In a world where digital transformation happens at unprecedented speed, great leaders arise with an unusual blend of technical expertise, strategic vision, and collaborative mindset to guide people through intricate technological environments. These remarkable personalities realize that constructing tomorrow’s digital backbone needs more than conventional methods—it needs innovation, flexibility, and an absolute dedication to excellence.
From Unexpected Beginnings to Industry Leadership
Kaitlin Schaberg’s journey into the data center industry exemplifies how transformative careers often begin unexpectedly. Like many industry professionals, her first role out of college with a data center provider introduced her to a field she hadn’t fully comprehended. What she discovered was a perfect convergence of her hybrid interests in engineering, technology, and operations—a space that combined technical depth with business strategy in ways that would define her professional trajectory.
The complexity and interconnectivity of the data center ecosystem captured her imagination from the outset. Unlike industries that operate in isolation, data centers rely on an intricate web of disciplines spanning construction, real estate, architecture, information technology, and supply chain management. This multifaceted environment provided her with exposure to diverse customer segments, from Fortune 500 corporations to emerging regional startups, creating unique opportunities for exploration, learning, and career development within a rapidly expanding industry.
Her comprehensive career path began in finance at QTS, where she systematically rotated through diverse roles encompassing operations, construction, information technology, and even legal and sales functions. This deliberate cross-functional journey provided her with an invaluable 360-degree perspective of the business, establishing the foundation for her current role as Director of Hyperscale Programs at DC BLOX, which she joined in January 2024.
Transforming DC BLOX’s Hyperscale Vision
In her pivotal position at DC BLOX, Kaitlin orchestrates the company’s ambitious transformation from a regional edge provider into a hyperscale-ready infrastructure powerhouse. This evolution represents more than organizational growth—it embodies a strategic repositioning that addresses the Southeast’s emergence as a prime but historically underserved region for hyperscale expansion, particularly as artificial intelligence and high-density workloads push demand beyond traditional Tier 1 markets.
DC BLOX’s leadership demonstrated exceptional foresight in recognizing this opportunity, and Kaitlin’s expertise becomes increasingly critical as the accelerating scale of digital communications, cloud infrastructure expansion, and AI-enabled applications are driving unprecedented demand for data center and fiber capacity across the region. Her strategic oversight encompasses the development of cutting-edge facilities designed to meet the most demanding technological requirements of today’s digital economy.
DC BLOX has positioned itself as a vertically integrated digital infrastructure provider uniquely equipped to address the complex demands of hyperscale clients. Kaitlin’s comprehensive approach ensures seamless integration across diverse service offerings, including connected AI-ready data centers, colocation services, dark fiber networks, hyperscale facilities, and cable landing station capabilities.
Innovation as a Strategic Imperative
Innovation serves as the foundation of DC BLOX’s operational philosophy under Kaitlin’s leadership. Rather than simply building facilities, the company designs adaptive, future-ready ecosystems for current needs with preparedness for tomorrow’s challenges. This proactive approach includes several dimensions of technology advancement and operational excellence.
On the technical side, DC BLOX innovates on the use of liquid cooling technology, modular build designs, and AI-powered operational tools to improve performance, efficiency, and sustainability. But Kaitlin realizes that innovation goes beyond technology adoption—there is a need to instill a forward-looking approach into each strategic level of the company.
Over 2025, she has led efforts to update internal systems, enhance cross-functional cooperation, and automate wherever feasible. Her style is one of developing relationships with boundary-defying technology providers and assembling diverse teams at the initial stages of planning to think creatively and broadly in addressing problems. In an industry changing as fast as digital infrastructure, innovation is not a choice but a competitive imperative for building sustained value.
Relationship-Centric Leadership Philosophy
Kaitlin’s leadership philosophy centers on the understanding that relationships constitute the lifeblood of the hyperscale ecosystem. With demand accelerating faster than the supply of powered land, trust and transparency become critical competitive differentiators that determine long-term success in this dynamic market environment.
At DC BLOX, she leads with a partnership-first methodology that includes acting with customers and vendors as collaborators committed to shared success. This approach focuses on candor regarding deliverable capabilities, proactive communication, and ongoing solution-focused engagement. The company’s focus on transparency and reliability is a testament to Kaitlin’s conviction that healthy, sustainable business relationships are founded on authentic partnership, not transactional relationships.
Internally, DC BLOX is guided by core values of Teamwork, Trust, and Tenacity—values that go beyond superficial corporate rhetoric to inform day-to-day interactions with partners and stakeholders. Kaitlin’s management ensures these values are embedded in all organizational culture, demonstrating the company’s long-term focus on relationship development and sustainable business practices.
Career-Defining Professional Accomplishments
One of Kaitlin’s most significant professional achievements involved her pivotal role in the successful execution of QTS’s $10 billion acquisition by Blackstone—a transformative transaction that represented far more than a simple change in ownership. The deal transitioned QTS from public to private status, unlocking accelerated investment and growth opportunities that ultimately positioned the company among the world’s top data center providers.
Her contribution to this landmark transaction extended beyond typical operational support. She was specifically tasked with creating comprehensive structures and processes for cleaning, organizing, and reporting the vast amounts of operational and financial data that Blackstone required for thorough company evaluation. This responsibility demanded cross-functional collaboration across multiple departments, intensive analysis of complex systems and spreadsheets, and ensuring absolute accuracy and consistency of every data point.
