Mike Nguyen on Building the Future of Digital Connectivity
In the latest episode of the Nomad Futurist Podcast, co-hosts Nabeel Mahmood and Phillip Koblence, sit down with Mike Nguyen, CEO and Founder of Inflect, for a compelling conversation that bridges personal history, entrepreneurial drive, and the future of digital infrastructure. Nguyen’s career took an unexpected turn when he discovered his passion for medicine was actually driven by a desire to run a business, not practice medicine. This realization led him to explore telecom sales during the dot-com boom, ultimately paving the way for his entrepreneurial ventures: "The appeal of being a doctor, when I really broke it down, was becoming a businessperson. It wasn’t actually the medicine aspects of it." At Inflect, Nguyen built a platform that simplifies global access to digital infrastructure, enabling organizations to easily connect with the resources they need. With a clear vision and a user-first approach, he and his team are redefining how businesses access critical digital tools: "Our simple mission is to make it easy for anybody in the world to find the infrastructure they need to build great apps and connect to their employees, their customers, themselves." The conversation takes a personal turn as Nguyen reflects on his Vietnamese-American immigrant experience, sharing how his family’s escape from post-war Vietnam shaped his resilience and entrepreneurial spirit: "For us, it wasn’t really a dream — it was escaping a nightmare… It was about getting to a point where you can be somewhat stable and start rebuilding a community." Nguyen encountered significant setbacks throughout his career, including positions at companies that collapsed during the telecom bust. However, he turned these challenges into opportunities by launching his own ventures: "Every company I touched ended up collapsing… Then I started a business, and they keep trying to kill me, but they can’t." His determination exemplifies the resilience needed to succeed in volatile industries, showcasing how personal history, adaptability, and entrepreneurial vision can come together to drive success. To stay connected with Mike Nguyen, follow him on LinkedIn.
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40:10
Mark Thiele on Balancing Success and Fulfillment
In this insightful Nomad Futurist episode, co-hosts Nabeel Mahmood and Phillip Koblence engage in a thought-provoking conversation with tech industry veteran, Mark Thiele, most recently serving as CEO and Co-Founder of Edgevana. Together, they explore career growth, the evolving concept of retirement, and the invaluable wisdom he has gained throughout his journey. Thiele reflects on his decision to step away from the corporate grind, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing personal passions and meaningful connections. He candidly shares the sacrifices he made throughout his career and the realization that true fulfillment comes from dedicating time to the people and experiences that matter most: "I'm going to find the time to do the things that I've always wanted to do and spend the time with the people that I've always wanted to spend time with. There was a big portion of my career where I was gone 50-70% of the time year after year." Sharing his unconventional entry into the tech world, Thiele highlights the industry’s vast opportunities for growth, reinforcing the idea that determination and hard work can pave the way to success: "I came into the industry without a college degree. I started at the bottom — which is, you know, like it or not, kind of how we're trying to bring in new people. Start at the bottom. The opportunities to move up are almost endless." Thiele also stresses the importance of seeing the bigger picture, urging professionals to go beyond technical skills and understand how their work fits into the broader ecosystem: "Don't let yourself get caught up in just being the best C++ programmer...or best HVAC or airflow planner... Understand what those things are a part of. Understand what influences the reasons for people to use the things that you work on or that you build or that you deploy." Thiele’s insights provide valuable guidance for professionals at all stages, emphasizing continuous learning, a broad perspective, and work-life balance in an ever-evolving industry. Stay connected with Mark Thiele on LinkedIn.
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40:47
Brian Moon on Hawaii’s Best Kept Tech Secret Revealed
In the latest Nomad Futurist episode, co-hosts Nabeel Mahmood and Phillip Koblence engage in an insightful conversation with Brian Moon, CEO of the Pacific Telecommunications Council (PTC). Moon shares his unique journey to the helm of PTC and highlights the critical role of digital infrastructure in the Pacific region. Moon's background diverges from the typical telecom executive path. With over 20 years of experience in consumer technology at CES in Las Vegas, he brings a fresh perspective to the digital infrastructure sector. He acknowledges his ongoing learning process: "Although I've been in the tech industry for many years, I still consider myself as much of a newbie as possible to digital infrastructure in our industry now, because now I'm learning a lot more so on what happens on the backend." Highlighting the essential role of digital infrastructure, Moon underscores the vital impact of PTC’s work in sustaining modern society’s technological advancements: "None of our cool kids' stuff – television, technology, healthcare - none of it works without what our industry does.” Moon's relocation to Honolulu to lead PTC represents a significant personal and professional milestone. Born in Guam and later moving to the US mainland, he views this opportunity as a "full circle moment:” "I can't believe I'm here now, and I'm working, it's unbelievable." Despite PTC's 47-year history and significant presence, Moon acknowledges that the organization remains relatively unknown within Hawaii. He expresses his commitment to changing this, explaining: "[PTC is the] best kept secret in the Pacific and we're slowly unwrapping that, and we're going to get bigger and better." To stay updated on Brian Moon's insights and PTC's initiatives, connect with him on LinkedIn.
