Education & Credentials
Education
Master of Engineering — Mechanical Engineering
Iowa State University, Ames, IA
Bachelor of Science — Mechanical Engineering
Iowa State University, Ames, IA
Systems Engineering Certificate
California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
Technical Skills
Programming Languages
C, Python, MATLAB, Simulink, R, VBScript, DIAdem
Tools & Technologies
Azure DevOps, Git, Subversion, Mercurial, Jenkins, CANalyzer
Methodologies
DevEx, PV&V, Systems Engineering, CI, Root Cause Analysis
8 Years at John Deere
8
Years
4
Promotions
4
Career Pivots
I started in mechanical test engineering, transitioned into embedded software development, moved into systems engineering, and eventually led a team of engineers. Along the way I sat on both sides of the promotion table — building my own case for advancement and deciding who got promoted on my team — and learned firsthand what actually gets engineers noticed, trusted with more, and moved up.
My Story
I grew up in the Midwest. Engineering felt like a stable path, I was decent at math, so I went for it. I got my bachelor's and master's in Mechanical Engineering at Iowa State and picked up a Systems Engineering certificate from Caltech.
I landed my first engineering job at John Deere and figured the hard part was over. It wasn't. I was doing solid work, getting decent reviews, and still watching promotions go to other people — people who weren't necessarily better engineers, just more visible and more trusted by the people making the call.
For a while I assumed if I just kept my head down and did good work, someone would eventually notice. Nobody did. Nobody was going to build my case for me.
Eventually I figured out what actually moves the needle: taking on next-level work before I had the title, making sure the right people actually knew about the impact I was having, and building real trust with senior leaders instead of just staying in my lane. Once I changed that, I went from entry-level engineer to junior engineer, scrum master, product owner, engineering manager, and into a high-level AI and efficiency role — 4 promotions and 4 pivots in 7 years.
Why I Built This
I remember what it felt like to be stuck — doing good work, getting fine reviews, and still not knowing why the promotion wasn't happening. Watching people with less experience move up faster because they were better at being seen and trusted.
I also remember what it felt like to finally break through — the confidence that came with actually being trusted with more, and the relief of no longer wondering if my work even mattered to anyone above my manager.
I started doing this because I kept meeting solid engineers stuck in the exact same spot I was in — doing great work that nobody outside their team knew about. If I could help them skip the years of trial and error I went through and get promoted faster, that felt worth doing.
We're getting a group together to help engineers build a Promotion-Ready Plan. Care to join us?
Founder cohort starts Sept 1 · 6 spots · Closes Aug 28.