Investment Forum | New York // Panel: Risk or Reward? Evaluating investment opportunities in high-density data centers for AI and advanced computing

Syed Natif Nawaz, Aurum’s CTO, brings over 22 years of global technology leadership to the forefront of next-generation data centers. Spearheading the firm’s vision, he oversees the entire technology lifecycle, from conception to implementation. With a proven track record in managing and building data centers across four continents for industry giants like Equinix, Nawaz combines technical prowess as a CCIE Emeritus and patent holder with a strategic vision in guiding acquisitions for growth and innovation.

A sustainable leader, he champions green initiatives and energy-efficient solutions, reflecting his commitment to a better tomorrow through technology. Nawaz is not only a sought-after speaker and thought leader in the data center industry but also the driving force behind Aurum’s dedication to constructing a future-proof data infrastructure.

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Jojo is a cloud product manager turned VC and currently serves as an associate at Sixty Degree Capital, leading data center infrastructure investments. She has over 10 years of experience in building cloud data centers in major teleco and has previously developed cloud products from zero to one and N. She is passionate about supporting data center startups, including those focused on computing platforms and network tools.

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Jonathan Schroth is a research analyst on the 451 Research Datacenter Infrastructure & Services team within S&P Global Market Intelligence. His research focuses on datacenter economics and capital markets; supply/demand, utilization and growth forecasts; retail, wholesale and hyperscale activity; government incentives and regulation; and pricing dynamics. He is responsible for geographical coverage of markets in the US (Greater New York/tri-state area, Boston/New England, Chicago and the Pacific Northwest) and the entirety of Canada (where the largest markets include Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver). He is also the team expert on submarine cable infrastructure, as well as trends around the intersection of traditional colocation and cryptocurrency mining.

Prior to joining S&P Global, Jonathan spent nearly a decade at Westfield Capital Management, a Boston-based equity investment firm, where he focused on portfolio construction and strategy as a member of the portfolio strategy team. He was also a consumer of technology in his role at Westfield, evaluating and helping to implement software packages that incorporated big data, artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Jonathan received his bachelor of arts cum laude in Economics and English from Colby College. He is a CFA® charterholder.

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Raj leads Thor’s Data Center program across the Americas, bringing 20+ years of sr. management experience from Google and Deloitte.

Before joining Thor Equities, Raj led Data Center acquisitions across the Americas for Google. During his tenure at Google, Raj also held roles as Global Lead of Economic and Community

Development (ECD) and regional leadership roles overseeing Google’s Data Center acquisitions in the US-Central and Latin American regions. In leading Google’s ECD program, Raj led global

programs in Economic Development, Public Affairs, Workforce Development, Social Impact and Content Development.

Prior to Google, Raj was a Sr. Manager in Deloitte Consulting’s Real Estate and Location Strategy practice group where he advised a wide range of multinational Fortune 500 companies on global location strategy engagements.

Raj holds a BA in Biology from Denison University and a JD from the University of Notre Dame. Raj lives in Pleasanton, CA with his spouse, 3 children and 2 dogs.

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Gelila Bekele is the founder of Aone Partners, a private investment partnership backed by 14 industry-leading software CEOs, technology founders and global investors managing over $1 billion in AUM. Aone Partners specializes in acquiring and scaling enterprise software and technology-enabled services businesses.

Before founding Aone, Gelila was a Director at a leading software holding company and a Researcher at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business where she published nine studies on technology innovation in the Harvard Business Review. Early in her career, Gelila was an investor within BlackRock’s Multi-Asset Strategies and Solutions Group.

Gelila earned a BA in Computer Science and Economics from Columbia College, where she was a Kluge Scholar, and an MBA from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business.

Gelila grew up in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and is now based in New York. She serves on the Boards of mission-driven organizations, including Girls Gotta Run Foundation (GGRF), a foundation that has awarded merit scholarships to over 600 student athletes. She also serves on the Grant Review Committee of Project Redwood, a philanthropic organization that has deployed over $5 million in funding to hundreds of social entrepreneurs and non-profit organizations worldwide.

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