In 2026, I decided to take on an entirely new challenge by purchasing a small neighborhood art gallery. While the gallery continues to showcase local artists, I'm renovating the space to include a dedicated music rehearsal studio and a flexible event venue. It's been a chance to combine several lifelong interests—art, music, design, craftsmanship, and entrepreneurship—into a single project. Beyond running the business, I've enjoyed learning the practical side of renovating a commercial space and creating a place where artists, musicians, and the local community can gather.
Work Experience
I've been working since I was 14, and that early start led to a wide range of professional experiences.
I started coding small websites early on and became a full-time web developer in my mid-20s. Over time, I worked with brands like ABC and Bloomberg and went on to lead digital teams for major news organizations, including storied insitutions like TIME magazine and Fortune magazine. Today, I manage teams of dozens of developers across six time zones supporting more than two dozen media sites reaching 150+ million users each month.
I've had a lifelong interest in visual art, starting with sketching and studio work and later evolving into professional design. After university, I worked in print production, creating logos, signage, and web designs while learning the technical side of the process. Those skills still play a role in my life today, including branding personal projects such as The Yonkers Ledger.
I learned to cook early, spending most days in the kitchen with my mom. At 15, I started working in restaurants and stayed for nearly a decade, doing just about everything before settling into life as a cook. I've worked in kitchens of all kinds, including a Thai restaurant where I learned to cook and even speak natively with the Thai and Laotian staff. To this day I still cook at home all the time.
Volunteerism
Service has been a large part of my adult life and I continue to become more involved and generous with my time as I get older.
In 2026, I joined the Board of Directors of Tonality, a two-time GRAMMY Award-winning nonprofit choral organization based in Los Angeles. Tonality uses music to inspire empathy, foster dialogue, and drive social change through performances that amplify underrepresented voices. As a board member, I support the organization's marketing strategy and help expand awareness of its mission and impact throughout Los Angeles and beyond.
TheYonkersLedger.com
Co-founded a local non-profit news organization.
While living in Yonkers, I realized there was almost no real local news. With a few civic-minded neighbors, I helped co-found a nonprofit newsroom to fill that gap. I served in leadership roles, including CTO and CFO, and also did investigative reporting on local government where my stories led to national news coverage.
Big Brothers Big Sisters
Mentored as a "Big Brother"
Although I don't have children of my own, I'm an uncle to 12 nieces and nephews and find a lot of fulfillment in mentoring. That perspective led me to volunteer as a Big Brother to a teenager in New York, where we spent years meeting up to share meals, play sports, and work on hands-on projects together—including my hobby of building custom lightsabers.
LittleLionsBigHearts.org
Launched a grant foundation.
In 2025, I helped found a nonprofit grant-giving foundation using funds from my late wife's estate. It honors her life's work as a pediatric nurse practitioner by supporting families with children facing cardiac disease. You can visit the website I built for it here: https://www.littlelionsbighearts.org/
Food Distributions
Weekly volunteering at food distributions
In recent years, I've volunteered weekly at local food distributions, spending a few hours helping pack and distribute food to families in need. It's become a meaningful way for me to stay connected to my community.
Hobbies and Interests
I try to stay well-rounded with an eclectic mix of hobbies.
Building Lightsabers
Since the mid-2000s, I've been designing and building custom lightsabers. Each one is completely one of a kind and usually made as a gift for friends or family, tailored to their interests. I enjoy the mix of design, craftsmanship, and electronics that goes into building them.
Music
My musical background started with alto sax and grew to include guitar and bass in high school, where I spent time playing in garage bands. I still dabble in other instruments, but I'm happiest playing guitar or bass at home.
Travel
I love to travel and usually find myself flying somewhere every few weeks. Whether it's visiting one of my company's global offices, taking a short surf trip to Mexico, or spending an unhurried week in Tuscany, I'm happiest when I'm exploring new places.
Spirituality
I was raised Catholic but am no longer religious. I don't seek a higher power, but I do value Buddhist practices, especially Zen meditation. It's helped me stay present, strengthen my relationships, and approach change with more ease. And while I'm not a deep believer in Astrology, I'm a Leo sun, Cancer moon, and Scorpio rising, if you're curious.
Motorcycles
For nearly 20 years, I've been riding motorcycles, with a particular love for retro British race bikes—though I enjoy all kinds. A Sunday tradition of mine is even riding throughout Los Angeles trying new donut shops. And while riding is something I genuinely enjoy, but I may like working on bikes even more. I've taken on full builds as well, including a frame-off conversion of a late-'70s Yamaha dirt bike into a fully electric bike. I enjoy cars as well, having owned many over the years and restored a few. Still hoping to own a classic Datsun Z someday.
Fitness
In high school, cross-country was the only sport that really clicked for me as a skinny kid. But in my late 20s, I found powerlifting and started exploring a lot more physically. I've trained in Muay Thai and have a yoga teacher certification. I'm also always up for trying things like bouldering, snowboarding, or surfing.
Tattoos
I got my first tattoo at 18, and now close to half my body is covered. What matters most to me isn't always the design, but the story behind each one—where I was and who I was with at the time. I've also spent time learning to tattoo myself, which is a hobby I still enjoy.
Education
I was academically driven growing up, balancing school with a strong interest in the fine arts. In college, I studied philosophy and graduated with degrees in political science and sociology. Since then, I've continued learning through certifications in project management and technical areas, including Agile development and artificial intelligence.
