The future of digital infrastructure is being built at an extraordinary pace and the conversations shaping that future require more than one perspective.
The Nomad Futurist Foundation is proud to partner with Datacloud USA x Metro Connect Fall 2026, taking place September 2-3 in Austin, Texas. Bringing together leaders across data centers, hyperscalers, fiber, neoclouds, energy, finance, and the public sector, the event creates an important forum for the people making decisions that will define the next generation of digital infrastructure.
For Nomad Futurist, this partnership is a natural extension of our work.
Our mission is centered on connecting people, education, and opportunity across the digital infrastructure industry. We believe the future of the industry depends not only on building more infrastructure, but on building the talent, knowledge, relationships, and collaboration needed to support it.
And in Austin, we will be deeply involved in that conversation.
More Than a Presence. A Partnership.
Our participation at Datacloud USA x Metro Connect Fall goes well beyond attending the event.
Members of the Nomad Futurist community will be on stage, in the room, and throughout the broader industry conversation, bringing perspectives from across the digital infrastructure ecosystem.
Our Ambassadors and Advocates will contribute to discussions on some of the industry’s most pressing challenges: from accelerating data center construction and deploying modular infrastructure to developing the workforce needed to sustain long-term growth.
Day 1, September 2
11:40 AM — Join Ambassador Ellen Yang for Fast-Track Delivery: Constructing Data Centers at Scale and Pace
As demand for capacity continues to grow, how can the industry deliver infrastructure faster without compromising quality or reliability? Ellen Yang will join the conversation around the evolving approaches to data center construction and project delivery.
2:15 PM — Join Ambassador Doug Recker for Off-the-Shelf to On-Site: Modular Innovations in Hyperscale Deployment
Modular infrastructure is changing how data centers can be designed and deployed. Doug Recker will explore the innovations helping hyperscale operators rethink traditional approaches to infrastructure delivery.
4:45 PM — Join Advocate Adam Noll for Show Me Your Workforce Plan: How Access to Talent Is Becoming a Differentiator for Digital Infrastructure Operators
One of the industry’s biggest challenges isn’t simply how quickly we can build. It is who will build, operate, and maintain what comes next. Adam Noll will address the growing importance of workforce strategy and why access to talent is becoming a competitive differentiator for digital infrastructure operators.
Day 2, September 3
9:50 AM — Join Ambassador Santiago Suinaga for Texas at the Helm of America’s AI Dominance
Texas has emerged as a major hub for the infrastructure supporting America’s AI ambitions. Santiago Suinaga will join the discussion around the state’s growing role and what it will take to support the next phase of AI-driven infrastructure growth.
2:00 PM — Join Ambassador Ilissa Miller for Town Hall: Overcoming NIMBYism and Expediting Permitting
Infrastructure cannot be built without communities and policymakers at the table. Ilissa Miller will participate in a town hall focused on one of the industry’s most persistent challenges: navigating permitting and community concerns while keeping critical infrastructure projects moving.
Bringing the Community Together
Our involvement doesn’t stop when the sessions end. Ambassadors Scott Charter and Walter Cannon, and Advocate Mona Weisberg will be onsite representing the Foundation and connecting with industry leaders, partners, and the broader Nomad Futurist community.
Building those connections is at the heart of what we do, and why our partnership with Datacloud USA x Metro Connect Fall is so meaningful. As the industry faces growing challenges around AI, energy, construction, and talent, collaboration across the ecosystem is more important than ever.
Join us in Austin next month. Register for Datacloud USA x Metro Connect Fall and use code NF10 for your discount.
About the Nomad Futurist Foundation
The Nomad Futurist Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to demystifying digital infrastructure and accelerating workforce development in the AI era. Through university partnerships, global ambassador programs, scholarships, and the Nomad Futurist Academy, the Foundation connects industry expertise with the next generation of leaders shaping the digital economy.
To learn more about the Nomad Futurist Foundation, please click here.
