Courses & Events
Data Center Expansion: Challenges and Solutions for Thermal Management and Materials Access
Thursday, Nov 19, 2026
04:30 pm - 05:50 pm
As data center expansion accelerates worldwide, growing demand for computing infrastructure is creating new challenges for thermal management and critical materials. Himanshu Pokharna, CEO of Deep Materials, will share his perspectives on these challenges, drawing on the work of Deep Materials and Inficold to explore emerging solutions and the broader international implications of this growing demand.
Deep Materials is a technology company that specializes in thermal management solutions and high-performance thermal interface materials (TIMs) for modern electronics, AI infrastructure, and enterprise data centers.
Dr. Richard Dasher, Director of the US-ATMC, will moderate the session.
Details
Registration:
Agenda:
- 4:30 pm – 5:50 pm Discussion and Audience Q&A
Venue:
- Stanford University, Bishop Auditorium, 518 Memorial Way, Stanford, CA 94305 [Google Map]
Parking options:
- Memorial Way, Stanford, CA 94305 [Google Map]
- Lasuen St. and Roth Way, Stanford, CA 94305 [Google Map]
- Please check parking signs carefully to ensure that permitted parking (A or C) and metered spaces are free after 4:00 pm. Paid parking is enforced around The Oval until 6:00 pm.
Speakers
Himanshu Pokharna
CEO, Deep Materials Inc.
Himanshu Pokharna is the Chief Executive Officer at Deep Materials, bringing extensive experience in thermal management solutions and technology innovation.
As the Founder & Director of Inficold, Himanshu has demonstrated entrepreneurial leadership in developing refrigeration and cold chain solutions, integrating solar energy for efficient cooling across various applications. Their background reflects a strong focus on technology innovation and business development.
Prior to Deep Materials and Inficold, Himanshu held key leadership positions in technology-driven companies. As Chief Technology Officer at Ventiva, they provided product direction and built thermal, fluid, and acoustic capabilities. Their tenure at Sheetak as Board Member, Vice President of Business Development, and Co-founder involved thermoelectric cooling and heating technology. Earlier, at Thermacore, Himanshu served as Vice President of Thermal Product Development, contributing to the design and manufacturing of thermal management systems. During their time at Intel as Group Manager, they oversaw team functions and coordinated project execution within computer networking equipment. These roles demonstrate versatile expertise across thermal management and technology sectors.
Himanshu’s academic foundation includes a Master of Business Administration from The Wharton School, a Doctor of Philosophy from Purdue University, a B.Tech. from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, and studies at Lachoo College. Their education has provided them with applied knowledge of engineering methodologies and business strategies.
