Data Center Careers for Trades, Women, Vets

5.21.21 Delphine Carter is the president of Boulo Solutions, which is a firm that connects women to companies that value women's influence in the workplace, prioritize diversity, and promote a flexible work culture.  We talk about ways companies can get to gender equality and the importance of diversity in tech.  Boulo works to get women back into the workforce and further their careers.  

5.6.21 Today we interview Beth Snyder now with Cologix.  Beth discusses fiber, how the internet works, quite simply, and her journey into his industry.  We discuss the value of trades and how a multitude of jobs exist for people from all backgrounds.  With an extensive background in fiber, two cans and a string provide a great analogy as to simplicity gains for communications.  

4.12.21 Welcome Billie Haggard, Senior Vice President of Operations and Safety Officer at Aligned, who is speaking on the importance of hiring veterans in the data center sector.  Coming from the Navy, Billie recognizes the importance of the skillset members of the military bring to the private sector – especially data centers.  He will discuss why members of the armed forces are key candidates for data center operations, their unique transferable skills and aptitude, and where to find these key candidates for your data center. #vetsintech #vetsindatacenters #thankyouforyourservice

5.15.21 Welcome Ruthe Farmer, Founder of the Last Mile Education Fund. This fund is aimed at giving a hand up to those that need expenses for the final two years of college.  Funds start where scholarships leave off like rent, food, bus fare to interviews.  Named a finalist in the $40m Equality Can't Wait Challenge!  that enables women, particularly women of color, black and indigenous women to be impactful in the workplace.  #womenintech #diversityandinclusion #equity #equality

2.8.21 J GovQA is the leader in enterprise workflow automation for government requests, mainly focused on Public Records (FOIA). As Chief Evangelist, Jen is a first choice for thought-provoking discussions and best-practice working sessions with folks at all levels of state, city and county government across the U.S., especially around the topics of trends in public records workflows, legal affairs, and communications. The pandemic and protests have changed the way “Smart Government” agencies across the country communicate via public records – and caused many to see that the time to act and modernize with technology is now.  

1.12.21 Leticia Latino is the CEO of Neptuno is a champion in the telecommunications industry.  We discuss #SmartCities, telecom needs, scholarships and apprenticeship programs through NATE, TIRAP/WIA, and the Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee.  Her insights are amazing!  Want to climb a tower?

Today we have the pleasure of speaking with Randy Niznick who is a new member of the @IMasons #Veterans committee and a mission critical professional.  Randy talks about the similarities between his career as a Chief in the Navy and the mission critical industry.  We discuss the #IMasons program for bringing vets into civilian life with career training.  #vetsintech #vetsindatacenters #thankyouforyourservice. 

Today I have a great conversation with  Sarah Lawler-Muzquiz with Alcatraz.  Their technology combines new edge-based touchless authentication security with AI for access.  We discuss the pros and cons of AI, the technology, tech for good, and a pathway to the industry for a young woman. 

10.8.20 We get to talk #cybersecurity with @David Maimon from GSU talking about their evidence-based cybersecurity program which provides students with #scholarships and matches them with #CISOs so they are well prepared to hit the ground running in a cyber career.  

9.3.20 We have the pleasure of speaking with Bill Thomson and Becky Cole with DC Blox which is a colo provider in the southeast.   They discuss building in nontraditional data center cities, marketing,  community outreach, and their career paths into the data center industry.  This is a bit different take as DC Blox operates outside of the traditional data center cities, which brings jobs to a city near you.  #vetsintech #tradesintech #womenintech #vetsindatacenters #tradesindatacenters #womenindatacenters #careersintech

8.14.20 in today's episode, we speak with Amy Al-Katib Editor in Chief at Mission Critical Magazine.  Amy came from outside the industry and grew her career into an Editor post.  Her journey from Blockbuster to Editor is inspiring.  #womenintech #womenindatacenters #tradesintech #tradesindatacenter #vetsintech #vetsindatacenters #careersindatacenters  

7.9.20 Today we speak with Nabeel Mahmood Futurist, and C-Suite consultant on buzzwords, cryptocurrency, AI, Smart Cities, Robots, Machine Learning, the path forward after covid, new ways of learning and the importance of triaging your technology.  He provides his insights into the quality of life-work balance, how to better treat employees, and how tech has changed over the years.

