Extending The Ladder with Nancy Novak

Championing Mental Health with Frontline Leadership

In this episode of Extending the Ladder, host Nancy Novak, Chief of Innovation at Compass Data Centers, engages in a compelling conversation with Rachel Neal, the VP of Global Safety for Compass Data Centers. With a rich background in psychology, human environmental sciences, and over 14 years working in safety, Rachel brings a unique perspective to this discussion. Rachel shares insights into Compass’ new global safety program, emphasizing the importance of the human element and culture. The in...

From Classroom to Career: Women Engineers Shaping the Industry

In this episode of "Extending the Ladder," host Nancy Novak, Chief Innovation Officer at Compass Data Centers, is joined by three remarkable engineering students from Michigan State University: Elena Ristoski, Eleanor Deprez, and Emily Schoepke. Each student brings a unique perspective with their respective disciplines in electrical engineering, applied engineering sciences, and civil engineering, all with a focus on sustainability. Throughout the conversation, the guests share their inspiring j...

Leveraging Potential and Leading with Purpose

In this thought-provoking episode of "Extending the Ladder," host Nancy Novak, Chief Innovation Officer at Compass Data Centers, is joined by Angela Seaman, the accomplished founder and CEO of Seaman Group. With over a decade's experience in the plastic resin distribution industry, Angela has not only carved a niche for herself but has also pioneered significant sustainable practices by recycling over 10 million pounds of resin, thereby diverting waste from landfills and oceans. In this candid c...

Breaking Ground: Women in Construction Management

Today, Nancy is joined by Amanda Brown and Meghan Thomas, senior construction managers at Compass Datacenters. Amanda and Meghan share their inspiring journeys into the construction industry, drawing from their non-traditional backgrounds and highlighting the value of transferable skills and adaptability in their roles. The conversation highlights the unique challenges and opportunities faced by women in the construction industry, emphasizing the value of soft skills, networking, and continuous ...

Empowering Leadership: Navigating the Corporate Ladder with Amy Swanson

In this episode, Nancy Novak, Chief Innovation Officer at Compass Datacenters, engages in a conversation with Amy Slagle Swanson, Former Managing Executive - North America Alliance Leader - EY at IBM. Amy, drawing from her 35 years of global experience, shares insights on empowering women in leadership roles. The discussion covers the progression of leadership, emphasizing the challenges and importance of self-clarity. Amy addresses stumbling blocks for women, urging them to overcome perfectioni...

Paving the Way for Women in Skilled Trades

Today, Nancy is joined by Kabri Lehrman-Schmid, Project Superintendent at HENSEL PHELPS. Kabri's journey from her early career to her current leadership role provides a captivating backdrop for our discussion. Her insights into leadership principles and strategies offer invaluable lessons for both aspiring and seasoned leaders. Throughout their conversation, they explore the multifaceted nature of leadership. Delving into topics such as effective communication, team dynamics, and the importance ...

Empowering Women in STEM with San Diego State University Students

In this episode of Extending the Ladder, Nancy sits down with three incredible STEM students from San Diego State University. Lily Astete, Dani Hunt, and Juliet Luevanos are all navigating the world of STEM and come together today to discuss the barriers, challenges, and opportunities for women in STEM since graduation. In a round table-type episode, Nancy has the opportunity to ask this new generation of women in STEM their thoughts on the industry, as well as opportunities they see for the ind...

Women and Sustainability

In today's episode of Extending The Ladder by Compass Datacenters , Nancy Novak, podcast host and Chief Innovation Officer at Compass Datacenters, is joined by Brittany Marley , Vice President, Client Executive at STACK INFRASTRUCTURE. They dive deep into the role of women in sustainability, the need for collaboration, and the importance of measuring impacts. Marley and Novak discuss: The importance of women leaders in sustainability, and why their underrepresentation could mean missing out on c...

Bringing the Next-Gen into Construction

When you picture a stereotypical worker in the construction industry, for most individuals, the first image that probably comes to mind is likely a male. But females are becoming increasingly engaged in construction roles. Female-based apprenticeship programs such as the ANEW in Seattle, Building Pathways in Boston, and Tradeswomen Inc. are facilitating this, according to EHS Today . Why is this growth occurring and what are organizations and businesses doing to catalyze this growth? On today’s ...

