Nomad Futurist

The AI revolution may be fueled by chips, power, and data centers — but behind every billion-dollar development is a complex web of partnerships, risk, capital, and strategy. In this episode of the Nomad Futurist Podcast , co-hosts Nabeel Mahmood and Phillip Koblence sit down with Kim McGrath , Partner at Kirkland & Ellis, whose work places her at the center of some of the most significant dig...

In this special episode of Nomad Futurist , co-hosts Nabeel Mahmood and Phillip Koblence welcome Brittani Clarke Clayman and Jason Clayman — the first husband-and-wife duo to appear on the podcast. Together, they bring two complementary perspectives to one of the industry's most important challenges: preparing the next generation for the future of digital infrastructure while building stronger con...

In this episode of the Nomad Futurist Podcast , co-hosts Nabeel Mahmood and Phillip Koblence welcome Melissa Kalka , Partner at Kirkland & Ellis, for an insightful conversation exploring the intersection of digital infrastructure, finance, law, and artificial intelligence. From her unconventional career path to her front-row seat to some of the industry's most transformative transactions, Meli...

In this episode of the Nomad Futurist Podcast , co-hosts Nabeel Mahmood and Phillip Koblence sit down with Oliver Jones , Managing Partner at Accelerated Infrastructure Capital Limited (AIC), for a conversation that spans entrepreneurship, resilience, and the evolution of digital infrastructure in the age of AI. From airports and facilities management to data centers and large-scale infrastructure...

Peter Gross has watched the data center industry transform from modest, one-megawatt builds serving financial institutions into the early stages of AI-driven, gigawatt-scale infrastructure reshaping the global digital landscape. In this conversation on the Nomad Futurist Podcast with co-hosts Nabeel Mahmood and Phillip Koblence , he reflects on how quickly the landscape has shifted, and how unprep...

Adam Lewis , Managing Director at Citizens M&A Advisory, joins the Nomad Futurist podcast with co-hosts Nabeel Mahmood and Philip Koblence for a conversation that pulls back the curtain on how telecom, capital markets, and digital infrastructure are colliding in the age of AI — and what it really takes to keep up. What sets Adam apart is how he learned the business: not just behind a desk, but...

In the latest Nomad Futurist episode, co‑hosts Nabeel Mahmood and Philip Koblence welcome Joe Kava , former VP of Data Centers at Google, about the hidden engines powering our digital world. Joe takes listeners from his early dreams of becoming a fighter pilot to leading one of the most advanced digital infrastructure platforms on the planet, sharing insights on technology, leadership, and the rea...

On this episode of the Nomad Futurist Podcast , cohosts Nabeel Mahmood and Phillip Koblence sit down with Abhishek Garg , Senior Real Estate Development Manager at Amazon Web Services (AWS) and an Nomad Futurist Foundation Ambassador. Abhishek shares his journey from a curious child in a small Indian border town to designing and building massive AI-ready data center campuses that power the cloud....

The latest episode of the Nomad Futurist Podcast features Dr. Casey Eldringhoff, in conversation with co-hosts Nabeel Mahmood and Phillip Koblence , and it’s a powerful exploration of leadership, resilience, and humanity in mission-critical infrastructure. From the U.S. Navy’s nuclear power program to senior leadership at QTS Data Centers, Eldringhoff’s journey is defined by technical excellence,...

The latest episode of the Nomad Futurist Podcast, recorded live at the DCF Trends Summit , features Robert (Bob) Cassiliano , Chairman and CEO of 7x24 Exchange, in conversation with co-hosts Nabeel Mahmood and Phillip Koblence . Drawing on more than three decades in mission-critical infrastructure, Bob reflects on where the industry began and what it must confront next. From the earliest days of d...

On the latest Nomad Futurist Podcast , co-hosts Nabeel Mahmood and Phillip Koblence sit down with Adam Gibson , Director of techvox and a Nomad Futurist Foundation Ambassador, to discuss his unconventional journey into data centers and fiber. The conversation spans his work across Australia, New Zealand, and APAC, highlighting how curiosity, community, and fundamentals can drive a long, global car...

Nomad Futurist kicks off 2026 with a powerful conversation led by co-hosts Nabeel Mahmood and Phillip Koblence , highlighting Liliya Valihun , whose work sits at the intersection of education, technology, and humanitarian impact. In this episode, she shares how a personal calling to serve Ukrainian orphans evolved into a full ecosystem that uses tech skills to create dignity, opportunity, and nati...

