The Route to Networking

Hamilton Barnes

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TECHNOLOGY
UPDATED WEEKLY

The Route to Networking Podcast offers listeners the opportunity to learn from some of the biggest names in the Networking space. The podcast delves into understanding anything from new and emerging technologies on the rise, to career advice to those in the Networking Industry. Brand new episodes are released every Thursday!

4D AGO

E168 - Joe Limardo - Lead AI & Cloud Architect Evangelist

Send a text This week on The Route to Networking podcast, our CEO George is joined by Joe Limardo, an AI and Cloud Architect Evangelist whose career has evolved from enterprise contact centre technology into hands-on AI implementation across OpenAI, AWS and Google. As AI dominates headlines, this episode cuts through the noise. Joe shares what the shift actually means for engineers, reflecting on how quickly once “hot” skills can become legacy and why continuous learning is no longer optional. The conversation explores the real breakthrough behind modern AI - access to reasoning, not just information. Large Language Models are changing how engineers build, solve problems, and accelerate their own learning, while businesses use AI to remove repetitive work and unlock higher-value thinking. They also discuss the growing infrastructure demands behind AI, the move from pure coding to architecture, and the three skills Joe believes future-proof careers: APIs, Python, and storytelling. The episode closes with a quick-fire round covering model preferences, common misconceptions, and the one advantage AI still cannot replace - human judgement under uncertainty. Want to stay up to date with new episodes? Follow our LinkedIn page for all the latest podcast updates! Head to: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-route-to-networking-podcast/ Interested in following a similar career path? Why don’t you take a look at our jobs page, where you can find your next job opportunity? Head to: www.hamilton-barnes.com/jobs/

49 min
FEB 11

E167- Paul Chu - AI Software Engineer

Send a text This week on The Route to Networking podcast, Antonio is joined by Paul Chu, an AI software engineer and Master’s student at ENS Paris-Saclay, whose journey has taken him from France’s competitive engineering system to research labs at Stanford and the heart of the Bay Area tech ecosystem. At a time when AI is moving faster than ever, it’s refreshing to hear from someone breaking into the industry right now. Paul offers a real-time perspective on what it actually takes to get started, stand out, and build momentum in such a competitive space. From securing a $15,000 research grant to auditing lectures from Andrew Ng, Paul shares how he positioned himself without a traditional research background and why curiosity and adaptability mattered more than credentials. He reflects on winning his first major hackathon in San Francisco, joining robotics projects outside his comfort zone, and how high-pressure environments accelerated both his technical ability and confidence. The conversation also explores the differences between the Paris and San Francisco tech scenes, networking as an introvert, documenting his journey on YouTube, and why AI should be seen as an enabler rather than a shortcut. The episode concludes with a quick-fire round covering large language models, career-defining moments, stepping into uncomfortable rooms, and the mindset required to grow in the AI frontier. 🔗 Connect with Paul on LinkedIn here. 🎥 Find Paul on YouTube here Want to stay up to date with new episodes? Follow our LinkedIn page for all the latest podcast updates! Head to: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-route-to-networking-podcast/ Interested in following a similar career path? Why don’t you take a look at our jobs page, where you can find your next job opportunity? Head to: www.hamilton-barnes.com/jobs/

44 min
FEB 4

E166 - Chimezie Onwuka - Data Centre Specialist

Send us a text This week on The Route to Networking podcast, Tom Jones is joined by Chimezie Onwuka, an Uptime-certified data centre specialist with nearly a decade of experience across managed services, telecoms and fintech. From studying physics to operating live facilities, Chimezie shares how he built his career inside mission-critical environments and why data centres underpin the digital economy. He explains what resilience really means in practice, from Tier certifications and redundancy to the operational discipline required on the data centre floor. The conversation also explores accessibility into the industry, the value of hands-on learning, and why engineers must understand what sits on top of the facility, not just the physical layer. The episode concludes with a quick-fire round covering AI-driven power demands, cooling challenges, sustainability, and the mindset needed to thrive as infrastructure scales. 🔗 Connect with Chimezie on LinkedIn here. Want to stay up to date with new episodes? Follow our LinkedIn page for all the latest podcast updates! Head to: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-route-to-networking-podcast/ Interested in following a similar career path? Why don’t you take a look at our jobs page, where you can find your next job opportunity? Head to: www.hamilton-barnes.com/jobs/

1h 17m
JAN 28

E165 - Bradley Shadowens at Hyrda Host

Send us a text This week on The Route to Networking podcast, Ben Davies is joined by Bradley Shadowens, a data centre infrastructure specialist working at the forefront of AI and high-performance computing. Bradley shares his journey from electrical and computer engineering through the US Navy to building AI-ready data centres from first principles. He explains what it really takes to design, deploy and scale modern infrastructure, from power and cooling to networking and GPU deployments. Bradley emphasises the importance of discipline, responsibility, and systems thinking, and why self-directed learning and curiosity are essential in a fast-moving, high-stakes environment. The conversation also explores how engineers can trace systems end-to-end, the value of hands-on experience, and how to stand out early in a career through portfolios and tangible projects. Bradley reflects on the young AI infrastructure industry, the culture needed to thrive, and the mindset that outlasts every technology cycle. The episode concludes with a quick-fire round where Bradley shares his thoughts on the future of AI infrastructure, energy and cooling trends, high-performance computing, and the skill engineers consistently underestimate. 🔗 Connect with Bradley on LinkedIn here Want to stay up to date with new episodes? Follow our LinkedIn page for all the latest podcast updates! Head to: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-route-to-networking-podcast/ Interested in following a similar career path? Why don’t you take a look at our jobs page, where you can find your next job opportunity? Head to: www.hamilton-barnes.com/jobs/

