Walker Ford
Engineering Manager at Protocol Labs- Claim this Profile
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Bio
Molly Mackinlay
Walker joined the Protocol Labs Launchpad team and immediately became an invaluable partner on business strategy, cross-team coordination, and overall team unblocking. He personally managed & updated the Launchpad website and curriculum sites, built our participant tracking Notion CRM, and worked across partner teams like Recruiting and Events to design and implement improved management systems. Walker asks extremely insightful questions, and I frequently leaned on him for a realistic perspective on team trajectory, focus, and goals. Walker was able to bring focus and alignment to the team roadmap on Launchpad, while being a connection and enabler point between Launchpad and the rest of the PL network. He was a great facilitator of PL network partnerships, designed and ran beginner to intermediate web3 training sessions - including a weekly FVM office hours, and was a phenomenal mentor for newly hired engineers to orgs across the network. I’d highly recommend Walker for any organization looking to build closer connections between engineering and other roles like business or product development, while ensuring the team knows what and why they're building, especially in a dynamic, constantly evolving environment.
Cameron Patch
Walked is maybe the smartest person I know when it comes to technical and meticulous knowledge. Walker is extremely methodical and detail oriented, but also has the management and leadership capacity to drive strategic change within an organization.
Molly Mackinlay
Walker joined the Protocol Labs Launchpad team and immediately became an invaluable partner on business strategy, cross-team coordination, and overall team unblocking. He personally managed & updated the Launchpad website and curriculum sites, built our participant tracking Notion CRM, and worked across partner teams like Recruiting and Events to design and implement improved management systems. Walker asks extremely insightful questions, and I frequently leaned on him for a realistic perspective on team trajectory, focus, and goals. Walker was able to bring focus and alignment to the team roadmap on Launchpad, while being a connection and enabler point between Launchpad and the rest of the PL network. He was a great facilitator of PL network partnerships, designed and ran beginner to intermediate web3 training sessions - including a weekly FVM office hours, and was a phenomenal mentor for newly hired engineers to orgs across the network. I’d highly recommend Walker for any organization looking to build closer connections between engineering and other roles like business or product development, while ensuring the team knows what and why they're building, especially in a dynamic, constantly evolving environment.
Cameron Patch
Walked is maybe the smartest person I know when it comes to technical and meticulous knowledge. Walker is extremely methodical and detail oriented, but also has the management and leadership capacity to drive strategic change within an organization.
Molly Mackinlay
Walker joined the Protocol Labs Launchpad team and immediately became an invaluable partner on business strategy, cross-team coordination, and overall team unblocking. He personally managed & updated the Launchpad website and curriculum sites, built our participant tracking Notion CRM, and worked across partner teams like Recruiting and Events to design and implement improved management systems. Walker asks extremely insightful questions, and I frequently leaned on him for a realistic perspective on team trajectory, focus, and goals. Walker was able to bring focus and alignment to the team roadmap on Launchpad, while being a connection and enabler point between Launchpad and the rest of the PL network. He was a great facilitator of PL network partnerships, designed and ran beginner to intermediate web3 training sessions - including a weekly FVM office hours, and was a phenomenal mentor for newly hired engineers to orgs across the network. I’d highly recommend Walker for any organization looking to build closer connections between engineering and other roles like business or product development, while ensuring the team knows what and why they're building, especially in a dynamic, constantly evolving environment.
Cameron Patch
Walked is maybe the smartest person I know when it comes to technical and meticulous knowledge. Walker is extremely methodical and detail oriented, but also has the management and leadership capacity to drive strategic change within an organization.
Molly Mackinlay
Walker joined the Protocol Labs Launchpad team and immediately became an invaluable partner on business strategy, cross-team coordination, and overall team unblocking. He personally managed & updated the Launchpad website and curriculum sites, built our participant tracking Notion CRM, and worked across partner teams like Recruiting and Events to design and implement improved management systems. Walker asks extremely insightful questions, and I frequently leaned on him for a realistic perspective on team trajectory, focus, and goals. Walker was able to bring focus and alignment to the team roadmap on Launchpad, while being a connection and enabler point between Launchpad and the rest of the PL network. He was a great facilitator of PL network partnerships, designed and ran beginner to intermediate web3 training sessions - including a weekly FVM office hours, and was a phenomenal mentor for newly hired engineers to orgs across the network. I’d highly recommend Walker for any organization looking to build closer connections between engineering and other roles like business or product development, while ensuring the team knows what and why they're building, especially in a dynamic, constantly evolving environment.
