About me
I build platforms. I design systems. I think deeply about how technology supports people.
I have never liked about me sections. A person is far more than a paragraph. I have never seen a good autobiography that fit on one page. I believe life is built on balance, nuance, contradiction, and stories.
I love going to a good punk show. I also love blues, country, rockabilly, and moody piano. What I enjoy most is the contrast. I have always liked seeing how very different things can coexist together.
That balance shows up everywhere in my life. I trained jiu jitsu and MMA for many years. Earlier on, I spent a lot of time skateboarding and riding BMX. At the same time, I could sit for hours in front of a computer coding, trying to beat myself, trying to beat the code, trying to beat the system.
Computers entered my life almost by accident. In high school, I needed extra credits to graduate on time, so I took some basic computer courses. I started with simple word processing, then an HTML ver. 2 class. That was when everything clicked. The kid who loved skateboarding and partying with friends found the nerdy side of computers and never looked back.
Technology has given me a lot in life. Especially the opportunity to build meaningful things with amazing people. Through all of it, I have never lost sight of the human element. I often think… What makes software feel empowering? What makes it feel like work? And what makes building it feel like fun instead of exhausting?
My Journey
Continental Business Services
Technical Specialist - Internship | 1997 – 1998
My first job out of high school. This was rewarding because it showed me what was possible. It was my first time inside a real tech environment. I helped wherever I was needed, supported users, fixed computers, and helped document software. More than anything, I saw the camaraderie inside a tech team, and that experience made me realize this was the world I wanted to be part of.
Loma Linda University
PC Support Coordinator | 1998 – 2000
This role was foundational in my career because they saw something in me that I was still figuring out myself. Within 3 months, I was promoted from a tech to a coordinator. Being promoted so quickly and trusted with responsibility at 19 years old meant a lot. I suddenly found myself managing people who were older and more experienced than I, and that forced me to grow up fast.
What mattered most was that people believed in me. That belief pushed me to meet expectations, communicate clearly, and show up prepared. LLU was results and education driven. Learning was constant and encouraged. That mindset stuck with me. Never stop improving. Never stop learning. Even if it is just for an few hours a week. That lesson has stayed with me ever since.
Cirque du Soleil
Show Production Technician | 2000 – 2003
I cannot say enough good things about my time at Cirque du Soleil. It was one of the most passionate and rewarding periods of my life. The people alone were incredible. I was surrounded by the best talent from all over the world. Olympians, circus performers, acrobats, riggers, electricians, carpenters, flyers, stage managers. Everyone came from different backgrounds and different cultures, but we were all family.
Almost every night, I would walk down into the theater or go into the light booth and watch one of the most beautiful performances I had ever seen. Every time I would think, I helped make this happen today. That feeling is hard to describe. I have never felt more connected to my work or more proud of the contribution I was making.
This was a time in my life where passion and purpose completely aligned. I was dedicated. I was energized. I did not even realize work could feel like that. Even now, when I think about how rewarding work can be, this is the bar I measure it against.
Independent Web Developer
2003 – 2006
This chapter was about choosing coding on purpose. My time at Cirque du Soleil was incredibly rewarding and one of the most passionate periods of my life, but it also made something very clear to me. I did not want to manage shows or support systems forever. I wanted to code. Not on the side. Not in my spare time. Full time!
I moved back to Southern California for a coding position and started taking on projects wherever I could find them. One project turned into another, and suddenly I was working for myself without ever planning to.
This chapter of my life was pure momentum. I loved the freedom. I loved choosing what to build and how to build it, even when that meant working constantly. I learned how to survive on my own skills.
PageTrader
Web Developer / Operations Lead | 2006 – 2013
At this point in my life, I needed work-life balance. I loved working for myself, but the hours were brutal. The passion and momentum were there, but I was burning myself out. Around the same time, I reconnected with my wife before we were married.
I left California and moved back to Las Vegas. I came across something that barely even looked like a job ad. It was more like a challenge. It was quirky, vague, and intriguing, and it immediately caught my attention. That challenge led me to PageTrader.
This is where everything clicked for me as a developer. For the first time, I owned the software. I was not just building features. I was building the backbone of an entire business. I loved watching something start as nothing and slowly turn into a system the company depended on every single day.
It was my first real taste of entrepreneurship inside a small, successful company. I wore every hat. I built the entire system, trained people, handled operations, supported users, and automated everything I could. I loved seeing a small team do big things because the system I built.
This was the moment I fell in love with building platforms, not just features.
Barfly Apparel
Owner | 2013 – 2021
Barfly was one of the most fun jobs I have ever had in my life. If someone asked me how to have a good time and get paid doing it, I would honestly say start a clothing company and sell at events. Music festivals, tattoo conventions, foodie festivals, fairs. We were everywhere.
I loved having the store on Las Vegas Boulevard. I loved my staff and watching friendships form. Seeing people walk down the Strip wearing something I designed was incredible. Customers came back just to talk. Staff became family. It was creative, social, loud, exciting, and full of life.
It was also physically demanding and mentally exhausting, and eventually, the travel was hard on my family. COVID made the decision unavoidable. But I loved Barfly. I loved the people. I loved the lifestyle. It was a highlight of my life. But, I was missing something…
Red OnX
Co-founder | 2019-Present
Red OnX pulled me back into coding at a time when I did not realize how much I missed it. I was running Barfly, doing well, and staying busy, but the truth was I could not stop thinking about coding, even when I was having the time of my life.
What started the whole thing was a conversation. Robb (Red OnX co-founder) showed me something in about an hour that had taken me years to work through on my own. The way he extracted information, structured it, and turned it into something usable was smart, intentional, and different. I remember thinking how powerful this would have been building web apps years earlier. That moment opened the door.
Once we started talking seriously, everything moved fast.
I led the development of a full end-to-end platform that includes e-commerce, CRM, CMS, automation, invoicing, booking, and so much more. We moved from concept to MVP and launched production software within a year.
Robb brings clarity where things are often noisy and helps surface what actually matters. Rick brought early belief and momentum to what we were building. His passing was deeply felt, and his contribution remains part of the foundation of the product.
Red OnX reflects how I like to work and why I build software in the first place. Fast moving, hands on, and deeply connected to the problem being solved. It continues to shape how I think about systems, teams, and technology today.