Profile Builder is a web-based app that I built for Koji, a startup. Given that this was to be used and shared on social media, the goal was to design and build a design tool that can be easily used by anyone. Some neat things about it:
As the lead engineer at Utique, a startup that built luxury vending machines, I had the opportunity to flex my full-stack as well as UX, UI, and creative skills. Here are a few things I did:
Rippling’s engineering and support teams had been using an internal tool that was necessary but increasingly frustrating to use. It was essentially built with no thought or consideration for the user. I built a new version with the same features but with better UI and UX features, and that was significantly faster.
Hi! Thanks for being here.
I started coding when I was 7 (according to my mom). I learned by checking out books from the library and long, leisurely hours at Barnes and Noble stores. A self-taught developer, I let curiosity and humility be my guide in asking the hard questions, taking on hard problems, and learning how to best serve my clients and coworkers with my work. I love the art and mechanism of software and I love it even more when I’m able to help people in a meaningful way.
I got my first real job when I was 19 at Flextronics, a large-scale manufacturing company with an office in Sacramento, where I started as a junior developer and over several years became a lead developer.
After 3 years at Flex, I went to a small startup called Utique based in San Francisco, where we designed and built upscale vending machines. I was the lead developer and served in a lot of cross-functional roles here as well.
Next I decided to do some independent freelance and consulting work under my company, Gears & Wires. I worked for small startups (often being the sole developer) to large companies such as Pepsi. The range of kinds of projects was wide and thrilling and I enjoyed the different experiences this period afforded me.
Then I joined Metaverse (now Koji), where I worked for 3 years. Being a social media focused company, I got to create many different kinds of projects such as web apps, games, online stores, etc.
Right now, I’m a front-end developer for Rippling, working with the Insurance team, where I’ve been since August 2021.
In the past few years, I’m realizing my passion for the front-end side of things. I naturally gravitate towards thinking about the user, about the idea of empathy and designing things in a way that are thoughtful, pleasing, and beautiful.
In my spare time, I enjoy learning about and creating projects using 3D software, color art, and photography (my current favorite is my Fuji X-T3).
I was born in New Orleans and grew up in Colorado and Illinois. Work took me to the Bay Area where I spent a good portion of my life. I currently live in the Los Angeles area with my wife and 3-year-old son.