and innovator in the field of datacenter technology, has been instrumental in advancing groundbreaking projects. These include using hydrogen fuel cells to provide emission-free backup power at datacenters, redesigning datacenters for an advanced energy future with carbon-storing cement, and even testing underwater datacenters. With numerous patents and publications on datacenter energy efficiency and sustainability, Sean's passion for finding reliable, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly ways to run datacenters stems from over two...
