Name: Jeff Brown
Company: Cobalt Data Centers
Title: President
Describe your business.
Cobalt Data Centers is a new, multi-tenant datacenter operator headquartered in Las Vegas. We operate secure, specially designed buildings in which our customers can place the computing gear that runs their businesses.
We opened our flagship, Tier 3-designed, 5.5 megawatt, co-location facility on the northwest side of town in February. With more than 450 cabinets and power capacities up to 600 watts per square foot, we are ready to handle the most complex, power-hungry applications.
We have been very pleased with the reception and level of interest in Cobalt. There’s no question that Las Vegas has become an attractive destination for critical computing infrastructure.
We are seeing a variety of applications, perhaps most prominently back-up and disaster recovery solutions, deployed by companies from around the world who see Southern Nevada as a safe, accessible and low-risk place to operate mission-critical infrastructure.
Where do you see Las Vegas’ tech scene headed in the future?
Momentum is definitely building for technology companies operating in Las Vegas. Obviously, I hope that continues and attracts additional investment, commerce and talent to our community.
Las Vegas is a world-class convention and hospitality destination that gives local technology companies a leg up over other cities. There is always a tech-related convention in town, and we are constantly getting inquiries from visitors wanting to learn more and tour Cobalt while they are in town. That’s a huge advantage over Austin, Texas, for example.
What will it take to push the tech industry to the next level locally?
We need to build a pipeline of future technologists and entrepreneurs coming to our local universities. The tech community needs to make additional investments in our colleges and universities to ensure we are attracting the students who will invent the next big thing right here in Las Vegas.
We need to continue innovating and making smart investments to stay competitive. While technology is a fast-paced industry, we need to maintain a long-term perspective.
The tech startup scene in Las Vegas is itself still in startup mode. There are some promising signs, but we need to see several success stories before Las Vegas becomes known as an incubator on par with New York City, Austin or Silicon Valley.
What is the best business advice you have received, and whom did it come from?
In my first job out of college, a colleague at IBM told me that success in any business comes from “polite persistence.” She said, “Forego one or the other, and failure will follow.”
Ever since, I’ve tried to use courtesy and urgency to advance my business interests. It’s not always easy, but it does work.
What challenges has your company faced doing business here?
Actually, Nevada is a pro-business state, and starting a company in Las Vegas has been comparatively easy.
That’s not to say we aren’t experiencing the typical startup hurdles. We’d like instant brand recognition, but that is improving every day.
We’re also working to create clear separation from the more established competitors in this market. If those are the biggest challenges we face, I’m pretty confident we can succeed.
What is the best part about living in Las Vegas?
Las Vegas has so much to offer. It truly is the entertainment capital of the world.
While great for doing business, what most people outside of Vegas don’t recognize is how much there is to do and see off the Strip. I have been enjoying terrific hiking, bike trails and museums. And the Smith Center is amazing.
I have also found a diverse but close-knit community here that really seems to care about each other and newcomers like me.
If you could change one thing about Las Vegas, what would it be?
Wouldn’t it be cool if you really did win every time you rolled the dice?
What do you do after work?
With three teenage children, I go from one job to the next.
What are you reading?
I finished “The Twelve” by Justin Cronin last week and just cracked open “Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters” by Meg Meeker.
Blackberry, iPhone or Android?
iPhone
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
My parents just moved to Ecuador. Maybe I can work that into Cobalt’s expansion plans.
What is your dream job, outside of your current field?
I just took a paragliding lesson from a guy about my age who loves his job because it’s also his hobby. It made me think — I should be a charter boat captain on a big catamaran in some exotic port of call. Or ski patrol in Banff. Or a PGA pro.
What is your biggest pet peeve?
I’ve been traveling a great deal this year, and there is no place like the airport for frustrating behavior. Perhaps most annoying are the passengers who feel entitled to their own overhead bin.
What is something people might not know about you?
I worked as a disc jockey during college and have been musically stuck in the ’80s ever since.