What do you do at RESTORE-Skills & in what circumstances would I come to you for something?
In my role as Chief Technology Officer, my primary responsibility is to help turn the strategic vision of our digital health platform into reality. I focus on prioritizing areas that will add the greatest value to our end-users in the shortest possible time while providing an optimal user experience. Bringing, seeing, experiencing joy across our customer base is what truly drives me. You would come to me if you are experiencing a technical challenge in engaging with our platform or to make recommendations for ways in which we can enhance your experience through game/feature development, data capture, and outcome reporting needs.
Who has influenced you most when it comes to how you approach your work?
I am honestly touched by recent remarks by Elon Musk, saying “It doesn’t matter what you build, the question is are you building the best product possible?” Attention to detail earns immediate respect even in the parts that others won’t necessarily see.
Are you a dog person or a cat person (or neither)?
Apparently a dog person. While I love our cat Coda, our new puppy Tobi is completely stealing the show.
How do you prefer to start and end your day?
I start each day with a simple plan before me that I believe I can accomplish. If I make a solid dent in it, that day then it has been a success. To end my day, I like to put out my accomplishments for either my team or customers to see. Quick feedback makes the world go round and lets us all build beautiful things together.
What energizes you at work?
Interesting technical challenges that make a visible difference in user experience or the life of my colleagues. Turning interesting ideas into elegant designs and seeing them come to life.
What’s one song/artist you are embarrassed to admit you like?
Rockefeller Street by Nightcore is a song I love jamming out to in the car. In fact, if we take a car for a test drive I want to hear how it is going to sound on that sound system.
What led you to this career path?
As I progressed through my career as a software engineer I understood that underlying technologies and implementation are only a small part of the product. If we were to build something meaningful we need to care about the well-being of those that create and support what we build. We need to make sure that the time our customers spend with our product is meaningful and that we are honest about the role we play in their lives. This product really gives me an opportunity to build something truly impactful and work with a wonderful team to find what it ultimately is.
What do you do to turn things around when you are having a bad day?
Step back from a problem to drop the stress level then step back and ask important questions. Sort out what is the true goal here that will benefit everyone involved.
What’s one hobby you would love to get into?
Kite sailing has captured my imagination at the moment. Being at the edge of two elements is hyper-focused and an exceptionally freeing experience.
What’s changed you about the COVID-19 pandemic, and why?
What we are doing here and now in RESTORE-Skills was made essential and apparent through this pandemic. We can bring joy into the lives of our loved ones and make them stronger and healthier at the same time. What could be better than that?