About

I'm a software engineer and technology leader with 26 years of experience building products that people depend on. I came up through the dot-com era at a small custom dev shop in Louisville, where a group of hardcore Linux engineers took the time to mentor me. I've spent the rest of my career putting what they taught me to use across a few different roles.

I'm an autodidact. I learn by taking things apart and rebuilding them until I understand how they actually work. That habit started young and hasn't gone away.

I've worn most of the hats you can wear in software. I joined HelloMetro as CTO in 2007, where I led an 8-engineer team running a hyperlocal media platform across more than 1,600 city-guide domains on AWS. I owned the whole technical operation, from architecture and infrastructure to DNS and SSL across the entire footprint. The company sold. Around the same time I co-founded Clicker LLC with a partner after we bought out the original owner. We ran it for years as a profitable business and it's currently still operating.

In 2007 I started Pixel Guild as my own studio. It's a small operation focused on native macOS and iOS apps and select custom development work. I've shipped Relay, Gammy, and Loom, with more in development. I also publish technical writing at pixelguild.com/articles, which I've been doing for the last three years.

Since 2020 I've been a Principal Software Engineer at a private organization where I lead AI integration work, provide technical leadership for the engineering team, and own platform engineering for our custom development workloads.

What I bring to consulting work is breadth. Most senior engineers go deep on one thing. I went wide because I had to. When you're the founder, the CTO, or the only person at a small shop who can do something, you become responsible for all of it. Backend, frontend, native, cloud, CI/CD, networking, databases, AI integration. I can take a project from a blank file to a distributed system on my own, and I can lead a team doing the same.

Outside of tech, I have a deep appreciation for the outdoors. Growing up in Kentucky in a family of educators and technologists, I was introduced early on to both problem-solving and the natural world. That balance has shaped who I am. You'll find me fly fishing in remote streams, hiking through rugged trails, or camping under the stars.

I live in Louisville with my wife and daughter, who keep me grounded and remind me what actually matters.

I also have a passion for motorcycles, particularly cafe racers. I currently ride a Ducati Sport Classic GT and have owned Triumph motorcycles in the past. There's something about the blend of engineering and design in motorcycles that resonates with me. Craftsmanship and performance combined.

When I'm not working or outdoors, I'm usually diving into a book, playing video games, or tinkering with new coding projects. Whether it's exploring new technologies or finding the perfect fly-fishing spot, I'm always looking for ways to push boundaries and keep learning.