Six seasons in, the Nomad Futurist end-of-year episode feels less like a traditional recap and more like a stake in the ground for where the Foundation, and the industry, go next. Co-hosts Nabeel Mahmood and Phillip Koblence look back on a year where education, access, and community-building around digital infrastructure evolved from a passion project into a global movement, while also setting the...

In this episode of the  Nomad Futurist Podcast , co-hosts  Nabeel Mahmood  and  Phillip Koblence  are joined by  Lovisa Tedestedt , Strategic Account Executive for Cloud & Service Providers at Schneider Electric. Lovisa shares her unique journey from studying economics in Sweden to building a career that spans textiles, entrepreneurship, and leading comp...

In this  Nomad Futurist  episode, GEICO’s Head of Infrastructure — and newly appointed  Nomad Futurist Foundation  Ambassador —  Rebecca Weekly  joins co-hosts  Nabeel Mahmood  and  Phillip Koblence  to share how a curious kid dismantling gadgets grew into a leader shaping large-scale infrastructure and AI-driven environments. Through stories...

In the latest episode of the  Nomad Futurist Podcast , co-hosts  Nabeel Mahmood  and  Phillip Koblence  sit down with  Chris Pruitt , Senior Director of Data Center Operations at CoreSite, and a seasoned veteran of the digital infrastructure world whose personal journey offers a masterclass in resilience, curiosity, and transformation.  Once a...

In this special live edition of the Nomad Futurist Podcast , recorded at the Data Center Frontier Trends Summit , co-hosts Nabeel Mahmood and Phillip Koblence sit down with industry veteran Doug Recker , founder of Duos Edge AI , for a conversation that traces his remarkable journey through the evolving world of digital infrastructure.  From his beginnings as a U.S. Marine to building and sel...

In this deeply inspiring episode of the Nomad Futurist Podcast , Emil Sayegh — visionary CEO, innovator, and data center industry trailblazer — joins co-hosts Nabeel Mahmood and Phillip Koblence for a powerful, personal conversation that bridges war, entrepreneurship, and the human side of technology.  Emil shares how growing up amid Lebanon’s civil war shaped his perspective, leadership, and...

Data centers may power the digital world, but behind the servers are the people who make it all run and building that workforce is no small challenge. In the latest Nomad Futurist Podcast , Bryon Price and Stephanie Zimmerman of JLL pull back the curtain on the human side of the data center industry. They discuss with co-hosts Nabeel Mahmood and Phillip Koblence how the data center industry attrac...

The latest episode of the Nomad Futurist Podcast spotlights Snehar Shah , a visionary technology leader who’s transforming Africa’s digital landscape. As CEO of IXAFRICA Data Centre and Ambassador of the Nomad Futurist Foundation, Snehar bridges continents, industries, and ideas, driving innovation on a global scale.  Co-hosts Nabeel Mahmood and Phillip Koblence sit down with Snehar to trace...

Brian Smith , former Navy officer, federal executive, and now Director of Nuclear Reactor Development at Idaho National Laboratory, joins the latest Nomad Futurist Podcast with co-hosts Nabeel Mahmood and Phillip Koblence . He shares his unexpected journey and how it prepared him to help solve one of today’s most critical challenges: powering the digital age.  “Nothing is off the table.” &nbs...

What if school felt less like a building and more like a gateway to the future students imagine for themselves? That vision fuels the work of Lynette Gillson , Community-Industry & AVID Outreach Specialist at Mountain View Los Altos High School District. Her passion and purpose come to life in a recent conversation on the Nomad Futurist podcast with co-hosts Nabeel Mahmood and Phillip Koblence...

In the latest episode of the Nomad Futurist podcast, co-hosts Nabeel Mahmood and Phillip Koblence bridge three time zones to sit down with Dr. Atif Ansar , Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Foresight, for a fascinating exploration of the real reasons ambitious infrastructure projects thrive — or fail.  At the core of this conversation is Atif’s powerful thesis: the biggest challenges in la...

In this thought-provoking episode of the Nomad Futurist podcast, co-hosts Nabeel Mahmood and Phillip Koblence sit down with Kemal Hawa, partner at Kirkland & Ellis LLP, for an insightful exploration of digital infrastructure’s evolution and the legal frameworks shaping its future.  With decades of experience spanning data centers, fiber, submarine cables, towers, and beyond, Kemal guides...

The latest episode of the Nomad Futurist podcast features Chris Moon , Managing Director at DigitalBridge, offering a thoughtful exploration of the evolving landscape of digital infrastructure finance alongside the personal journey that brought him to the forefront of this dynamic sector.  Chris opens the conversation with a clear mission, one shared by co-hosts Nabeel Mahmood and Phillip Kob...