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About me

Hi, I’m —
a software engineer specializing in backend web development.

As an avid programmer with a deeply entreprenuerial spirit, I am always excited by the opportunity to engineer elegant solutions to challenging problems in service to new ideas. This website is partly a testament to that but also a way for me to make a creative introduction to visitors like you. So, welcome! 👋
PHP - Software Architecture - OOP - Web Development -
My Latest Projects

Some of my includes ...

If you've scrolled down this far, then you're probably wondering just what it is I can do. Well, it's easier to show than tell, so with that in mind, I've put together samples of some recent work.
Payment Processing Platform

A leading electronic payment solution for the property management industry managing transactions in excess of a billion dollars annually. The application employs industry best practices and the highest security standards available to ensure the safety and privacy of all transactions processed on the platform. The application uses microservices to independently handle one-time and recurring transactions safely and securely.

Project Link
eCommerce, ERP & Logistics

An eCommerce platform with an ERP backend and logistics management tool to efficiently manage fulfillment processses, delivery fleets and their associated daily routes. The platform also integrates with Google Maps (among others) for address geolocation services used in route planning. Developed for a meal-prep startup in Houston TX focused on meeting the nutritional needs of Texans without the time-costs typically required to enjoy a well balanced meal.

Project Link
Interactive Online Mapping

A fully interactive online map allowing users to explore locales by panning & zooming around the map, viewing & placing points of interest, and editing location information. Additionally, users can filter and search for specific locales, points of interest, items, mobs and more with a mouse or keyboard. This was a pro bono project I took on to develop a frontend application entirely in JavaScript and push myself beyond my normal comfort zone.

Project Link
Key Skills / Core Competencies

I write .

I specialize in backend web development using modern frameworks, SOLID principles and coding best practices. I have 10+ years of experience with the following principal technologies:
PHP, Symfony, Doctrine, JavaScript
100%
HTML/CSS, Twig, Bootstrap, jQuery
100%
Apache, Linux, Postgres, Git, Jira, Composer
100%
REST, SOAP, OOP, SOA, SSH
100%
Other Skills / Ancillary Knowledge

And dabble in .

I also have experience with additional technologies, using them in mostly secondary projects or for experimenting with new ideas to discover better ways of doing things, including the following:
NGINX, MySql, SQL Server
60%
C#, Bash, Leaflet, Joomla
40%
Vue, Node, NPM, NVM
20%
 
My Credentials

Over of experience.

Education

Bachelor of Science, Electrical Engineering
Purdue University, West Lafayette IN
Aug 1991 - May 1995
Majored in Electrical Engineering with an emphasis on software engineering and digital design.
Driven by a deep interest in electronics and computing at a young age, I pursued an Electrical Engineering degree from Purdue University in 1991. By my sophomore year, I had developed a genuine enthusiasm for software engineering and digital design topics, and consequently, tailored the balance of my coursework — and future career pursuits — toward those fields.

Experience

Software Engineering Lead
Maria's Gourmet Kitchen LLC | MGK in Houston TX
Jun 2020 - Present
Engineered software solutions for the Houston based meal-prep startup, including ERP & logistics web apps to enhance productivity, reporting & data visualization tools to monitor operations, scalable automated processes to replace costly or error-prone tasks, & seamless REST or SOAP integrations with vendors / suppliers to accelerate fulfillment.
  • Languages: PHP, JavaScript, ES6+, HTML/CSS
  • Frameworks: Symfony, Laravel, Doctrine, Bootstrap, Twig, Vue
  • Environment & Platforms: Linux, AWS, SSH, NGINX, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, Node, Git, Google Cloud, 3D Cart
  • Integrations: UPS, Twilio, Mailgun, Dropoff, Gmail, Google Maps, Google PubSub, SOAP, REST
  • Tools: Zapier, RAML, Postman, NPM, NVM, Composer
Chief Software Architect
Real ID Inc, Lincolnwood IL
May 2014 - Nov 2018
Architect of a responsive payment processing platform in accordance with PCI rules and security best practices, serving thousands of users each month and handling over $1B in transactions securely each year within the property management industry. The application employs microservices operating independently to handle one-time and recurring transactions securely.
  • Languages: PHP, JavaScript, HTML/CSS
  • Frameworks: Symfony, Doctrine, jQuery, Bootstrap, Twig
  • Environment & Databases: Linux, AWS, SSH, Apache, Git, PostgreSQL
  • Integrations: Yardi, Rent Manager, Elavon, ProfitStars, SOAP, REST
  • Tools: Draw.io, Jira, Confluence, BitBucket, Composer, PGAdmin
Technical Lead
MB Ventures LLC, Chicago IL
May 2012 - May 2014
Developed eCommerce channels for retail businesses on the Joomla! CMS framework — and the middleware to facilitate automated pricing analysis & updates — with the goal of achieving 50%+ annualized revenue growth. Handled website creation and deployment, constructing SEO optimized product catalogs, automating price and inventory updates, and integrating with suppliers through available APIs.
  • Languages: PHP, JScript, C#
  • Platforms & APIs: 3DCart, Volusion, Amazon, Sears, SOAP
  • Tools: Openbravo ERP, Sage MAS90
Director
BIRDVIEW Technologies Inc, Lombard IL
Jan 2005 - May 2012

