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Like many of us, Joe spent much of his childhood on the family computer. Then a music-creation program came along that got him thinking about the software inside it—how it could help users navigate and, more importantly, write music. The discovery process continued to the various other software programs he was using at the time.

His interest in software followed him into higher ed. While studying computer science at Grand Valley State University, Joe was hired as a student worker for a non-profit associated with the university. The opportunity allowed him to dig into web development, which grew to become his primary area of focus.

Before MichiganLabs, Joe’s most notable experience was working on a website for Community Information Now, a non-profit that displays life expectancy data in neighborhoods within San Antonio, Texas. The position fed his passion for data and how it can empower communities to facilitate growth and change. It was his first opportunity to interact with clients and also his first chance to experience a modern web development stack, allowing him to explore novel approaches and new ways to learn from his mistakes.