Hi there! I'm a passionate people manager, full stack principal developer, and technology leader with proven effectiveness in both fast paced, venture backed startups and large scale, complex corporate environments. I have hired, fired, mentored, and led international teams while developing processes and software solutions to meet business needs.
Since I am innately curious and intrinsically driven, I'm currently building an LLM Retrieval Augmented Generation system that ingests discord chats and answers student questions by loading relevant information at runtime using vector search. See my GitHub.
Also currently serving as a judge for the Black Ambition Prize semi-finals.
In my free time I enjoy Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, biking the strand, reading, playing pool, and watching my niece.
$ python nick_test.py
================================== test session starts ================================
collected 9 items
nick_test.py::who identifying_stakeholders PASSED [ 11%]
nick_test.py::why gathering_requirements PASSED [ 22%]
nick_test.py::why selecting_metrics PASSED [ 33%]
nick_test.py::what defining_use_cases PASSED [ 44%]
nick_test.py::what generating_reports PASSED [ 56%]
nick_test.py::how cross_functional_team_interfaces PASSED [ 67%]
nick_test.py::how omni_directional_management_interfaces PASSED [ 78%]
nick_test.py::when running_agile_processes PASSED [ 89%]
nick_test.py::when risk_management PASSED [100%]
================================== 9 passed in 0.XXs ==================================
I took a non-traditional route starting with hustling my way into the Plug and Play Tech Center startup incubator where I got my "startup MBA"; at Snapfish I went from scrum master of a single team to platform program manager of the storage, assets, and photo library teams (in US and India) where we launched the service based Snapfish 2.0; at eBay I grew their internal innovation program while developing and launching a next generation portal and managing DevOps for our sister teams; at Grid I led operations for a series B level fintech company where I managed our Atlanta office; and at Neon Money Club I led engineering for a seed level fintech company where I implemented DevOps and engineering processes to get them production ready, launched, and through their first 1.5k users.
See my resume and LinkedIn for more details. My journey into software development has been an exciting blend of hands-on experience, continual learning, and strategic decision-making, shaped by both successes and challenges.
From an early age, I was fascinated by how technology could solve complex problems. This passion led me to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Entrepreneurship & Small Business Management from SFSU. My career began at the intersection of business and technology, where I quickly learned the importance of staying agile, iterating, and continuous improvement.
Starting at Plug and Play Tech Center, I secured the job by assertively following up with the CEO and spending almost a full buisness day waiting for a meeting. This persistence marked the beginning of my professional journey, where I managed events and implemented marketing tools that significantly increased our social media following and lead generation. This role solidified my understanding of the business impacts of technical decisions.
As I moved to roles at Rover and Snapfish (a division of Hewlett Packard), I took on more responsibility. At Snapfish, I started as Scrum Master for one team and ended up as Platform Engineering Program Manager for the web photo library, user assets API, and storage API, managing work and running agile processes at scale for teams in the US and India. We launched Snapfish 2.0, transitioning from a monolithic to a service-oriented architecture. This project enabled the launch of a mobile app and involved live migrating ~20PB of data using both a background job and real-time migration. These experiences underscored the importance of detailed planning and the ability to adapt to evolving technical landscapes.
At eBay, I had the opportunity to drive innovation by developing a platform to match employee prototypes with management sponsors. This project increased engagement and participation in innovation programs, showcasing my ability to leverage technology to foster creativity and collaboration. My time at eBay also included launching the first innovation studio space, which became a hub for experimenting with cutting-edge technologies.
At Visor (now Grid), a fintech app, I managed the Atlanta office, blending leadership and technological know-how. I identified key performance metrics, built reporting around them, and managed day-to-day operations. To complement our main app, which had the full focus of our engineering talent, I developed an internal app that enhanced our operational capabilities. This role highlighted my ability to drive operational efficiency and develop technological solutions to support business growth.
Leading engineering at Neon Money Club, I launched backend services for a fintech stock investing app, managing a remote engineering team and ensuring continuous delivery through a robust CI/CD pipeline. This role highlighted my ability to balance technical architecture considerations with business needs, delivering scalable and secure solutions.
As I continue to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of technology, I remain committed to leveraging my diverse experiences to drive innovation and deliver value. Whether leading a team, architecting complex systems, or exploring new technologies, my goal is to create solutions that are not only effective but also transformative.