Ep. 108: Different by Design- Wes Cummins on Shaping the Future of AI Infrastructure
Kirk is joined by Wes Cummins
Join Kirk and Wes as they delve into the remarkable journey of Wes Cummins, the visionary founder and CEO of Applied Digital. Wes recounts his evolution from a childhood spent on a family potato farm in Southern Idaho to spearheading innovations in next-generation digital infrastructure. He discusses his early fascination with technology, which guided him from academics and athletics to a career in finance and tech. The conversation highlights Wes’s pivot from Bitcoin mining to building high-performance data centers for AI workloads, especially in North America. Wes emphasizes the advantages of operating in smaller towns, like those in North Dakota, where Applied Digital contributes to local economies and creates high-paying jobs. As they explore the critical role of infrastructure in the evolving tech landscape, Wes paints a picture of a future where Applied Digital plays a key role in the global AI race, underscoring the importance of sustainable, community-focused innovation.
Ep. 107: Ethical Dilemmas in AI: What You Need to Know
Kirk is joined by Kevin Timmons
Join Kirk and Kevin as they delve into the intricate world of modern technology, exploring its impact on our daily lives and the future of innovation. They discuss the latest advancements in artificial intelligence, how it’s shaping industries and the ethical considerations that come with it. Additionally, they explore the dynamic intersection of technology and human behavior, examining how digital tools are transforming communication, work, and leisure. Their conversation also touches on emerging trends in tech and what they mean for both businesses and individuals, offering insightful perspectives on the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
Laramie Dorris
Executive Vice President, Yondr
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peter gross, pe
Managing Partner
PMG Associates
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Scott Noteboom
CTO, Quantum Loophole
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Josh Snowhorn
CEO, Quantum Loophole
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Anthony Garcia
President of Hyperscale, Overwatch
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Billy Kleyman
Alan Roche
Director of Commissioning & Integration, STACK Infrastructure
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Sam Huckaby
Chris Crosby
CEO, Compass Datacenters
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Cameron Wynne
CDCO, Element Critical
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Rob DeVita
Aaron Johnson
National Account Manager – Mission Critical as Sunbelt Rentals
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Dirk Van Slyke
Vice President and CMO
Open Compute Project Foundation
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Jacob Schick
CEO, One Tribe Foundation
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Tony Grayson
General Manager, Compass Datacenters
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Brett Rogers
Alfonso Portillo
Data Center Design and Engineering Machine Learning Lead, Google
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Jason Coe
Michael Ortiz
CEO, Layer 9 Data Centers
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Brittany Miller
Senior Vice President Design Construction Supply Chain, NTT
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Mark Houpt
Chief Information Security Officer, Databank
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Mike Maggio
Project Manager, Overwatch
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Skyler Eden
Project Manager, Overwatch
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Dean Nelson
CEO, Cato
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Liz Cruz
Director of Product Marketing
Accelsius
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Tim Kearns
Jared Smith
North American Container Distribution Operation Project Lead, International Paper
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Joseph Pinzon
Karli Waldon
COO, Overwatch
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Saurabh Ladha
CEO and Founder
Doxel.ai
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Pete DiSanto
President of Operations
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Bill Mazzetti
Carrie Goetz
CTO, StrategITcom
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Bruce Lee
Senior Program Manager, Patrona Corporation
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Thomas McAndrew
CEO, Enchanted Rock
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Lindsey Bruner
David Liggitt
Todd Smith
Hadassa Lutz
Global Technology Executive, SoftwareONE
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Kayla Remington
Consultant / Mission Critical & Construction
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Dakota Meyer
Medal of Honor Recipient / CEO of DASH Strategies
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Todd Frey
Pathways Program Manager, Equinix
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Sam Persico
CDO
OVERWATCH
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Jennifer Reininger
Senior Development Manager
Yondr Group
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Freddy Padilla
Principal
Page, Inc
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Alejandro Cantu Sepulveda
COO/Co-Founder
Layer 9 Datacenters
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Rob Coyle
Community Technical Program Manager
Open Compute Project Foundation
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Tiffany Kovaleski
Global Account Manager
OVERWATCH
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Vance McMurry
Human Performance Engineer
APS
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Christopher Gorthy
Advanced Pre-Construction Leader
DPR Construction
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Charles McCarthy
COO
Suffolk Construction
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Rob Daly
President, Mission Critical Solutions
Overwatch Construction
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Christian Belady
Data Center Pioneer & Senior Advisor
Digital Bridge
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Osvaldo Morales
Chief Officer of Infrastructure
Denvr Dataworks
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Rhea Williams
Chief Commercial Officer
E3 Platforms
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Sydney Hartung
Quality Control APM
Overwatch
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Shae Persico
Social Media Specialist
Overwatch
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Mike Sarraille
Founder and CEO
Talent War Group
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Daniel Crosby
CEO
Legend Energy Advisors
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Jen Hansen
Executive Director of Sales
Second City Power
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Emile Sayegh
Serial Technology CEO and Founder
Profit Growth Insights
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Jamie Smith
COO
RPower
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Dan Lombardo
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Joe Minarik
COO
Databank
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Scott Jarnagin
CEO
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The Data Center Revolution Podcast is a link connecting an audience eager for knowledge with the thought leaders and pioneers pushing boundaries in our industry. Hosted by Overwatch’s own Kirk Offel, Joseph Pinzon, Jesse Sargent, and Anthony Garcia, these are not quick chats. They’re complete, strategic discussions with the luminaries guiding the data center industry’s evolution. The mission? To dig deep, peel back the layers, and understand what drives the innovations transforming our field.
