With the rise of AI and high-performance computing, digital infrastructure providers are facing more and more challenges in terms of public sentiment due to environmental impact, building constraints, resource consumption, and demand for workforce development. While all of these challenges are mission-critical and require high-priority action, one of the most crucial points our industry needs to consider as it evolves isn’t actually about us—it’s about the communities we call home. The impact of these seismic shifts in our industry isn’t limited to us as digital infrastructure providers; the residents adjacent to the communities in which we operate and the people we serve are equally impacted, too. That’s why, at EdgeConneX, we see ourselves as more than a digital infrastructure provider—we’re a neighbor, a partner, and a force of good for our communities that proactively attempts to address many of these issues and concerns.
One aspect of community support about which we’re particularly passionate is education. In Issue 20 of InterGlobix Magazine, Vice President of Marketing at EdgeConneX, Angela Capon, and former Director of People Programs at Infrastructure Masons, Hiba Agha, discussed how EdgeConneX and iMasons are collaborating on education initiatives and leveraging global partnerships to deliver an education-to-workforce pipeline of talent as a way to address the significant talent gap in our industry and give back to our communities.
We’re now a year and a half later, and creating clear pathways from the classroom to careers in technology is more important than ever. Educating and empowering the next generation of innovators isn’t just about providing for the needs of our ever-growing industry. It’s about introducing young people to lucrative careers and providing long-term, tangible value to the communities we serve.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Phillip Marangella brings significant expertise to his role, drawing on 25 years of experience in international marketing, strategy, and business development across the data center, telecom, and technology sectors. In addition to his work with EdgeConneX, Marangella serves on the advisory boards for Lokker and Accelsius and is actively involved with the Data Center Coalition, Infrastructure Masons, and the Duke of Edinburgh Award Program. His leadership has earned him several accolades, including the PTC’23 Outstanding Diversity and Inclusion Champion Award for developing and mentoring HBCU Capstone Programs and the Datacloud Global Agent of Change Award in 2023. In addition, Marangella was honored at the Infrastructure Masons Champion Awards for Diversity, Inclusion, and Education in 2021 and was recognized by Data Centre Magazine as a top-ten marketing executive.
Before joining EdgeConneX, Marangella held key roles at companies like Equinix, Coresite, Verizon Business, MCI, Nortel, Globalstar, and Satphone. He also co-founded a tech consulting firm focused on international technology transfer and venture funding of university-developed technology.
