Career

For this episode of Data Pour, I sat down with Lucas Ward—one of my SWE managers and a senior technical manager at Ippon—to talk about what it actually looks like to lead people in a consulting practice while the industry is shifting under our feet. We filmed at the Charlotte Beer Garden, which feels like the most Charlotte setting possible: more taps than you can count, plus the steady soundtrack of loud cars and motorcycles rolling by. We both went with an OMB beer (Mecktoberfest) because… you kind of have to. ...

When I talk to students — especially STEM students — one question keeps coming up: “Is AI going to take my job?” They ask it jokingly, but you can tell they’re serious. What they want is assurance. They want to know there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. That the late nights, the debt, the effort, and the hope they’ve poured into their degree will amount to something real. ...

I was invited to speak at UNC Charlotte recently to the computer science programs, and I approached the session, Cracking the Cloud, with a very specific goal: to give students a realistic, actionable way to stand out in a job market that’s becoming more competitive every year. Companies are slowing early-career hiring. AI is reshaping workflows. Expectations for junior talent are rising, not shrinking. Students can sense this shift, but many don’t know what to do with that reality. That’s where the conversation begins. ...

I recently stepped into the role of host for Ippon’s Data Pour series, but before I officially took over, our CTO, Andy Lamora, sat me down at Wooden Robot Brewery in Charlotte and interviewed me on camera. It was a great atmosphere — good beer, good weather — and then a handful of cameras appeared, all pointed directly at me. I’m still getting used to public speaking, so the entire setup felt a little awkward. Beer helps, but only so much. ...