Managed technology and support teams with the aim of achieving quarterly business goals. Responsibilities included defining and refining business processes, infrastructure planning, product planning, overseeing off-shore software development, and identifying risk mitigation strategies.

Notable achievements: 97% customer satisfaction rating for 3 straight years, pioneered a performance-based lead generation program using Yahoo Search Marketing and Google Adwords that grew top-line revenues by 40%.

Full Stack Developer
BIRDVIEW Technologies Inc, Lombard IL
Oct 1999 - Jan 2005

Joined BIRDVIEW at its startup phase to help architect the company's cloud-based OfficeSite platform — one of the first real estate property search engines and web-based back office platforms available to brokers and agents in the Real Estate industry. The engine included a proprietary templating system to facilitate client-specific customizations as well as full integrations with hundreds of MLS systems nationwide to aggregate real estate data. Additionally, engineered automated processes to eliminate fulfillment bottlenecks and achieve business scalability.

Notable achievements: Developed a customized property search solution that earned a CENTURY 21 technology award in 2011.

Software Engineer
Motorola Inc, Northbrook IL
Oct 1996 - Oct 1999

Worked with a team of developers programming automotive controllers for GM and Ford, including power steering and seat controllers, 4x4 controllers, and on-board diagnostic systems. Modules were coded in C and compiled into assembly for use in the corresponding hardware. Also implemented a full lifecycle development process, which served as a model for the rest of the organization.

Notable achievements: Established the software development standards and best practices that helped Motorola Automotive achieve SEI Certification.

Awards & Honors

Professional .

There have been exceptional moments in my career where I've been involved in producing something judged to be worthy of recognition by the industry or community at large. Wether in commercial endeavors helping businesses or philanthropic ones assisting fellow journeymen in my profession, it's not always possible but always a privilege to be recognized for doing something well.
2011 Quality Service Award
For Best CENTURY 21 Brokerage Technology Platform
SEI Software Certification
For Achieving SEI Quality Standards at Motorola. 1999.
Stack Overflow Awards
For Providing Solutions Valued by Others
My Industry Experience

A tale of many travels.

Over the past 25 years, I've been fortunate to work with people from some amazing organizations across a variety of industries, and I've had to learn and adapt to the needs of each of them to find success.
20+
Products Developed
Some featured by top ranked brands
7
Industries Served
Nationwide, across all 50 US states
100%
Satisfaction
Projects successfully completed & deployed
Testimonials & References

A few words from those who've .

It's hard to overstate just how much of an impact Leo has had on our operations. From building our back office tools to automating our most labor intensive processes, we were able to function so much more efficiently and meet demand in a way we simply weren't equipped to do before. He is always willing to do what's needed, works meticulously through issues to identify the best solutions, communicates clearly on progress towards milestones ... he's been a great, resourceful person to have on my team!
Maria Seferian
Executive Chef & Founder at MGK
Software Development
I have worked for Leo for more than a year, and have found him to be an effective manager, capable of getting involved in the technical details when the workload was unusually high. He is good at communicating needs and requirements from top management and our client groups. As a manager, he has provided a work environment that has allowed us to perform at a very high level.
Paul Smith
Lead Systems Administrator at BIRDVIEW Technologies
Supervision
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Would you like to

I’m always interested in hearing about new projects and opportunities.
You can tell me about the problems you're trying to solve. I'd love to listen and determine if it's something I can help you with.
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Austin, TX
A fearless technologist and
an incurable engineer perfecting the world
one company at a time.
🙂