The acquisition process required sustained effort characterized by late nights, high-stakes pressure, and constant collaboration. However, the experience proved incredibly rewarding, particularly when her leadership acknowledged that without the structure and clarity she brought to the data management process, the acquisition could have stalled or terminated completely. This recognition validated not only her individual effort but also her understanding of how robust systems empower superior decision-making processes.
Community Leadership and Social Impact
Beyond her professional achievements, Kaitlin demonstrates exceptional commitment to community service and social impact initiatives. In March 2020, during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, she co-founded WIT YoPros, a young professionals program under the respected Women in Technology (WIT) non-profit organization in Atlanta. This initiative addressed the critical need for supporting women in their twenties entering STEAM careers through mentorship, networking, skill-building, and community development.
Starting an organization during such volatile circumstances presented unprecedented challenges, but as Volunteer Director, she remained determined to sustain the vision and mission. Today, WIT YoPros continues serving young women across Atlanta and beyond, helping them develop into confident, capable leaders within their respective fields.
Simultaneously, she also accepted a nomination as WIL (Women Inspiring Leadership) co-president, an employee resource group of aspiring women leaders at QTS. Although just a few years out of college, she felt strongly about engaging in leadership positions that could bring meaningful cultural change to the company.
Through WIL, she created platforms for women to be seen, heard, and supported within the corporate environment. These efforts eventually sparked broader diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives across the company, culminating in the first enterprise-wide Belonging & Engagement Summit—a powerful celebration of the diverse voices that comprise the workforce.
Leadership Philosophy and Guiding Principles
Kaitlin’s approach to leadership incorporates several fundamental principles that guide her decision-making and team development strategies. She believes that curiosity opens windows when doors remain closed, recognizing that the industry rewards individuals who ask questions, seek better approaches, and embrace uncertainty as opportunities for growth and innovation.
Her philosophy emphasizes that supporting others’ success proves more fulfilling than pursuing individual achievements. She understands that exceptional leaders elevate everyone around them, creating environments where collective success becomes the primary objective rather than personal advancement.
Communication represents another cornerstone of her leadership approach. She recognizes that effective communication isn’t one-size-fits-all and requires understanding how different individuals respond in various situations. Creating space for open dialogue becomes essential for building trust and maintaining organizational momentum.
Most importantly, she draws a line between leadership and management, realizing that influence, inspiration, and transformational leadership do not require formal titles or positions. This perspective enables her to lead meaningful change from any position within the organizational structure.
Industry Advocacy and Future Vision
Kaitlin advocates for women’s advancement in the data center industry with enthusiasm. She tells new female professionals that they belong and are capable: “You belong here. The data center industry needs diverse thinkers, empathetic leaders, and strategic problem-solvers—qualities women bring in abundance.”
She encourages women to speak up, take initiative, and lead from wherever they find themselves within organizations. Her perspective frames emotional intelligence, conflict resolution, and pattern recognition not as soft skills but as power skills that often determine success in high-pressure, high-stakes environments.
The other critical aspect of her advocacy approach is visibility. She realizes that the next generation of women in technology looks up to current leaders and emulates their examples. Her leadership commitment also means being the leader she needed when starting her career path.
Kaitlin is a strong and responsible leader dedicated to empowering women in mission-critical careers. A committed board member of WiMCO (Women in Mission Critical Operations), she is an advocate for inclusivity, mentoring, and industry development. Motivated by a sense of passion for collaboration and innovation, she encourages peers to strive beyond boundaries to develop a stronger, more agile, and future-ready workforce.
Sustainability and Environmental Responsibility
Environmental sustainability represents a moving target within the data center industry, but Kaitlin maintains unwavering commitment to achieving meaningful progress. She actively partners with hyperscale customers to meet current and future environmental objectives through energy-efficient designs, renewable energy sourcing where available, and integration of sustainable practices into both construction and operational phases.
At DC BLOX, she holds the organization accountable not only to regulatory standards but to their broader role as responsible stewards of the communities they serve. This approach transcends compliance to drive meaningful, measurable impact over long-term operational periods.
Scaling Challenges and Strategic Solutions
The primary challenge in scaling hyperscale operations involves staying ahead of growth trajectories—predicting future requirements while simultaneously building teams, tools, and processes to support expansion. Both at QTS and DC BLOX, Kaitlin joined organizations during early hyperscale development phases, requiring startup mindsets characterized by resourcefulness, rapid movement, and architectural planning for futures that are not yet fully defined.
DC BLOX isn’t merely expanding—it’s transforming through intentional strategic development. Kaitlin leads efforts to build cross-functional programs, implement best-in-class practices, and create data-driven systems that support fast, informed decision-making processes.
This transformation requires recruiting the right personnel—individuals hired not just for technical skills but for appropriate mindsets. The organization seeks people energized by uncertainty, ready to engage in hands-on work, and committed to building something greater than individual contributions.
Legacy and Continued Impact
Kaitlin represents the next generation of infrastructure leaders who understand that today’s digital economy demands more than traditional data center solutions. Her strategic vision encompasses the complete spectrum of hyperscale requirements, from massive power and cooling capabilities to ultra-low latency connectivity and edge computing deployment strategies.
At DC BLOX, she continues to push the frontiers of innovation in hyperscale infrastructure development, allowing for the Southeastern United States to remain competitive in attracting major technology investments while supporting digital transformation initiatives across industries. Her efforts directly play into building foundational infrastructure that will allow the next generation of services and applications defining the future of technology.
Her career trajectory demonstrates how combining technical expertise with collaborative leadership, community engagement, and sustainable practices creates lasting impact that extends far beyond individual organizations to influence entire industries and communities.
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