Cameron Patch
Walked is maybe the smartest person I know when it comes to technical and meticulous knowledge. Walker is extremely methodical and detail oriented, but also has the management and leadership capacity to drive strategic change within an organization.
Experience
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Protocol Labs
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United States
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Software Development
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200 - 300 Employee
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Engineering Manager
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Oct 2022 - Present
Leading the Launchpad team, which is a technical-training and talent-matching program used to onboard all engineering hires into the Protocol Labs ecosystem, which comprises PL plus more than 150 other web3 companies building with libp2p, IPFS, Filecoin, etc. Leading the Launchpad team, which is a technical-training and talent-matching program used to onboard all engineering hires into the Protocol Labs ecosystem, which comprises PL plus more than 150 other web3 companies building with libp2p, IPFS, Filecoin, etc.
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Blockchain.com
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United Kingdom
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Internet Publishing
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700 & Above Employee
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Engineering Manager
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Feb 2022 - Oct 2022
Led a full-stack team that is creating a cryptocurrency savings account product based on centralized and decentralized finance. To deliver a scalable system for millions of active users, we leverage a micro-service Kotlin back-end. A delightful front-end is provided through React. And all the crypto magic is provided through native integrations with many cryptocurrency networks and service providers. Led a full-stack team that is creating a cryptocurrency savings account product based on centralized and decentralized finance. To deliver a scalable system for millions of active users, we leverage a micro-service Kotlin back-end. A delightful front-end is provided through React. And all the crypto magic is provided through native integrations with many cryptocurrency networks and service providers.
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Elios
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United States
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Computers and Electronics Manufacturing
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1 - 100 Employee
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Chief Technology Officer
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Oct 2020 - Feb 2022
Led engineering to develop 5G cellular tracking systems, the cloud-based back-end, cross-platform front-end for web, Android, and iPhone. Covid derailed business. Led engineering to develop 5G cellular tracking systems, the cloud-based back-end, cross-platform front-end for web, Android, and iPhone. Covid derailed business.
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Artis
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United States
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Defense and Space Manufacturing
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100 - 200 Employee
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Engineering Manager
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Dec 2016 - Oct 2020
Built and managed an engineering team that developed a high-performance embedded computer vision safety system for the road construction industry. Utilized a FPGA platform and a C++ application running on embedded Linux. Built and managed an engineering team that developed a high-performance embedded computer vision safety system for the road construction industry. Utilized a FPGA platform and a C++ application running on embedded Linux.
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GOAL ZERO
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United States
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Manufacturing
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1 - 100 Employee
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Engineering Manager
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Nov 2010 - Nov 2016
Built and managed an engineering team that created an entire market segment: portable solar power and batteries for people on-the-go. Our products reached $45M in annual revenue before being sold to a public energy company. Built and managed an engineering team that created an entire market segment: portable solar power and batteries for people on-the-go. Our products reached $45M in annual revenue before being sold to a public energy company.
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InnoSys Inc.
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United States
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Appliances, Electrical, and Electronics Manufacturing
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1 - 100 Employee
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Electronics and Software Engineer
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Sep 2008 - May 2011
Designed and implemented embedded systems to monitor power and automate control for high voltage industrial and consumer applications. Designed and implemented embedded systems to monitor power and automate control for high voltage industrial and consumer applications.
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Software Engineer
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Jan 2008 - Aug 2008
Developed marketing applications for browser and for Nokia and early iPhones. Developed marketing applications for browser and for Nokia and early iPhones.
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Micron Technology
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United States
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Semiconductor Manufacturing
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700 & Above Employee
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Process Engineer
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Aug 2006 - Jul 2007
Used statistical and capability analysis tools to characterize manufacturing processes. Used statistical and capability analysis tools to characterize manufacturing processes.
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Self-employed
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Mar 2003 - May 2006
Provided commercial IT support services including hardware, operating-system and application maintenance. Funded education. Provided commercial IT support services including hardware, operating-system and application maintenance. Funded education.
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Education
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2002 - 2006
University of Utah
BS -
2012 - 2014
BYU
Master of Business Administration (MBA) -
1997 - 2000
Olympus High School
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University of Utah
Bachelor's degree
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