Hands-On Heroes with Valerie Crafton
Episodes
Trade Workforce Shortage: What’s Really Going On? | Real Answers from the Golf Course
28 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What’s behind the workforce shortage and when should we start talking about it? Thank you to 7x24 for having a golf scramble that Hands-On Heroes be...
From Classroom to Engineering Careers ~ Hands-On Heroes EP13 w/Instructors & Students
23 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this special multi-guest episode of Hands-On Heroes, we explore engineering and data center careers through conversations with both students and in...
From Blueprint to Reality: Clean Energy, AI, and the People Connecting the Dots ~ Hands-On Heroes Ep12 w/ Julia Weigel
09 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What does it take to turn a complex clean energy idea into something that actually gets built? In this episode, host Valerie Crafton sits down with Ju...
Tehran to Tech: A Refugee's Journey to Senior Program Manager at Microsoft
26 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Hands On Heroes, Valerie sits down with Donya Ziraksari, a mechanical engineer and senior technical program manager at Microsoft, w...
Why Awareness Matters ~ Hands-On Heroes Ep10 w/ Bronwyn Beabeau & Maureen Noe
12 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What does it take to build a better future for children in foster care — and what role can the skilled trades play in getting them there?In this epi...
Hands-On Heroes Day In The Life Ep 1 | The Electrician
05 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Hands-On Heroes, A Day In The Life Of An Electrician, creator and host Valerie Crafton introduces kids to the exciting world of ski...
Redefining Construction in Leadership with Renae Sams Founder of Build-Her.Org on Hands-On Heroes Ep 9
26 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Renae Sams has built her career on the foundations of hard work, integrity, and vision. With experience spanning every phase of construction, she’s ...
How To Find Fulfillment in Your Life & Work ~ Hands-On Heroes Ep. 8 with Mike Hastings
12 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
From Juvenile Detention to Data Center Leadership: A Story of Redemption and Resilience 💪The construction and technology industries are filled with...
How To Become a Professional Crane Operator as a Woman In Trades with Tiffany Eckard ~Hands-On Heroes Ep 7
29 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Thinking about a career in crane operation? Professional Crane Operator, Tiffany Eckard shares why starting as an oiler apprentice might be your best ...
Achieving Decarbonization in Digital Infrastructure
15 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
iMasons Climate Accord is a coalition of companies united on carbon reductions in digital infrastructure.Host Valerie Crafton of Hands On Heroes had ...
Into Digital Infrastructure: iMasons Workforce Development Programs ~ Hands-On Heroes Ep5 w/ Hiba Agha
01 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Hands-On Heroes, special guest Hiba Agha discusses her role in iMasons and her career in nonprofit organizations.Infrastructure Mas...
Building Confidence Through Construction ~ Hands-On Heroes Ep4 W/ Shannon Tymosko "Lady Voltz"
18 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Shannon Tymosko is a 4th year Electrical Apprentice and proud sister of the IBEW Local 105, Hamilton. She is also a Skilled Trades Ambassador, Speaker...
How A Women Dominates A Male Dominated Field with Kate Glantz of Move Over Bob ~ Hands-On Heroes Ep3
04 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Kate Glantz co-founder and CEO of Move Over Bob shares how, as a woman, you can dominate in a male dominated field. Her and host Valerie Crafton discu...
How To Get More Women Involved In Engineering, Tech & Construction ~ Hands-On Heroes Ep2 AIDC25
26 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Discover how to get more women involved in engineering, tech and construction by giving them exposure early and often. Learn more on this episode of H...
How to Hire for the Future: AI's Impact on Engineering Talent ~ Hands-On Heroes Ep1 w/ Robert Sty
13 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hands-On Heroes with Robert Sty focuses on how to hire for the future; AI's impact on engineering talent. To learn more about the Hands-On Heroes ...
Hands-On Heroes Trailer
10 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to Hands-On Heroes - a certified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to empowering children through early exposure to careers in the ...
Closing a Chapter, Opening a Mission: Hands-On Heroes and the Workforce Gap
31 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This is it. The final episode of Beyond the Megawatt—but not the end of the mission. Since launching in May, Mara and Valerie set out to amplify th...
Redefining What’s Possible in Data Center Development
30 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Luke Kipfer's career path reads like a blueprint for the future of infrastructure leadership—starting at 18 cleaning condenser coils on Liebert unit...
Straight from Data Cloud: Live Insights
16 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Beyond the Megawatt took over DataCloud USA 2025, capturing the energy, innovation, and bold conversations happening on the show floor and behind the ...
400MW, Half the Time: MOD42’s Modular Reality
09 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The data center industry is racing against the clock, and traditional construction timelines can't keep up. Enter modular data centers: purpose-built,...
