Cindy Ko

Weekly Spotlight 🎙️ Lumber secures $15.5M in Series A funding! 🎉 Led by Foundation Capital, with participation from Tishman Speyer, Carbide Ventures, 8VC, Sure Valley Ventures, and FirsthandVC, this investment will fuel the expansion of Lumber’s AI-driven platform to streamline construction operations, reduce administrative burdens, and improve safety and compliance. What does Lumber do? Lumber has developed a workforce management platform tailored for contractors, subcontractors, and specialty contractors. The new funding will accelerate product development, enhance AI capabilities, and scale their customer success efforts. Meet the Founders: 👷‍♂️ Shreesha Ramdas, Co-Founder & CEO An experienced investor and advisor, Shreesha has helped scale over 40 startups and venture funds across SaaS, cloud, AI, and data sectors, supporting successful exits to LegalZoom, Symantec, ServiceNow, and Google. 👷‍♂️ Manish Kumar, Co-Founder & CTO A technology leader with expertise across construction, healthcare, and cloud industries, Manish specializes in building high-performance teams and leading organizations through successful acquisitions. Check out how Lumber are solving workforce challenges in the construction industry! Press Release: https://lnkd.in/gE2ZMWG6 #AI #Construction #ConTech #Funding

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🚨 NEW DEVELOPMENT IN PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA 🚨 🔌 Northern Data Group (via Ardent Data Centres) opens a 20 MW AI/HPC-grade campus 🧠 Project Snapshot • Developer: Northern Data Group, through Ardent Data Centers • Location: McKees Rock, Pittsburgh, PA • Total Capacity: 20 MW (5 MW live, full build-out by 2027) • Rack Density: Designed for 135 kW/rack — built for GPUs • Site: 41,000 sq ft facility on 7.5 acres (1980s structure, refurbished 2008) ⚙️ Engineering Highlights • Cooling: Rear-door heat exchangers (RDHx) + direct-to-chip (D2C) liquid cooling • Target PUE: ~1.15 • Infrastructure: Supports modular expansion + extreme-density deployments 🌍 Why It Matters This is more than a single site — it's a blueprint for scalable HPC delivery. Northern Data is now pushing toward 250 MW of AI/HPC capacity globally — and this Pittsburgh facility is a critical cornerstone in that roadmap. It also reflects the broader shift from crypto mining to AI infrastructure — leveraging expertise in high-density, high-efficiency systems. 💡 Fun Fact Northern Data’s Pittsburgh site was originally a refurbished legacy building — proof that with smart engineering, even older sites can evolve into cutting-edge digital infrastructure. 👷‍♂️ Who Should Pay Attention • Engineers in thermal systems & liquid cooling • Project leads focused on high-density rack deployment • Developers seeking repeatable HPC campus models • Anyone tracking low-PUE, AI-grade infrastructure in North America 💬 Have you worked on RDHx or D2C liquid cooling projects? What’s your biggest takeaway when delivering ultra-dense environments? 👇 Tag a colleague or share your insights — let’s swap notes on delivering the future of AI infrastructure. #DataCentres #HPC #AIInfrastructure #NorthernData #ArdentDataCenters #LiquidCooling #Pittsburgh #ModularDesign #MissionCritical #Engineering #DigitalTransformation #PUE #GPUs #CloudComputing #NorthAmerica

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Hiring for transferable skills is a strategic advantage in the data center markets. Why? As data-center development accelerates across the U.S., hiring strategies are being forced to evolve. Many of the core competencies required in data centers already exist in adjacent industries, Construction, manufacturing, energy, aerospace, semiconductors, telecom, and mission-critical facilities all produce talent with strong foundation in the areas needed within data centers. From the converstaions I'm having in the U.S. data-center market, success over the next several years won’t come from competing over the same limited group of experienced candidates. It will come from identifying high-potential talent, investing in training, and building a workforce that can scale with the industry. #hiring #datacenters #US

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Renewable energy today is less about “what’s coming” and more about what’s actively being built, financed, and operated right now. Utility-scale solar and storage projects continue to move forward across the U.S., even as interconnection queues, permitting timelines, and workforce gaps remain real constraints. At the same time, demand for experienced talent in EPC, O&M, grid integration, and energy storage has not slowed. If anything, it has become more specialized. What stands out most is how interconnected everything has become. Technology, policy, project execution, and people all have to align for projects to actually reach COD. When one piece lags, the entire timeline feels it. The energy transition is happening in real time. It is complex, imperfect, and moving faster in some areas than others, but it is very much underway. Always interesting to see where momentum is building next. #RenewableEnergy #UpsideSearch #Growth #EnergyTransition #Operations #Engineering

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🚧 Project News - Applied Digital Breaks Ground on Delta Forge 1 🚧 Applied Digital has broken ground on Delta Forge 1, a new AI focused data center campus in southern US. The campus is planned to support up to 430MW of utility power and 300MW of IT load, with room to scale in the future. Phase one includes two 150MW buildings on a 500 acre site with operations expected to begin in mid-2027. A strong step forward in building scalable AI infrastructure. #ProjectNews #DataCenters #AI #Infrastructure

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U.S. data-center development is increasingly shaped by grid constraints, long interconnection timelines, and growing reliability expectations. This article looks at how evolving U.S. grid-resilience policy is influencing onsite power strategies for data centers, including the emerging role of limited-hour gas peaking as part of hybrid energy systems. Key themes include: • Why resilience is now a development and commissioning issue • How onsite flexibility can support grid stability as well as uptime • Where current policy is helping — and where clarity is still needed Read the full article here 👇 https://ow.ly/EHPn30sS0rE #DataCenters #GridResilience #OnsitePower