Natalie Sharma is the Founder & Creative Director of Pixetal Studio, a niche design studio that specializes in creating websites, brand identities, and user interfaces as scalable visual systems for industry innovators. She is a Jackson, Mississippi native and an honors graduate of Mississippi University for Women where she received her BFA in Graphic Design. She has more than 10 years of experience in design and design tech and has worn many hats such as a layout designer, computer lab assistant, one-woman art department, marketing coordinator, and in-house designer. Outside of her work, Natalie is passionate about tech community and diversity. She is a regular volunteer tech expert with The Bean Path and the founder of the local Meetup group—Women of Design & Tech. Most recently, Natalie was tapped as a finalist for the Ada Lovelace Awards for the Product Designer category and as a mentor for Innovate Mississippi’s Mentor Lounge.

6.5.20 Valerie Crafton with @Turner and Townsend discusses construction management, women in the industry, taking chances, and her role as dean at @AATCU.  Her career choice was made early on, and continues to enjoy her career in construction.  She discusses various jobs in the construction industry.  She shares her drive for outreach and giving back to the data center industry.  #womenintech #tradesintech #womenindatacenters #tradesindatacenters #mikeroweworks #vetsintech #vetsindatacenters

5.7.20 Episode features Kevin Kent with CFPUE and OSU Wexner Medical Center.  Kevin is a Climate Reality Leader and discusses energy efficiencies in data centers both as a necessity and as a career. He is an international speaker on data center energy efficiency creating awareness and providing education through his travels. His ultimate objective is to reduce the overall data center industry's carbon footprint. Kevin is a fellow member of the AFCOM Data Center Institute Board of Directors and serves as Vice President for the AFCOM Central Ohio chapter. #Climatematters #womenintech #vetsintech #tradesintech #womeindatacenters #vetsindatacenters #tradesindatacenters

4.23.20 We speak with Dr. Julie Albright Digital Sociologist and author of Left to Their Own Devices, How Digital Natives are Reshaping the American Dream.  She has a dual Doctorate in Sociology and Marriage and Family Therapy from USC where she teaches master’s level courses on the Psychology of Interactive Technologies and Sustainable Infrastructure.  She’s a sought after keynote speaker for her insights which she has been kind enough to share with us.  We discuss the “untethering” of this upcoming generation, work-related outcomes, and the different job expectations of the digital age workforce.  She discusses the impacts of being untethered and the need for jobs to fill in the skills they miss as they learn more digitally.  "Julie's next book - The Cloud Machine co-authored by @Dean Nelson will peel back the curtain of data centers and the people who run them.

4.17.2020 Episode we interview Cheryl O'Donoghue Author and Emotional Intelligence Leadership Champion and Founder & CEO, Emotional Intelligence Leadership Resources and founder of the outreach organization Mission Sisters who work which offers scholarships for training and school.  Cheryl is the author of How to Be a Woman in Technology, How to Be a Woman in Business and has a new book coming out in 2020 How to Be An Emotionally Intelligent Leader.  Cheryl talks about the scholarship program, why Mission Sisters was founded and provides tips on emotional Intelligence.   #womenintech #tradesintech #vetsintech #womenindatacenters #tradesindatacenters #vetsindatacenters

April 2, we interview Amanda Trumble with ABB who discusses her work at ABB in the power division, starting a WIMCO chapter for the great lakes region and the value of mentorship and women supporting women.  We discuss work-life balance and the need for personal health days, and some great new benefits at ABB.   Amanda has been in the industry for 13 years and knows the value of parallel skills as she, herself, brought someone into the industry from a non-adjacent role.  She discusses some upcoming work with WIMCO, the next generation, mock interviews, and their events in 2020.    #womenintech #tradesintech #vetsintech #womenindatacenters

March 12 we talk to Juli Ierulli, Ecommerce Marketing Manager for @Caterpillar, Chair of the 7x24 Exchange International WiMCO and now VP of @7x24Exchange.org.  Juli discusses her journey, International Data Center Day and outreach in general.   Many of the jobs didn't exist when we began in this industry.  "It's important to have a sponsor." Juli chats about moving from insurance into power and critical power as a career and why parallel skills are so important filling the jobs in our industry.  #womenintech #womenindatacentersd #tradesintech #tradesindatacenters #vetsintech #vetsindatacenters #internationaldatacenterday #WIMCO #7x24exchange                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Taking a science spin, this week we interview Dr. Heloise Stevance @Sydonahi on her journey as an astrophysicist, the science, super and killer nova and other fun space topics.  She shares her tips for learning, not being afraid to fail, and how failure is learning!  Also discussed a strong female role model, the value of coding and knowing how to research. #womenintech #womeninscience #coolwomenofscience #ohyesshecan