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 digital infrastructure, a divide existed between technology and facilities teams. Bob shares how 7x24 Exchange was founded to close that gap, bringing both sides together around a shared focus on resilience, reliability, and uptime:

“The whole purpose was to bring both groups together so they would understand each other’s challenges. Because in the end, it’s all about business objectives.”

As the industry evolved from mainframes to today’s high-density environments, expectations around uptime, power, and complexity skyrocketed. While the tools and scale have changed dramatically, Bob notes that many of the core challenges remain; only intensified by the pace of growth:

“The challenges that existed in 1990 are still here; they’ve just grown faster and become more complex.”

AI now sits at the center of this transformation. Bob discusses how it’s driving unprecedented power densities and forcing a reexamination of energy sourcing, cooling strategies, and site selection, while also raising broader concerns about speed, responsibility, and oversight:

“If you build this so quickly without guardrails, you’re not just going to accelerate good things, you’re going to accelerate bad things.”

Workforce development naturally becomes a central thread in the conversation, as Bob reflects on how early outreach efforts focused on universities ultimately revealed a more fundamental challenge: many people simply weren’t aware that data center careers even exist. That insight reshaped 7x24 Exchange’s approach, prompting a strategic shift further upstream to engage students and families before career paths begin to take shape:

“We were hitting universities, but we really had to get to elementary students and their parents because they didn’t know these careers were even an option.”

Bob brings clarity and context to the challenges shaping digital infrastructure today. Connect with him on LinkedIn to follow his ongoing insights and industry leadership.

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 career in digital infrastructure.

Adam’s journey begins in his early teens, as a 13-year-old immersed in video games, building LANs with friends and running grassroots events that unknowingly set the foundation for his first data center role:

“I came straight from high school into the space and haven’t looked back… I’m still technically uneducated. However, data centers make you run fast and learn quick.”

Throughout the episode, Adam underscores a core truth of the industry: today’s AI platforms, hyperscale campuses, and cloud services are built on the same foundational principles he first encountered in early server farms and the dial-up gaming era. He argues that the Internet has become a true utility, selected alongside power, water, and gas when moving into a home, yet its physical foundations are often taken for granted:

“We still need the fundamentals… people’s crazy cat videos, AI videos, e-mails and everything else need to be stored somewhere, cooled somewhere, powered somewhere and connected somewhere.”

That perspective carries into Adam’s work as a Nomad Futurist Foundation Ambassador, where he is focused on attracting new talent as data center and subsea investment accelerates across APAC. He highlights Australia’s role in global subsea connectivity and New Zealand’s renewable energy strength as forces turning the region into a critical digital crossroads in need of skilled people.

His message to newcomers is clear and encouraging. Opportunities span mechanical systems, networking, AI, and operations, and success comes from respecting the fundamentals and staying curious:

“Don’t just jump in as a VP going ‘I’ve got this’… work yourself into it; there’s a spot for you.”

The episode also shows the human side of a global career: Adam relies on music, movement, and simple meals to stay grounded while traveling for industry events and work, logging more than 100 flights and navigating relentless time zones. He highlights major event hosts, all partners and supporters of the Foundation, showcasing the community-driven side of the industry. While he plans to slow down, his commitment to the field remains unwavering:

“I’ll never miss a PTC, I’ll never miss an ITW, I’ll never miss a Capacity or a DataCloud… but at some point it’s about lifestyle and support.”

Connect with Adam Gibson on LinkedIn to continue the conversation and learn more about his work across APAC, digital infrastructure, and talent development.

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 national resilience in a time of war.

Liliya is open about not coming from a tech background and how curiosity, not credentials, pulled her into data and infrastructure. Her mindset sets the tone for anyone wondering if they “belong” in technology:

“I think it’s not about what you are inclined towards. It’s about your willingness to learn something new every day, be curious and just, you know, be open to anything new.”

Liliya explains how witnessing both the potential of Ukrainian orphans and the effects of conflict inspired her and her husband to create a tangible solution. That solution became Hebron Academy, a comprehensive environment for disadvantaged youth:

“We bought a big facility, we call it Stanford for Orphans…providing not only education, future and hope to disadvantaged youth orphans in Ukraine, but also room and board, life skills, physical support, mental health care.”

She also speaks candidly about the human cost of war and the work needed to rebuild a nation beyond its infrastructure. For Liliya, trauma can become a source of resilience and strength:

“The biggest need…is not just rebuilding and investing into structures… but in people, helping them with the trauma…that trauma is not their weakness, but it’s their strengths…redirecting the pain into power.”

Liliya closes by highlighting that lasting change comes from service, community, and long-term relationships; not just technology or capital. Her story embodies the values at the heart of the Nomad Futurist Foundation: curiosity, courage, and compassion can turn even the darkest challenges into opportunities for innovation, growth, and meaningful impact.

To learn more about Liliya Valihun, connect with her on LinkedIn.