There’s something remarkable about standing in the middle of Levi’s® Stadium on game day. The energy vibrates through the air with 70,000 fans moving, reacting, and celebrating together. Behind that energy is an invisible player: data. It’s everywhere. It powers the video boards, the ticket scans, the concession lines, even the Wi-Fi your phone quietly clings to as you post a photo from your seat.

But for me, the most fascinating part isn’t the data itself, it’s the story it tells.

At NetApp, when we talk about innovation, we never start with technology for technology’s sake. We start with people. True innovation lives where technology and humanity meet. That’s what makes our partnership with the San Francisco 49ers so powerful. It’s about creating experiences that matter: to fans, to teams, and to the next generation, learning what’s possible when data and creativity collide.

From Intelligent Data to Intelligent Experience

The 49ers think about game day the same way I think about a great brand experience: it should feel effortless, emotional, and deeply personal. When fans enter the stadium, they’re not just watching football; they’re stepping into a data-driven ecosystem designed to anticipate their needs and remove friction at every touchpoint (we’re talking about easier parking, quicker restroom and concessions lines, and more time in their seats watching the action unfold on the field). And that’s Intelligent Data Infrastructure in action.

Costa Kladianos, the team’s Executive Vice President of Technology, calls Levi’s® Stadium “the Intelligent Stadium.” It’s not just clever branding; it’s a shared philosophy. We both believe intelligence should serve people, not the other way around.

That’s what this partnership is about: using technology to make human experiences richer and more connected. It’s about what happens when you take something as seemingly technical as data storage and turn it into something alive, a tool that can make 70,000 fans feel like VIPs at once.

Full Circle: Data as a Force for Good

During our conversation on theCUBE at INSIGHT 2025, I talked about what I call the “full-circle story.” Technology alone doesn’t create change; people using it do. That’s why the next phase of our partnership with the 49ers Foundation is so meaningful. Together, we’re launching a multi-year initiative to bring data science education to high school students across the Bay Area.

We’re inviting students into Levi’s® Stadium not just to watch the game, but to learn how data shapes everything from team performance to fan experience. It’s a chance to show them that technology is more than a career path, it’s a creative canvas.

That’s the heart of Silicon Valley: where innovation becomes personal and passion turns into possibility. We’re not just teaching data analytics; we’re giving young people the confidence to imagine, to lead, and to shape the next great story.

Data with a Soul

People sometimes think of data as cold – rows, columns, numbers, and dashboards. But it is something entirely different. Data has a pulse. Every dataset represents a story waiting to be told. It could be the heartbeat of a fan base, the rhythm of a manufacturing line, or the pulse of a city’s infrastructure.

When we talk about “intelligent data,” we’re really talking about how we give that data purpose. It’s not enough to simply collect information; we need to activate it in ways that move people, build trust, and create value. That’s the real work.

At NetApp, we like to say we’re built to be “ready.” Ready to defend against threats. Ready to power AI. Ready to drive the next breakthrough. Readiness isn’t rigidity – it’s resilience. It’s the ability to evolve with our customers, with our partners, and with the communities around us.

That’s the through line in all of this: data becomes transformative when it unleashes human potential.

The Future is Built, Not Predicted

The future won’t be written by algorithms; it’ll be written by people who know how to use them responsibly and creatively. That’s why teaching students about data science matters. It’s why creating intelligent fan experiences matters. And it’s why we need to keep reminding ourselves that data, at its best, is another form of storytelling. It’s a bridge between insight and emotion.

I often say marketing is the connective tissue of a company. But maybe data is the connective tissue of our shared human experience, linking us across industries, communities, and generations. When we give it meaning with intelligence, we give it power.

That’s the story we’re telling at NetApp with the 49ers. It’s not about bits and bytes. It’s about using data to create something that feels a little bit like magic.