Podcast: Nomads at the Frontier, Ep. 3 - Data Center Dynamics' DCD Connect Virginia
As Infrastructure Masons (iMasons) CEO Santiago Suinaga noted, the sold-out DCD Connect Virginia event in Leesburg on Nov. 6-7 was a standing-room only affair, reflecting the region's huge interest in the data center industry, in a conference which year-over-year "does not disappoint," in the words of International Data Center Authority (IDCA) Chief Certification Officer Mark Gusakov. Both men are key advisors to the Nomad Futurist Foundation.
Podcast Series
Nomad Futurist is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established, per its mission statement, "to demystify the world of digital infrastructure and the related technologies that impact every aspect of our daily lives." Committed to educating youth in underprivileged communities, promoting diversity and inclusion, and opening up opportunities for growth and new career paths, the group says its "primary focus is to empower and inspire younger generations through exposure to the underlying technologies that power our digital world."
Nomad Futurist is known for appointing individuals throughout the data center industry to its ranks of Ambassadors and Advisors, who work to promote the organization's ethos and goals in their professional spheres. The group's members are a pervasive presence in the data center sector, to be found in attendance and presenting at most industry events in the U.S. and abroad.
The purpose of the Data Center Frontier/Nomad Futurist: Field Report series -- aka "Nomads at the Frontier" -- is therefore to gather recurring industry insight, expertise and commentary from Nomad Futurist leaders and ambassadors, firsthand and in the field, as they participate in these events.
DCD Connect Virginia Vibes
During this impromptu podcast discussion, as recorded on-site at Leesburg's Landsdowne Resort Convention Center, Santiago discusses key topics from the event's iMasons Member Summit, including education programs and community concerns.
Santiago goes on to highlight oncoming data center sector challenge as cited by the iMasons 'State of the Digital Infrastructure Industry' annual report, such as power, talent access, and sustainability planning.
For his part, drawing on perspective gained from his ongoing travels around the industry, Mark emphasizes the need for standardization and correcting misconceptions about the data center industry, while urging professionals to act as ambassadors to improve public understanding as the industry grows its vital workforce and sustainability stakes.
Santiago concurs with the pivotal need to increase data center awareness and bring more people into the industry. Mark concludes with some industry vibe check remarks, taking the temperature of Datacenter Dynamics' annual confab in the world's largest data center market.
More Data Center Industry Perspective from DCD Connect Virginia '24
Recent DCF Show Podcast Episodes
- Phillip Koblence, COO and Co-Founder, NYI; Co-Founder, Nomad Futurist
- Data Center Construction and Dallas Market Talk with Burns & McDonnell
- Data Center Frontier's Rich Miller Talks Gigawatt MegaCampus Predictions
- ZutaCore Executives Recap NVIDIA GTC Data Center Liquid Cooling Playbook
- NVIDIA, Equinix, JetCool Talk Data Center Liquid Cooling, GTC 2024 AI Conference Trends
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About the Author
Matt Vincent
Matt Vincent is Editor in Chief of Data Center Frontier, where he leads editorial strategy and coverage focused on the infrastructure powering cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and the digital economy. A veteran B2B technology journalist with more than two decades of experience, Vincent specializes in the intersection of data centers, power, cooling, and emerging AI-era infrastructure. Since assuming the EIC role in 2023, he has helped guide Data Center Frontier’s coverage of the industry’s transition into the gigawatt-scale AI era, with a focus on hyperscale development, behind-the-meter power strategies, liquid cooling architectures, and the evolving energy demands of high-density compute, while working closely with the Digital Infrastructure Group at Endeavor Business Media to expand the brand’s analytical and multimedia footprint. Vincent also hosts The Data Center Frontier Show podcast, where he interviews industry leaders across hyperscale, colocation, utilities, and the data center supply chain to examine the technologies and business models reshaping digital infrastructure. Since its inception he serves as Head of Content for the Data Center Frontier Trends Summit. Before becoming Editor in Chief, he served in multiple senior editorial roles across Endeavor Business Media’s digital infrastructure portfolio, with coverage spanning data centers and hyperscale infrastructure, structured cabling and networking, telecom and datacom, IP physical security, and wireless and Pro AV markets. He began his career in 2005 within PennWell’s Advanced Technology Division and later held senior editorial positions supporting brands such as Cabling Installation & Maintenance, Lightwave Online, Broadband Technology Report, and Smart Buildings Technology. Vincent is a frequent moderator, interviewer, and keynote speaker at industry events including the HPC Forum, where he delivers forward-looking analysis on how AI and high-performance computing are reshaping digital infrastructure. He graduated with honors from Indiana University Bloomington with a B.A. in English Literature and Creative Writing and lives in southern New Hampshire with his family, remaining an active musician in his spare time.
Voices of the Industry