In the data center industry, we’re fortunate to be led by a squadron of trailblazers, and the Data Center Revolution Podcast is where you get to know them. It’s where we unravel the inspirations and motivations fueling these change-makers. What drives them to shake up the status quo and spark transformation in the data center industry? Get the answer, and maybe ignite a spark of your own, in every episode of the Data Center Revolution Podcast. The Revolution is calling – are you ready to answer?
PODCAST HOST
Kirk Offel is the founder, managing partner, and CEO of OVERWATCH Mission Critical, an Austin, Texas based strategic data center consulting and owners’ representation services to the mission critical and telecom industries. He is a mission critical industry expert with over two decades of experience served in various executive roles throughout his career, working with a range of Fortune 1000 companies and major data center providers around the world, including: Medtronic, Active Power, Eaton Corporation, Hewlett-Packard’s Technology Services Consulting practice (EYP), CyrusOne Data Centers, NOVA Mission Critical, and Aligned Data Centers. Kirk is also the founder of the Data Center Austin Conference, an industry leading technical summit.
He is also a veteran and a member of the “Class of 2010 Military Top 40 under 40” after serving 5 years in the U.S. Navy. Kirk’s journey in this field began in 1995 with his service in the US Navy on the Nuclear Fast Attack Submarine SSN-691, laying the foundation for over two decades of substantial contributions to the industry.
Kirk enriches the industry dialogue through the Data Center Revolution Podcast. As its main host, he engages in strategic discussions with industry leaders and pioneers, offering deep insights into the evolving landscape of data centers and related technologies. These conversations reflect his dedication to exploring the forces shaping the technical world as we approach the Fifth Industrial Revolution (5IR) which aims to foster harmonious and synergistic collaboration between humans and emerging technologies. Without data centers… there is no AI as Data centers serve as the sky for the cloud and the launching pad for AI. We are dedicated to delivering a better future, but our biggest limitation to doing so is people.
The Data Center Revolution Podcast is a link connecting an audience eager for knowledge with the thought leaders and pioneers pushing boundaries in our industry. Hosted by Overwatch’s own Kirk Offel, Joseph Pinzon, Jesse Sargent, and Anthony Garcia, these are not quick chats. They’re complete, strategic discussions with the luminaries guiding the data center industry’s evolution. The mission? To dig deep, peel back the layers, and understand what drives the innovations transforming our field.
In the data center industry, we’re fortunate to be led by a squadron of trailblazers, and the Data Center Revolution Podcast is where you get to know them. It’s where we unravel the inspirations and motivations fueling these change-makers. What drives them to shake up the status quo and spark transformation in the data center industry? Get the answer, and maybe ignite a spark of your own, in every episode of the Data Center Revolution Podcast. The Revolution is calling – are you ready to answer?
PODCAST HOST
Kirk Offel is the founder, managing partner, and CEO of OVERWATCH Mission Critical, an Austin, Texas based strategic data center consulting and owners’ representation services to the mission critical and telecom industries. He is a mission critical industry expert with over two decades of experience served in various executive roles throughout his career, working with a range of Fortune 1000 companies and major data center providers around the world, including: Medtronic, Active Power, Eaton Corporation, Hewlett-Packard’s Technology Services Consulting practice (EYP), CyrusOne Data Centers, NOVA Mission Critical, and Aligned Data Centers. Kirk is also the founder of the Data Center Austin Conference, an industry leading technical summit.
He is also a veteran and a member of the “Class of 2010 Military Top 40 under 40” after serving 5 years in the U.S. Navy. Kirk’s journey in this field began in 1995 with his service in the US Navy on the Nuclear Fast Attack Submarine SSN-691, laying the foundation for over two decades of substantial contributions to the industry.
Kirk enriches the industry dialogue through the Data Center Revolution Podcast. As its main host, he engages in strategic discussions with industry leaders and pioneers, offering deep insights into the evolving landscape of data centers and related technologies. These conversations reflect his dedication to exploring the forces shaping the technical world as we approach the Fifth Industrial Revolution (5IR) which aims to foster harmonious and synergistic collaboration between humans and emerging technologies. Without data centers… there is no AI as Data centers serve as the sky for the cloud and the launching pad for AI. We are dedicated to delivering a better future, but our biggest limitation to doing so is people.
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