Adam Lewis on the AI Gold Rush & the Infrastructure Powering It

Adam Lewis, Managing Director at Citizens M&A Advisory, joins the Nomad Futurist podcast with co-hosts Nabeel Mahmood and Philip Koblence for a conversation that pulls back the curtain on how telecom, capital markets, and digital infrastructure are colliding in the age of AI — and what it really takes to keep up. What sets Adam apart is how he learned the business: not just behind a desk, but on the ground. Early in his career, he went beyond financial models and into the environments where networks actually live: carrier hotels, central offices, and the physical backbone of the internet. That decision to pair finance with firsthand operational insight gave him an edge that continues to define his work today, a mindset that still shapes how he advises in an increasingly complex industry: “I really wanted to understand the business, not just from a finance lens, but from an operational perspective.” That complexity has only intensified with the rise of AI. Adam reflects on just how dramatically the landscape has shifted, from modest 5 MW deployments to massive, multi-hundred-megawatt campuses pushing toward gigawatt scale. But this isn’t just growth for growth’s sake. He frames it as a fundamental response to AI’s demands: more compute, denser chips, and entirely new levels of infrastructure. At the same time, he brings a grounded perspective, reminding us that real-world constraints like power and supply chains will ultimately define how far and how fast this expansion can go: “I certainly didn’t anticipate AI, the scale of demand, the size of data centers, and how mainstream it’s become.” The conversation also gets personal, turning to careers and the human side of a rapidly evolving industry. Adam views AI as a powerful tool, but only in the hands of people willing to learn, adapt, and stay curious. And while technology will continue to change how we work, his advice cuts through the noise: fulfillment still matters. “Do what you like… it really sucks to wake up every morning and hate your job.” This episode is a candid look at an industry in motion told through the lens of someone who has seen it from every angle. If you’re trying to understand where digital infrastructure is heading, how AI is reshaping the landscape, or what it takes to build a meaningful career within it, this is a conversation worth tuning into. To learn more about Adam Lewis, connect with him on LinkedIn.