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50:07
Mike Sullivan on Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Cooling
The latest Nomad Futurist podcast features Mike Sullivan, CEO and Co-Founder of Air2O, alongside co-hosts Nabeel Mahmood and Phillip Koblence. From his roots in Manchester to pioneering sustainable cooling solutions, Mike Sullivan's career embodies a relentless pursuit of innovation in the technology industry. Drawing from his extensive experience, beginning with his family's business, Sullivan provides valuable insights for entrepreneurs.Early on in his career, Sullivan started a business with his father providing mechanical and design solutions for existing industrial infrastructure. He credits his entrepreneurial spirit to early experiences and his parents' unwavering support, stressing the need to question established practices:"The one sentence, which I really hate is, we've always done it this way. Just because we've done something one way for a hundred years doesn't mean there's not an alternative."Showcasing his proactive approach to identifying and implementing sustainable technologies, Sullivan was inspired to build his own legacy, going on to found Air2O, a leading provider of innovative and energy-efficient HVAC solutions. He explains:“What I wanted to do was really start a company, which from the ground up allowed us to effectively provide engineered solutions in a competitive manner. So the idea of Air2O was permeating for quite a few years.”Emphasizing the enduring impact of family values and the continuation of an entrepreneurial tradition, Sullivan proudly shares how his family's legacy is being furthered in the HVAC sector through his son’s involvement with Air2O. He notes:"Tom, my eldest son, left the military when we started Air2O. And was essentially a co-founder within Air2O. He joined us here in Arizona and he's certainly carrying that torch."Mike Sullivan's story exemplifies how a willingness to think outside the box and embrace one’s roots can lead to impactful innovation within a dynamic industry.Stay connected with Sullivan on LinkedIn to learn more.
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50:53
Yuval Bachar on Hydrogen-Powered Data Centers Emerge
In this Nomad Futurist episode, Yuval Bachar, CEO of EdgeCloudLink (ECL), joins co-hosts Nabeel Mahmood and Phillip Koblence to explore ECL's innovative approach to sustainable and adaptable data centers, built to meet the unique demands of the AI era. Bachar shares insights into ECL's groundbreaking technology and vision for the future of digital infrastructure. ECL was founded with the goal of transforming traditional data centers — making them more accessible, efficient, and high-performing. Bachar explains:"We started to create and deliver an alternative data center solution in the market, and it was pre-AI. We had a vision to actually be able to create an alternative to the core locations that are accessible to everybody.” At the core of this vision is ECL’s off-grid, hydrogen-powered data center, eliminating the need for UPS systems and diesel generators. Bachar highlights the safety and reliability of hydrogen as an energy source, emphasizing ECL's direct pipeline connections and stringent safety protocols to mitigate risks: "So the refineries in the area of Houston are heavy, heavy users of hydrogen, and they use it in their process for refining oil into gasoline... Imagine that they're operating this as part of a petrochemical process, right? So if it was dangerous and not manageable, they would not use it." Bachar unveils ECL’s expansion plans with a one-gigawatt Texas site, designed to support both large AI models and smaller applications. Its modular, off-grid architecture enables rapid deployment and ensures it stays ahead of AI advancements: "We are looking for a solution right now, and it's coexisting [with] what's called, ‘over the fence,’ with those sites and actually taking from them the energy directly... transitioning it into a data center quality power with on-site storage." Stay connected with Yuval Bachar on LinkedIn for updates on how ECL is redefining data center infrastructure for a more sustainable and AI-driven future.
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 and a deep understanding of technology, the two nomads know the difference between science fiction and useful forecasting. Rather than focusing on the distant future, they devote themselves to scanning the horizon for emerging technologies and disruptive shifts in human behavior, thereby sharing a compelling vision of tomorrow’s opportunities.
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