Experience

Issa

• Thailand
• Technology, Information and Internet
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Co-founder and CEO

  • Jan 2023 - 1 year

  Bangkok, Bangkok City, Thailand Issa is a VC-backed software platform to automate immigration and hiring. We’re creating a world where passionate people can move and build their dreams anywhere. Get started at getissa.com



Iterative

• Singapore
• Venture Capital and Private Equity Principals
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Visiting Partner

  • Jul 2023 - 6 months

  Venture capital firm and YC-style accelerator for Southeast Asia. Since launching in 2021, Iterative has helped 65 startups grow from ideas to a collective $1.2B valuation. I advise portfolio companies that bring social innovation to frontier markets.



Viva Translate

• United States
• Translation and Localization
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Advisor

  • Oct 2022 - Nov 2022

• Head of Storytelling - Growth and Product

  • Aug 2021 - Oct 2022

  Founded by Google and Harvard engineers, Viva created the universal translator for a future of work without language barriers. I built and led our product marketing vision from the ground up: • Over 100K+ followers in 1 month with a $5000 budget ($0.02 CPC) • Oversaw our market expansion from the US to 20+ countries across Latin America • Impressed and backed by the luminaries of our industry: Chris Manning, “father of NLP” at Stanford’s famed AI lab; General Catalyst; executives… Show more Founded by Google and Harvard engineers, Viva created the universal translator for a future of work without language barriers. I built and led our product marketing vision from the ground up: • Over 100K+ followers in 1 month with a $5000 budget ($0.02 CPC) • Oversaw our market expansion from the US to 20+ countries across Latin America • Impressed and backed by the luminaries of our industry: Chris Manning, “father of NLP” at Stanford’s famed AI lab; General Catalyst; executives from Meta, Rappi, and more

• Advisor, GTM and Product

  • Jul 2021 - Aug 2021



OutBrave

• United States
• Civic and Social Organizations
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Founding Partner - Operations and Technology

  • Jun 2019 - May 2021

  OutBrave is a venture studio for humanitarian work. I headed our 20-staff team — with backgrounds from Stanford University, International Rescue Committee, and UNHCR — across our operations in active conflict regions and at-risk migrant communities. By securing $40M+ in unearmarked funding for our initiatives and partnerships, we were fortunate enough to operate without partisanship or political affiliations. During the heart of the pandemic, I served those with the greatest needs: •… Show more OutBrave is a venture studio for humanitarian work. I headed our 20-staff team — with backgrounds from Stanford University, International Rescue Committee, and UNHCR — across our operations in active conflict regions and at-risk migrant communities. By securing $40M+ in unearmarked funding for our initiatives and partnerships, we were fortunate enough to operate without partisanship or political affiliations. During the heart of the pandemic, I served those with the greatest needs: • Led operations in 27 countries on 4 continents • Designed and launched 35+ regional projects to address livelihoods, mobility, healthcare, and other emergency needs. E.g., creating a worker cooperative in a refugee camp, delivering maternal healthcare across rural Nigeria, predicting sectarian violence in Egypt, anti-trafficking in Moldova, and dozens more • Projects and partners awarded by the Gates Foundation, Queen Elizabeth II, and more • Described as "the most impactful initiative I've heard of" by U.S. Advisory Council on Human Trafficking Show less



Social Construct

• United States
• Construction

• Director, Software Engineering and Generative Construction

  • Aug 2020 - Apr 2021

  Head of software at Social Construct (Y Combinator’s New Cities research lab turned VC-backed startup), where I built SoCo’s platform for generative construction to create radically affordable & inclusive housing. I defined and led our software vision — from generative AI-designed architecture sketches to automated supply chain scheduling to on-site robotics.



Houzz

• United States
• Software Development
• 700 & Above Employee

• Creator and Lead Inventor, Houzz’s Moonshot Studio

  • Aug 2015 - Apr 2019

  I joined Houzz to establish Visual Technologies — our award-winning moonshot studio. Built and shaped Houzz's innovation strategy (AR/VR, ML/AI, computer vision, computer graphics) from the ground up, drove the company’s success, and advised the company founders. Served as Houzz's lead inventor during my tenure, leading a team of 20+ researchers, co-authoring majority of the company's patents and technological breakthroughs that helped us reach $400 million funding at a $4 billion… Show more I joined Houzz to establish Visual Technologies — our award-winning moonshot studio. Built and shaped Houzz's innovation strategy (AR/VR, ML/AI, computer vision, computer graphics) from the ground up, drove the company’s success, and advised the company founders. Served as Houzz's lead inventor during my tenure, leading a team of 20+ researchers, co-authoring majority of the company's patents and technological breakthroughs that helped us reach $400 million funding at a $4 billion valuation. • Selected as industry advisor to Google and Apple orgs for AR/VR technologies • Awarded Google’s App of the Year in 2016 • #2 in Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies 2018 & 2015 • #6 in CNBC Disruptor 2017 (beating Palantir, 23andMe, SpaceX) • Inventions featured at TechCrunch Disrupt, Apple WWDC, Google I/O, New York Times, Mary Meeker's famed Internet Trends Report (as an idea that resulted in 10X+ multiplier for ecommerce) Show less



Roominnate (acquired by Houzz)

• United States
• Real Estate

• Co-founder and CTO

  • Oct 2014 - Jul 2015

  Roominnate invented award-winning technologies to communicate ideas of home. We received early partnership offers with major technology companies (Facebook, Microsoft, Valve Corporation) and Fortune 500, but ultimately decided to join Houzz to help families around the world.



Big Fish Games

• United States
• Computer Games
• 300 - 400 Employee

• Software Engineer

  • May 2013 - Sep 2014

  Big Fish Games delighted hundreds of millions of users before our ~$1B acquisition by Churchill Downs. I first worked on gameplay design and data infrastructure before leading the start of a native SDK to unify deployment across media platforms (web, mobile, desktop) for the company to support over 100 million people.



Project Mallory

• United States
• Entertainment Providers

• Co-founder and Creative Director

  • Jan 2013 - Aug 2013

  Project Mallory, an interactive storytelling game, was designed as a nonprofit collaboration with micro-finance platform Kiva to give loans to female entrepreneurs in the developing world.



Eyes Wide Games

• Software Engineer

  • Jan 2013 - Apr 2013

  I helped develop the game engine, artificial intelligence, and other algorithms for AMC's The Walking Dead social game, a project that supported 20 million players.



Primal Screen

• Design Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Software Engineer

  • Sep 2012 - Dec 2012

  I led two technical projects for our client, Ogilvy & Mather. I completed both, from design to launch, in under two months (19 months ahead of schedule) and reached over a million users.