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 digital infrastructure transactions shaping the future of AI and the modern economy.
From advising on the landmark take-private of CyrusOne to helping navigate today's unprecedented wave of AI-driven development, Kim has witnessed firsthand how data centers have evolved from a niche asset class into one of the most sought-after sectors in global infrastructure.
One of Kim's most compelling observations is that despite the industry's rapid growth, many of today's challenges have no established playbook.
"Let's keep an open mind and try to really focus in on, ‘What do we see are the risks and how can you solve for those?’ It's not the case that this is the way we've always done things. Almost everything in this sector is new."
As developers race to meet the demands of AI, Kim discusses the staggering pace of growth, the confidence she continues to see from investors, and why the market still feels like it's only getting started:
"Demand we're seeing just grow at light speed. It still almost feels like we're at early innings in these transactions.”
The conversation also explores a fundamental shift occurring across the industry: success is no longer determined by any single company. Today's largest projects require unprecedented coordination among developers, hyperscalers, lenders, investors, technology providers, and local communities:
"It is 100% a team sport in this arena. You really have to look at the asset through its full life cycle and try to solve as much as possible for that full life cycle. Everybody has got to be hyper-coordinated."
Beyond the numbers, Kim offers a thoughtful perspective on the responsibility that comes with building digital infrastructure at scale. As data centers expand into new markets, she argues that community engagement and education must be treated as core components of development — not afterthoughts.
"I think first and foremost, education. There's a lot of information out there that is misinformation. Really having a high-level focus on education and what's specifically going on at each site is important. Education is really the key."
That message resonates deeply with the mission of the Nomad Futurist Foundation. As the industry continues to grow, closing the knowledge gap around digital infrastructure is more important than ever. Through education, awareness, and workforce development initiatives, the Foundation is helping students, communities, and future leaders better understand the critical role data centers play in powering our digital world.
Tune in for a fascinating conversation on the evolution of digital infrastructure, the realities of building for the AI era, and why education, collaboration, and trust will be just as important as technology in shaping what comes next.
To learn more about Kim McGrath, connect with her on LinkedIn.

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 connections between technology and the communities it serves.
Brittani, Director of Marketing and Sustainability at ESI Total Fuel Management, has become a passionate advocate for community engagement, workforce development, and helping people better understand the role digital infrastructure plays in their everyday lives. Jason, an educator and curriculum leader at Dobyns-Bennett High School, offers valuable insight into how students discover career opportunities, develop critical skills, and prepare for an increasingly digital future.
Throughout the conversation, the pair explore the power of education, communication, and exposure, arguing that awareness must start early if the industry hopes to inspire future talent and address misconceptions about data centers and emerging technologies.
For Brittani, meaningful engagement begins with making complex topics accessible:
"I could speak at you, but if you're not understanding what I'm saying, then we're not communicating. I'm just throwing information at you."
The discussion examines why the industry must move beyond simply sharing information and instead focus on listening, understanding concerns, and creating authentic connections with the communities where digital infrastructure is growing.
Jason highlights the critical role educators play in introducing students to opportunities they may never otherwise encounter:
"If we do start at the younger and earlier levels of education, just getting them comfortable with it and kind of understanding what it is, not only does it help them, but it helps their families."
Together, they share practical ideas for how industry leaders, schools, and organizations like the Nomad Futurist Foundation — where they are both active members — can work together to expand awareness, create pathways into the industry, and help students see themselves in future technology careers.
Throughout the episode, Brittani and Jason stress the importance of creating opportunities for future generations, arguing that industry leaders have a responsibility to listen to the students and communities they hope to serve:
“I'm here because of you. We're here to serve you, so we need to know what it is that you need from us."
Together, Brittani and Jason remind us that the future of digital infrastructure depends not only on innovation, but on education, engagement, and investing in the next generation.
Connect with Brittani Clarke Clayman and Jason Clayman on LinkedIn to continue the conversation.