1h 5m
JAN 14

E164 - James Garcia at RunPod

Send us a text This week on The Route to Networking podcast, Ben Davies is joined by James Garcia, Director of Data Centre Management at RunPod. James shares his journey from growing up around networking equipment in his garage to helping build AI-ready infrastructure at scale. He talks about scaling Speedtest’s global network from thousands to tens of thousands of servers, the shift to IPv6, and how that experience prepared him for the demands of modern AI workloads. At RunPod, James is focused on building high-performance GPU clusters and serverless inference platforms that can spin up in minutes and scale to extreme demand. He explains why hardware, cloud and AI skills are now more connected than ever. James finishes with practical advice for young engineers, why simplicity and trust shape his leadership style, and the episode wraps up with the quick-fire round. 🔗 Connect with James here Want to stay up to date with new episodes? Follow our LinkedIn page for all the latest podcast updates! Head to: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-route-to-networking-podcast/ Interested in following a similar career path? Why don’t you take a look at our jobs page, where you can find your next job opportunity? Head to: www.hamilton-barnes.com/jobs/

1h 3m
JAN 7

E41 - Tulin Sevgin at MinterEllison

Send us a text In this APAC edition of Route to Networking, host Mitchell Cole sits down with Tulin Sevgin, a senior leader in cybersecurity risk and advisory. Tulin’s career spans hands-on technical roles, high-frequency trading, and building a cyber practice within a major law firm. She shares how her early interest in IT and building PCs led her into cybersecurity before it was a defined career path, including intense social engineering projects that shaped her approach to risk and resilience. Her time in high-frequency trading taught her how to make decisions under pressure in environments where speed often outweighs security. Tulin also speaks openly about being a woman in cyber and why listening, communication, and storytelling have been key to her leadership style. Now leading a growing cyber practice, she explains what it really means to build a business inside a business and support clients through high-stress incidents. The episode wraps up with a quick-fire round covering career advice and common myths about cybersecurity. A practical and honest listen for anyone building a career in cyber. Want to stay up to date with new episodes? Follow our LinkedIn page for all the latest podcast updates! Head to: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-route-to-networking-podcast/ Interested in following a similar career path? Why don’t you take a look at our jobs page, where you can find your next job opportunity? Head to: www.hamilton-barnes.com/jobs/

1h 3m
12/10/2025

E163- Roman Kapp at Gcore

Send us a text This week on the Route to Networking podcast, Ben Davies is joined by Roman Kapp, AI Implementation Lead at Gcore. Roman shares his journey from corporate learning to entrepreneurship and now enterprise AI. His career has been shaped by trial and error, constant experimentation and a drive to build things people actually use. He talks about how a psychology background shaped his approach to testing ideas, the breakthrough moment that came from launching an onboarding chatbot and why small language models, blockchain infrastructure and affordable robotics will shape the next phase of AI. At Gcore, Roman’s mission is to bring AI to every desk. He explains why the biggest challenge is not the tools, but the lack of structured knowledge inside organisations. He also discusses why prompt engineering is fading and why context engineering is becoming the key skill for anyone working with AI. Roman finishes with practical advice for the next generation of AI professionals: start small, learn the basics and build real projects. The episode wraps up with the quick-fire round, where he reveals the ideas, moments and influences that shaped his career. Want to stay up to date with new episodes? Follow our LinkedIn page for all the latest podcast updates! Head to: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-route-to-networking-podcast/ Interested in following a similar career path? Why don’t you take a look at our jobs page, where you can find your next job opportunity? Head to: www.hamilton-barnes.com/jobs/

1h 11m
12/03/2025

E40 - Rachael Childs at Meta

Send us a text In this episode of Women in Tech, Holly sits down with Rachael Childs, Creative Technologist, AI Specialist, and Founder of Glow Lock Labs and Wallside Studios. Rachael’s journey is not the usual path into tech. She started as an artist who never saw herself as technical, yet she now builds AI tools, works with global tech companies, and helps creators bring new ideas to life. Rachael talks about how electronic music first drew her into the world of logic and structure. What began as curiosity slowly became confidence, and that confidence carried her into machine learning and AI development. Her story shows that you do not need a traditional background to thrive in tech. You just need the courage to follow the things that spark your interest. She also shares why prompt engineering is becoming a great way for women to enter the industry, and how AI is opening doors for creative talent who never imagined a future in tech. Her experience with Google and Meta came from positioning herself well on LinkedIn, not chasing roles, which makes her approach both realistic and encouraging. Throughout the episode, Rachael’s advice is full of warmth and honesty. She reminds women to bring their real passions into their work, to stop trying to fit a stereotype, and to trust that everyone starts from zero. The conversation ends with a brilliant quick fire round where she opens up about her role model, the best advice she’s ever been given, and the dream project she hopes to build next. This episode is uplifting, creative and full of hope. It’s a great listen for any woman who wants to step into tech in a way that feels authentic. 🔗 Connect with Rachael: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachaelchilds/ Want to stay up to date with new episodes? Follow our LinkedIn page for all the latest podcast updates! Head to: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-route-to-networking-podcast/ Interested in following a similar career path? Why don’t you take a look at our jobs page, where you can find your next job opportunity? Head to: www.hamilton-barnes.com/jobs/

1h 16m

The Route to Networking Podcast offers listeners the opportunity to learn from some of the biggest names in the Networking space. The podcast delves into understanding anything from new and emerging technologies on the rise, to career advice to those in the Networking Industry. Brand new episodes are released every Thursday!

Creator

Hamilton Barnes
Years Active

2023 - 2026
Episodes

251
Rating

Explicit
Copyright

© 2026 The Route to Networking
Show Website

The Route to Networking