Interview: Support Engineer

Simon Shkreli is a Support Engineer at Nantum AI. Passionate about technology, Simon is driven to solve the various challenges in the built world and sustainability through tech. Part of the team since 2022, Simon is based in NYC and is involved in many local initiatives.

What was the path that led you to Nantum AI?

My passion professionally has always been aligned with STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) since my early days in robotics competitions in school. At the New Jersey Institute of Technology, I studied computer engineering and was introduced to different applications of new emerging technologies that affect aspects of life we often overlook. I then started my career as a building automation systems programmer for Schneider Electric, specifically in the New York/New Jersey branch.

I'm very fortunate to have had that opportunity, exposure to a wide range of modern smart control systems, and, more importantly, great people and mentors in my life. For the past three years, Nantum AI has given me the opportunity to use my knowledge and passion for building systems and controls for the problems that come with these systems and their significant impact on our world.

What drew you into the sustainable technology industry?

I approached energy sustainability technology from a different angle than most, as I was more curious and educated about the technology side. Right now, most buildings in this world still run on primitive, pneumatic machinery or, at best, early computerized technologies that were implemented at least 20 years ago. Today, we are at the point of the building technology timeline where further computerization allows us to create new solutions and integrations of technology. We can now dance in this new balancing act between tenant comfort (the original design intention for these systems) and energy sustainability (how do we minimize energy for these massive systems).

What’s your favorite part about working at Nantum AI?

Outside of the group of folks I work with, who I continue to learn so much from, my favorite part about working at Nantum AI is the challenges we take on. The best way to describe it is this… If there were a physical library that held the amount of building data collected, both residential and commercial, built in all eras of modern society, then this library of connected building data would need to be pretty spacious. We need this data to make better decisions not only for energy and sustainability purposes but also for the long-term health of buildings. Being a part of this kind of “library” initiative, especially working in the field with building engineers who deeply understand their own buildings, as well as our software developers who want to improve on such, is a rush! I wouldn’t say we are trailblazing, I'd rather say we are library building!

What’s the biggest misconception about the work you do?

There will never be a time when what we do with building controls will be 100% remote. Buildings need folks there to monitor and maintain their structure and function for so many reasons outside of energy sustainability. I've always been asked if we would ever get to that point of being 100% remote, but as long as we need buildings, we need highly trained folks to run those buildings inside them.

What’s something you do outside of work that helps you in your daily role at Nantum AI?

My willingness to be curious applies to other things in my life that I'm passionate about, including and excluding my work. Creatively, I love producing music, have a few synthesizers and an MPC (the beat machine, not the Schneider APCs!) at home that I love jamming out to. Instead of wiring 3/16 wires for pulse utility readings, I solder/wire up/repair synths! Also, I am blessed to say I'm in good health and enjoy keeping in shape through basketball, soccer, cycling, and lifting. Just don't ask me to throw a perfect spiral… I'm still learning.

If you weren’t a support engineer, what would you want to do?

TEACHERS DO NOT GET PAID ENOUGH!!!

Are there any upcoming initiatives or projects you’re especially interested in?

To me, it's always just the next building. With each building being different in terms of hardware, automation vendor, software, and location, we are given unique challenges to figure out new ways to minimize electric consumption of these buildings, so it's always important to me to keep myself looking forward to understanding a new aspect of how buildings run, so we can make better decisions of how they should be running, especially in a post-Covid remote world.