About Me
I love the moments when simple technology creates a feeling of wonder. I believe programming is an artistic endeavor, and software mirrors its originating culture and environment. I've spent 20 years as an engineer and designer, leading teams and building technology that brings people together.
Current Projects
- Nerd Coach → I coach engineers, engineering managers, and startup founders
- Mindfulness for Nerds → an 8-week course on focus and flow
- I write about technology, scale, and humanity on Medium
- I volunteer at Dynamicland and am working a few projects there
Work History
- Yerdle co-founder. Built and led Yerdle's engineering team
- PPF director of technology. Helped create OpenGovernment.org and OpenCongress.org
- Zipcar founding team. Wrote the code that opens your Zipcar
- OurGoods co-founder. A bartering network for creative professionals
- Software projects for The American Museum of Natural History, ITP@NYU, and others
- Mentor at Code for America, Singularity U, and CCA Design Strategy MBA
Selected Writing
- 'The Art of Computer Programming' by Donald Knuth →
- The moment you realize every server in the world is vulnerable →
- A Brief History of Random Numbers →
- Managing Technical Debt →
Playground
- Multiverse → Adobe Photoshop scripts to create generative art — in collaboration with Petra Cortright for Rhizome's Seven on Seven 2018
- Jackpot → a Chrome extension that turns the web into a casino
- Wine Flavor Wheel → a visualization of how different wines taste
- Visual metronome → at Dynamicland, a simple adjustable metronome
- The Flag of Equal Marriage → an emotional touch point for same-sex marriage
- Emoji Text Replacements → gives you Emoji keyboard shortcuts on macOS
Education
- BSE in Computer Engineering, Case Western Reserve University
- Learned to code by writing Internet games at 14