Why Non-Destructive Excavation Is Non-Negotiable in Mission-Critical Construction
02 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Starting a construction business with zero industry experience? Kristy Black did exactly that—and built Black Hydrovac into a critical player in mis...
Climate Optimism: Innovation > Greenwashing
25 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when two self-proclaimed sustainability "experts" sit down to challenge everything we think we know about greenwashing, carbon accounting...
Did YOTTA 2025 Deliver? Voices from Across the Ecosystem
18 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode captures the raw energy and honest conversations from the event floor, featuring voices from across the data center, energy, and infrastr...
Being your Authentic Self on Stage - You know more than you think you do!
11 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The data center industry desperately needs more diverse voices on stage, but too often, women are backing down from speaking opportunities at the last...
No Victims, Just Builders: Carrie Goetz on Agency, Trades & Accountability
04 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this powerful episode, we sit down with trailblazer Carrie Goetz — author, educator, and industry pioneer. We’ll explore her human story: how s...
Quantum to Kilowatts: What’s New at DataCloud USA
28 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The data center industry is shifting from fiber-first to power-first strategy, and DataCloud USA is bringing all the right players to the table. Joe H...
Labor Crisis as a National Emergency
21 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When you flip a light switch, there's no David Copperfield hiding behind the sheetrock. That's science at work, not magic. But what happens when we ca...
From Tribes to Transformation: George Rockett on Uniting Digital Infrastructure at YOTTA in Las Vegas
14 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This isn't just another industry event—it's a movement. 🚀 In this episode of Beyond the Megawatt, George Rockett shares how his vision to unite t...
Future-Ready Starts Early: Inspiring Kids to Discover Computer Science and the Trades
07 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if the workforce crisis isn't about lazy kids or entitled generations—but about a complete failure to show young people the pathways that actua...
Voices That Move Markets: Live From the WiMCO Tech Summit
31 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when you really listen to the conversations happening in the margins? Four years ago, Jackie Pasierbowicz overheard women talking about p...
Disrupting the Grid: Veterans, Energy Innovation, and the Future of Modular Power
24 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when a Navy submarine veteran challenges everything the data center industry thinks it knows? You get a conversation that's equal parts u...
Nuclear Power by 2026? The Data Center Energy Crisis
17 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The energy conversation in data centers just got real. In this episode, we dive deep with Alison Krager Hahn from the Department of Energy and Rhea Wi...
The Eight-Week Mark: What We’ve Learned, and What Comes Next
10 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Eight weeks into Beyond the Megawatt, Mara and Val pause to reflect on what they've learned about starting a podcast, challenging industry norms, and ...
Talent That Scales: Redefining People Strategy in Mission Critical Infrastructure
03 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Half of all data center talent will retire within the next decade. At the same time, we need to double our workforce to meet exploding infrastructure ...
Can Data Centers Ever Be Sustainable? These Women Say Yes!
26 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when you put three sustainability leaders in one room and ask them to call BS on industry practices? You get the most honest conversation...
Redefining Power: Transformational Leadership in a Transactional Industry
19 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Leadership in mission-critical industries isn't broken—it's being measured all wrong. This conversation with executive coach Lori Severson and leade...
AI, Audacity & the Education Reboot We’re Too Scared to Start
12 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if the solution to the data center workforce crisis starts in kindergarten? Dr. Sharon Jones, founder of the Dottie Rose Foundation, joins us f...
Digging Differently: The Hidden Innovation Transforming Data Center Construction
05 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes the most transformative technology comes from the most unexpected places. In this episode, we go below the surface—literally—to explore ...
Fiber, Foresight, & The future: Solving for scale in the age of AI
29 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when AI meets data center infrastructure? Dan Molloy—known throughout the industry as "Fiber Dan"—brings decades of networking expert...
Design to Handover: Closing the Gap on Commissioning, Workforce, and the Future of Ops
29 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when you combine decades of commissioning expertise with a vision for transforming how we develop the next generation of infrastructure t...
Mic Check: Accountability, Origins, and the Truth Behind the Podcast
29 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to our inaugural episode! Hosts Mara Ervin and Valerie Crafton sit down with psychotherapist and workplace wellbeing consultant Kate Ahl for a...
🎙️ Beyond the Megawatt: Live from the Cloud Run! ☁️
22 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Your Co-Hosts Mara Ervin & Valerie Crafton MBA are thrilled to share our latest episode, recorded live at the 3rd Annual Cloud Run hosted by the 7...
Coming Soon: Beyond the Megawatt - The Data Center Podcast You've Been Waiting For
03 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hosts Mara and Val introduce their new podcast "Beyond the Megawatt" from Data Center World, created specifically to amplify the voices of tech leader...