Bridging the Digital Divide for DEI

Digital accessibility is a privilege, one that allows those who have unbridled access to the digital space. Host Nancy Novak, CIO of Compass Datacenters, met with Dr. Julie Albright, a highly decorated technology sociologist who currently serves as a board member for Infrastructure Masons, to talk about the need to mend the digital divide for digital equity and inclusion. As a woman who has spent her career looking at the digital transformation of society, Dr. Albright is well versed in understa...

Finding the Ever Elusive Work-Life Balance

Over the course of a year that’s seen arguable the largest change in workforce habits the world has ever seen, one thing has evolved alongside the shift to working from home, hybrid spaces, and more – the chase for the elusive work-life balance. On the first episode of Breaking Glass, hosted by Compass Data Centers’ Nancy Novak and brought to you by Compass and Infrastructure Masons, Novak sourced insights from Sandra Benson, Amazon Web Services Worldwide Head of Engineering, Construction and Re...

Leverage a Non-traditional Background to Boost Diversity and Inclusion in the Construction Industry

In efforts to boost diversity and inclusion among the construction industry, Nancy Novak, the chief officer at Compass Datacenters, and Allison Scott, Director of Customer Experience and Industry Advocacy at Autodesk, discuss ways of standing out from the rest of the construction industry. Although Scott did not take the traditional route to construction management, she found value in the different ways she can communicate and tell stories through her work. She learned early on “there was always...

Entering STEM with Michigan State University’s Society of Women Engineers

The Society of Women Engineers, or SWE, is a non-profit educational service organization composed of science and engineering students and graduate engineers. Nancy Novak spoke with three SWE members to learn more about their mission. Emily Peterson, Professional Relations Director, Noelle Kurien, President, and Megan Giltmier, Vice President, all from the Michigan State SWE chapter, sat down to discuss their passion for engineering and the importance of SWE. Peterson formulated her love of mecha...

A Closer Look at the Evolving Gender Equality in the Data Center Industry

Noelle Walsh, Corporate VP for Microsoft, joined Nancy Novak, Chief Innovation Officer for Compass Datacenters, to discuss how gender equality is progressing in the data center industry. Walsh stated, “I think unconscious bias plays a role. I believe we are past the days of overt discrimination. But now it’s the microaggressions, the unconscious biases, and I think another level of learning will be needed to peel away the unconscious biases.” Walsh believes that moving forward, hiring the best c...

IM Women Group Aims to Progress Gender Equity Through Education Campaign with Heather Dooley

The pandemic has disproportionately affected women in the workplace. Activists nationwide are concerned for the progress that’s been made once statistics were released, showing that 2.4M women dropped out of the workforce within the first year of the pandemic totaling $800 billion of lost income. Additionally, 38% of women surveyed in the tech industry said they planned to leave their jobs in two years. Chair of IM Women, Heather Dooley, spoke to Nancy Novak on Breaking Glass on the surprising n...

Building Your Own Personal Board of Directors

Confronting Implicit Bias in the Workplace with Janese Murray

Implicit bias is subconscious and not recognized by those impacted by it. So, how can companies confront and address it in the workplace? Taking on this topic today, Breaking Glass host Nancy Novak spoke with D&I expert Janese Murray. Murray is the President of Inclusion Impact Consulting, a firm that helps corporations create diverse workplaces where all people can thrive. Murray explained, “Building an inclusive environment is a corporate change, and that can take a long time to do. Implic...

The Intersection of Health and Technology

The Importance of Female Leadership

Women are excelling in a wide variety of roles across every industry in the world, moving up through the ranks to take on positions of leadership and making decisions that shape the course of our collective future. Those women in executive and other leadership roles, as well as those who are on the verge of these roles, are incredibly important to the future of the way we do business and of our society, at large. To discuss the importance of female leadership, host Nancy Novak, Chief Innovation ...