History

I started programming at the age of 5 in 1996, when my dad introduced me to computers. What began as childlike curiosity evolved into a lifelong passion for technology and problem-solving. My professional career officially began in 2010, but I've been building software for over two decades.

After briefly attending Moorpark College, I moved to Orange County to work at NCSoft. While I don't have a formal education in Computer Science, I bring over two decades of hands-on experience to every project, with 15 of those years spent professionally developing software across various industries.

As a veteran Aion Online player since 2009, I've become a prominent community figure and expert in gameplay strategy and development. I founded and led the Zephyr guild, managing large-scale operations with over 1000 players, honing my leadership skills in strategic planning, communication, and team management.

Specializing in the Cleric class, I pioneered the "Scatter Kiting" technique, revolutionizing Cleric gameplay by boosting survivability and offensive capabilities in PvP. My deep understanding of class dynamics often enabled me to tackle high-level challenges with innovative strategies.

Beyond gameplay, I've been a dedicated community builder. Through Twitch streaming and creating platforms like PvP All Day and Zephyr.team, I've raised the skill level and enhanced the Aion experience for players. Although semi-retired since 2014, my contributions continue to shape the Aion community and competitive landscape.

Coming from a film industry family on my father's side and being surrounded by many talented professionals, I was deeply inspired by the creativity that flourishes in filmmaking. Initially, my focus was on attending film school and pursuing a career as a Film Editor before transitioning fully to software development.

Beyond my professional endeavors, I'm happily married to Nicole. I enjoy gaming, particularly MMORPGs and strategy games, and continue to explore new technologies through side projects.

I'm also passionate about community building, which led me to co-host the OC Tech Night meetup with Emaline Gayhart and Jacqueline Taylor, creating a space for technology enthusiasts to connect and build friendships.

Currently, I'm focused on building scalable architectures and exploring the intersection of AI and traditional software development. I'm particularly interested in how technologies like vector embeddings and large language models can enhance user experiences and streamline complex workflows.

I continue to be passionate about mentoring and knowledge sharing, whether through speaking engagements at colleges or collaborating with fellow developers on challenging problems.