Show Notes
In this episode of Cache Me if You Can, we go beneath the cloud to examine the physical infrastructure powering today’s digital economy: data centers. As demand for cloud services, AI workloads, and high-performance computing accelerates, data centers have become critical national assets—while also emerging as flashpoints for debates over energy use, land, labor, and local governance.
Our guest, Chris Kimm, former Senior Vice President at Equinix, brings decades of experience operating and scaling global data center infrastructure at the intersection of technology, customers, and public policy. Drawing on his leadership across data center operations in the Americas and global customer service teams, as well as his time chairing the Data Center Coalition’s Board of Directors, Chris helps unpack how modern data centers work, how they’ve evolved, and why misconceptions about their impact persist.
We discuss what actually happens inside a data center, how facilities differ from hyperscale to edge deployments, where innovation is happening most rapidly, and how the industry is responding to mounting energy and sustainability challenges. The conversation also explores why regions like Northern Virginia became data center hubs, what economic benefits these facilities bring to local communities, and how policymakers can better balance growth with public concerns as digital infrastructure continues to expand.
More from Cache Me If You Can
In this episode of Cache Me if You Can, we examine the expanding role of private companies in U.S. offensive cyber operations and what recent policy developments reveal about the future of public-private cooperation in cyberspace. For decades, offensive cyber operations have largely remained the responsibility of government agencies. However, a new White House memorandum exploring how vetted private companies could conduct cyber surveillance and disruption operations against foreign cybercriminal organizations raises important questions about the boundaries between government authority, private-sector capabilities, and national security.
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In this episode of Cache Me If You Can, we explore how advances in artificial intelligence are reshaping the balance between cyber attackers and defenders. As increasingly capable AI models discover vulnerabilities, navigate complex systems, and accelerate sophisticated cyber operations, organizations face a critical question: can defenders harness these same capabilities quickly and safely enough to gain the advantage?
On this special edition episode, Lauryn Williams joins Will Todman on the State of Play podcast for a crossover episode of Cache Me If You Can.