This week the crew sat down with Dane Courville, PLS-II and Survey Leader for CDOT Region 1, to explore the life and lessons of a surveyor who’s made his mark across metes and bounds, Texas, and PLSS. Growing up in Opelousas, Louisiana, Dane’s story is one of grit, growth, and giving back to the profession.

Dane shared how working across different land systems taught him that geography, history, and law all shape the surveyor’s role. From land development to energy and transportation, his career has spanned multiple sectors, each leaving him with a deeper perspective on the craft.

We unpacked his manual—its success, feedback, and the opportunities it has opened. Dane also discussed his continuing education program with WFPS, particularly around oil and gas surveying, a niche where his expertise runs deep.

Passionate about building confidence in the next generation, Dane believes passing licensing exams is less about pure survey knowledge and more about test-taking skills and mindset. His mission? To mentor aspiring professionals and help them see themselves as capable, licensed surveyors-in-the-making.

Dane has spoken at most western state conferences and made a bold, open offer to bring his voice eastward. His goal is simple: share knowledge, spread encouragement, and leave a lasting legacy of mentorship, confidence, and professional pride.

Music by The Cure!!!

In this inspiring episode of The Geoholics Podcast, Kent is joined by special guests Anna Rios and Amanda Allred to shine a spotlight on the Future Surveyors Foundation and the upcoming Women Surveyors Summit (WSS) 2025 in Las Vegas.

The show kicks off with Geoholics news and happenings—INTERGEO, Trimble Dimensions, and, of course, the highly anticipated Women Surveyors Summit in October. Powered by EMLID and supported by our incredible sponsors, this episode blends industry updates with thought-provoking dialogue about the future of surveying.

The guests share the origin story and mission of the Future Surveyors Foundation—creating opportunity, inspiration, and support for a diverse geospatial workforce. Listeners get an inside look at programs like PRISM+ALLIES, the Women Surveyors Summit, and mentorship partnerships designed to strengthen the profession while opening doors for underrepresented groups

We dive deep into the philosophy behind the Summit—“for women, by women”—and what that means for event design and delivery. From continuing education tracks to ethics sessions, the 2025 edition promises fresh opportunities for growth, networking, and empowerment. The conversation highlights why Las Vegas was chosen as the host city and teases some standout program elements happening October 23–26, 2025

The Foundation also proudly announces the Geoholics Scholarship winners—Isabella Totra & Iris Saldana—future leaders carrying the torch for the next generation of surveyors

As always, we add a cultural twist with our Song of the Week: Tim McGraw’s “Humble & Kind”—a reminder of the values that guide both our personal lives and professional journeys

Listeners also catch the latest GEODNET count update, proving that satellites, crypto, and surveying are more connected than ever.

The episode closes with a powerful challenge: what can you do to inspire and support the next generation of surveyors? Whether it’s attending the Summit, mentoring, or sponsoring initiatives, the message is clear—change starts with community and commitment.

#addvalue #makefriends #beageoholic

This week the boys fired up the mics for an episode that’s equal parts rock concert, tech summit, and surveying masterclass. Sponsored by Emlid, the show kicked off with news, happenings, and a little Linkin Park fuel—because nothing says “let’s talk LiDAR and AI” like One Step Closer pounding in the background.

After the TopoDOT Song of the Week and a few Hexagon pro tips, the crew welcomed Alex Baikovitz, Co-Founder and CEO of Mach9. Born in Miami, forged at Carnegie Mellon, and seasoned by building robots to inspect nuclear facilities, Alex has one mission: help computers understand and interact with the physical world.

We dug deep into Mach9’s origin story—starting with reality capture hardware for surveyors and pivoting to automated 3D mapping software that extracts features faster than you can say “digital twin.” From the fusion of LiDAR, AI, and edge computing, to real-world use cases that are saving clients serious time and money, Alex painted a picture of where geospatial intelligence is headed.

Highlights included:

• How Mach9 is redefining data workflows for surveyors and infrastructure teams.
• Why AI/ML isn’t just buzz—it’s making massive point clouds actually useful.
• Where geospatial sits in the bigger puzzle of smart cities, digital twins, and even generative AI.
• The balancing act between innovation and privacy in a data-hungry world.
• Alex’s five-year outlook, including what quantum computing and neuromorphic chips might mean for our industry.

The future of geospatial intelligence is already here, and companies like Mach9 are leading the charge. From automating feature extraction to enabling real-time insights with AI, Alex reminded us that innovation isn’t about replacing the surveyor, it’s about empowering them to work smarter, faster, and safer. So take this conversation as both a challenge and an invitation: embrace the technology, lean into the change, and remember that adding value and making friends is always the ultimate return on investment!!!