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, Melissa shares valuable perspectives on what it takes to navigate one of the fastest-growing sectors in the world.
Melissa reflects on her journey from commercial real estate banking during the 2008 financial crisis to becoming a trusted advisor on complex digital infrastructure investments. While many view law as rigid and procedural, Melissa reveals the creativity and problem-solving that drew her to the profession and continue to fuel her passion today:
"I truly love what I do and I always have. The hours that I work and how much I pour into this — you have to be having fun, otherwise it's not worth it. On the M&A and private equity side, you really get to step into that advisor role and be creative and bounce ideas off of people."
As the conversation unfolds, Melissa explains how the rapid rise of AI has transformed data centers from a niche asset class into critical infrastructure supporting the digital economy. She offers a behind-the-scenes look at how investors evaluate opportunities, what risks matter most, and why today's projects require unprecedented collaboration between legal, financial, operational, power, and regulatory experts.
At the center of her work is helping clients understand and navigate risk in an environment where billions of dollars are being invested into assets that continue to evolve in real time:
"My job first and foremost is to identify the risk, identify the leakage, and help my client understand that. If I understand what their priorities are, I can structure things however I need to. But understanding that timeline on a crisp level — from getting control of the land to permitting, power, financing, and technology — is incredibly important."
Melissa also shares her perspective on artificial intelligence and how it is already reshaping the legal profession. Rather than replacing expertise, she sees AI as a powerful tool that can enhance efficiency, improve decision-making, and allow professionals to spend more time focusing on strategy and business outcomes. The discussion explores both the opportunities and responsibilities that come with adopting these technologies as the industry continues to evolve.
Looking toward the future, Melissa remains energized by the pace of innovation and the opportunities emerging across the digital infrastructure landscape. From AI workloads and advanced chip technology to new financing models and evolving legal frameworks, she believes the industry is still in its early chapters:
"It's an incredibly exciting place to be right now. I can't think of a more dynamic industry. I've worked on pharma, energy, and traditional infrastructure, and this is the most dynamic and exciting thing. I still feel like we're in the second inning of this, and there's still a lot of white space that we haven't even talked about."
Whether you're interested in digital infrastructure, law, finance, technology, or leadership, this episode offers a compelling look at the people, partnerships, and innovation driving the future of our connected world.
To learn more about Melissa Kalka, connect with her on LinkedIn.

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 investment, Jones reflects on a career built at the intersection of risk, timing, and reinvention.
Jones recalls leaving a stable role at the British Airports Authority to start a facilities management business with limited capital and a clear drive to build something of his own. That decision set the tone for a career built on ownership — of risk, outcomes, and responsibility — through growth, setbacks, and shocks like the dot-com crash and 9/11:
“You back yourself or you don’t. And if you don’t back yourself, you quit…”
He expands on this mindset, emphasizing the importance of personal responsibility in leadership:
“I don’t want managers in business, I want the owners… the people who are going to wake up in the middle of the night worrying about the business in a good way…”
Across ventures and geographies, Jones returns to a consistent principle: execution always outweighs ambition on paper. Whether building early facilities management platforms or structuring complex global infrastructure investments, he underscores that success depends on operational discipline, contractual clarity, and a relentless focus on real-world performance:
“It’s all very well building big, fancy, expensive, complicated stuff, but if it doesn’t work, it’s not worth it.”
Looking ahead, Jones frames the current AI and digital infrastructure cycle as one of the most dynamic periods he has experienced. But he also warns that success in this next wave will depend less on prediction and more on adaptability: designing systems, capital structures, and facilities with flexibility built in from the start.
“What you have to do is build in and invest in optionality…”
His perspective brings the conversation full circle, grounded in the idea that across every cycle and shift, enduring success comes back to execution, accountability, and the discipline to build for what actually works in practice.
Connect with Oliver Jones on LinkedIn to continue the conversation and explore his work in digital infrastructure and investment.

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 unprepared parts of the industry may be for what comes next.
Peter is direct about what worries him most: the workforce simply isn’t scaling at the pace of infrastructure demand.
“One of the main concerns about the future of this industry is the fact that there are no real AI data centers in operations yet… we’re going to see this avalanche of giga data centers… and my concern is that we have a shortage of good commissioning agents today.”
As systems grow more complex, the skill set required is also shifting. The boundaries between IT and facilities continue to blur, with technicians now expected to navigate high-voltage DC systems, advanced power distribution, and liquid cooling technologies directly within the server environment.
After decades of relatively consistent design principles, Peter describes a moment of structural reinvention across the industry.
“The architecture has not changed much since I started in this business… Now the whole thing has turned around, and the data center of the future will be fundamentally different… using solid-state transformers and multi-port devices that integrate multiple power sources regardless of voltage or frequency.”
What is taking shape reflects a redesign of core systems rather than incremental upgrades, driven largely by the scale and intensity of AI workloads.
The speed of AI-driven demand caught much of the industry off guard, even among long-time veterans.
“The demand was flat for so long… this whole AI thing came out of nowhere… a company in gaming suddenly discovered its GPUs could be used for something much more useful. It happened extremely fast.”
That acceleration has placed new strain on infrastructure planning, particularly around power delivery. Peter highlights transmission and distribution as the most immediate constraint, as grids struggle to keep pace with where power is needed and when.
Peter’s perspective captures an industry in transition, where infrastructure, technology, and workforce development are all being reshaped at once. His experience underscores a clear reality: the pace of change is being driven by AI, while the ability to support that change depends on how quickly the industry can adapt its systems and develop its people alongside them.
To to learn more about Peter Gross, connect with him on LinkedIn.