I'm a generalist, knowing how to build hardware and software, as well as execute on creative design. I excel at collaborating with many roles, including creatives, and serve as an intermediary between these stakeholders. I work well on prototyping projects. I'm very quick at picking up new skills/technology/etc.
I taught myself to program by reverse engineering websites using my first Internet-connected computer. By the age of 15, my skill with code helped secure my first internship: analyzing satellite weather data, which was used in crop forecasting for commodity futures. I decided to attend the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign to earn my undergraduate degree, performing research on self-healing composites and doing specialty coursework in biomechanics, MEMS fabrication, homeland security, and nuclear engineering.
After finishing school, Microsoft recruited me to be a software developer. There I worked on seven releases of Windows in both the client and server SKUs, tackling tough problems in intercontinental data replication, security, and developer experience. Eventually I decided to focus upon a more creative outlet and moved on from Microsoft in order to study interaction design at New York University's ITP. Inspired by the entrepreneurial spirit of ITP, post-graduation, I proceeded to co-found one startup and join as an early team member of another.