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Election Cycles & Industry - What does it mean for Engineering & Construction? Every federal election brings shifts, new policies, funding priorities, and infrastructure agendas. For industries like engineering and construction, this means both risk and opportunity. Nationally, we’re seeing... 🔹Increased attention on clean energy and manufacturing resilience. 🔸Commitments to large-scale infrastructure and defence projects. 🔹Rising pressure around housing, transport, and regional development. But what does this mean locally? Here in Newcastle and the Hunter, where engineering and construction are core to our economy, the flow-on effects are real. Funding commitments shape job pipelines, project timelines, and even the types of skills in demand. As someone who works with engineers and project professionals every day, I’m already seeing conversations shift. Candidates are asking smarter questions. Employers are watching budgets closely. What are you seeing in your corner of the industry? #engineeringrecruitment #election2025 #hunterregion #industry #rarekind #recruitment

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No signs of slowing down for the Construction job market Every day, I come across headlines about unemployment, layoffs, and broader struggles in the job market. While that reality is hitting many industries hard, my day-to-day work in the construction space tells a very different story. In fact, this recent Construction Dive article reinforced what I’m seeing first-hand: demand in construction remains strong, with open jobs outpacing the available workforce. One key stat stood out to me: “recent survey from AGC and NCCER, 92% of respondents reported challenges filling positions and nearly half reported project delays tied to worker shortages.” For those in construction, this means opportunities are not just out there—they’re plentiful. Despite the noise of broader economic uncertainty, companies in our industry continue to hire and are eager to find the right talent. If you’re feeling undervalued or unsatisfied but hesitant to explore because of the headlines, know that the construction job market is still thriving. #hiringtrends #constructionjobs #jobmarket #ohioconstruction https://lnkd.in/gGVMSkyq

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CyrusOne Cyrusone has partnered with Constellation to develop a 760MW Data center campus in Freestone County, Texas another major signal of hyperscale demand accelerating across the U.S. The project will be developed in two structured phases: Phase 1 - 𝟯𝟴𝟬𝗠𝗪 under a new signed agreement. Phase 2 - 𝟯𝟴𝟬𝗠𝗪 under a power and infrastructure arrangement We are now seeing a clear pattern across North America: developers who lock in energy partnerships early are able to scale faster and with greater certainty. Power is no longer a supporting component it is the core asset. Texas continues to strengthen its position as a hyperscale hub due to grid accessibility, land availability, and a pro development environment. The broader takeaway is simple: the future of hyperscale development belongs to power secured mega campuses built with long-term infrastructure alignment from day one. #DataCenters #Hyperscale #DigitalInfrastructure #MissionCritical #Energy #Texas

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One theme that keeps coming up in conversations with developers is urgency. Teams are moving quickly to commercialize wind and solar projects before current tax credits expire, and it’s creating a clear shift in focus. Capital and hiring are now concentrated on late-stage and construction-ready assets. Early development activity has slowed as companies prioritize what can reach COD before the window closes. It’s an intense push – a “sprint to the cliff,” as one person put it – and while the near-term is busy, there’s growing uncertainty about what happens after 2030. In this environment, the best operators are managing short-term execution without losing sight of long-term resilience. The next few years will reward those who can deliver at speed and stay adaptable to whatever policy comes next.

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WSP has officially announced the acquisition of TRC Companies for US$3.3 billion, marking one of the most significant moves in the Power & Energy and infrastructure consulting space in recent years. With this acquisition, WSP is poised to become the largest engineering and design firm in the U.S. by revenue, adding TRC’s ~8,000 employees to bring its U.S. workforce to roughly 27,000. Several people in my network are feeling uneasy about what this means for them personally. Some employees didn’t even know it was happening until after the fact... What do you think this mega‑merger means for the future of the Power & Energy sector?

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Discover the Future of Talent Acquisition. Cut through the noise and get practical insights on how AI is transforming hiring. Watch as AMS and Vero AI: • Explore real life examples of how TA teams are integrating AI into hiring workflows. • Share insight into emerging tools and innovations that are shaping the future of recruiting and candidate experience. • Discuss the ethical considerations and potential risks that come with implementing AI in your hiring strategy. Whether you're early in your AI journey or looking to scale, our session delivers actionable insights you can implement today. Watch on-demand: https://lnkd.in/eUGyeGRZ #Hiring #Leadership #Recruitment #TalentAcquisition #ArtificialIntelligence #Technology #HRTech

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As a Talent Acquisition Specialist  , I often get asked what the staffing process involves—so here’s a quick breakdown of the essentials that drive our industry forward: ✅ Job Types Contract (W2, C2C, 1099) Full-time / Permanent (FTE) Contract-to-Hire (C2H) ✅ Tax Terms Explained W2: Employee of the staffing agency; taxes withheld. C2C (Corp-to-Corp): Candidate works through their own company. 1099: Independent contractor (self-employed). ✅ Common Work Authorizations US Citizens / Green Card holders H1B / H4 EAD / L2 EAD / OPT / CPT / TN 👉 Always verify validity and duration! ✅ Top Portals for Sourcing Dice | Monster | CareerBuilder | Indeed | LinkedIn Use Boolean search strings to target profiles effectively. ✅ Key Skills for Recruiters Fast sourcing & screening Understanding IT technologies Strong negotiation & closing skills Clear communication with both clients & candidates 🌐 IT staffing is all about connecting the right talent with the right opportunity—and it begins with knowing the basics! Let’s keep learning and growing in this ever-evolving industry. 💡 #USITStaffing #TechRecruiting #StaffingLife #RecruitmentTips #ITStaffingBasics #LinkedInLearning

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