In this episode of Micro Journeys, Daniel Marrujo sits down with Schoeller Porter, President of Nimbus Services, to explore how his unconventional journey from aerospace engineering to big data, emulation, and defense infrastructure is reshaping the future of microelectronics. With a deep-rooted curiosity in technology and an early passion for problem-solving, Schoeller discusses how foundational experiences—from working at Wolfram Research to leading projects with the F-35 program—prepared him to address some of the Department of Defense’s most pressing challenges.

The conversation dives into how Nimbus has spearheaded innovations in trusted cloud environments, digital twin modeling, and emulation infrastructure that support U.S. national security. Schoeller shares key insights into building systems for data traceability and reliability at scale, the evolution of secure collaborative design, and how digital tools are accelerating defense acquisition, sustainment, and mission readiness.

By linking computation with mission success, Nimbus is helping to future-proof defense platforms and sustainment systems. Through pilot programs with DARPA, AFRL, and the F-35 Joint Program Office, Nimbus has enabled a paradigm shift in how critical microelectronics are modeled, validated, and deployed.

What You’ll Discover in This Episode:

• [06:45] How Schoeller’s childhood fascination with airplanes led to a career in aerospace engineering—and later into software and data infrastructure.
• [12:37] The launch of Wolfram Alpha and the complexities of building one of the first math-heavy mobile apps.
• [18:10] Lessons from early work in big data at TrueCar and why bad data is a universal challenge.
• [23:07] Building Nimbus’ trusted cloud platform for engineering data and tool access within DoD environments.
• [27:30] Why getting defense primes to collaborate on a single chip design was a groundbreaking moment.
• [37:49] How Nimbus supports the F-35 program with emulation and digital twin infrastructure for pre-fabrication validation.
• [43:42] The importance of microelectronics in sustainment, and how Nimbus enables cross-service interoperability.

Let’s Connect

• Daniel Marrujo on LinkedIn
• Schoeller Porter on LinkedIn
• 2025 Microelectronics Commons Annual Meeting
• Microelectronics Commons
• TSS Website 

Learn more about TSS: https://tss.llc/micro-journeys-podcast/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.