I spent 15 years in the electronics industry, working my way from entry-level positions to designing and managing complex automation systems for high-end residential and commercial clients. My career started after dropping out of an Electrical Engineering program, which in retrospect was the optimal path for me. The apprenticeship approach allowed me to develop the practical ability to teach myself complex technical skills, with real-world results serving as the ultimate test.

The long version is detailed in My Story, but what follows illustrates a recurring pattern: entering a field without experience or credentials, learning it by doing the work, assembling specialists and learning from them, and delivering for clients with high expectations...

 

Apprenticeship (1996-2001)

After a few years as an AV tech at a Law Firm and Convention Center, I took a pay cut to join a home theater company as a manual laborer. I was quickly moved into the warehouse managing inventory and scheduling, and over the next five years went on to set up and manage the company's internal network, became certified in Panasonic PBX systems, Lutron Homeworks lighting control, Crestron automation systems, and became the resident ISF-certified projector calibrator.

By the end of my five years with the company,  I had been involved in everything required to run a 30-person electronics installation company: programming, project management, system design, proposals, sales, and the selection and implementation of the CRM and ERP systems the business ran on. It was a great experience, but when an opportunity to partner with someone with access to funding but limited experience managing large high-end projects presented itself, I decided being a partner in a new venture was too good to pass up.

 

Founder (2001-2003)

We were three partners, all under thirty, and we achieved quite a lot in a short period. We engaged an attorney, formed the company, secured a $50k line of credit, signed a three-year lease on office and warehouse space, and recruited an experienced front office administrator and a contract electrician from my previous employer. Through my prior relationships with Panasonic, Lutron, and Crestron sales reps, and a substantial deposit from a previous client that required all three product lines in their new home, we secured dealerships for all three manufacturers quickly. Eighteen months in, we were seven people covering payroll and operating expenses with no outside funding, with over $1M of scheduled business in various stages of completion and the trust of high-end builders and architects in the Dallas–Fort Worth area.

However, there were irreconcilable differences in operating philosophy between the partners, and after much deliberation it seemed the best path forward was for me to leave. It was both the most difficult and rewarding experience of my career: I learned what it takes to build a functioning company from nothing, and I learned that alignment between partners matters more than anything else. Those lessons were very valuable, and resulted in me taking a different approach going forward...

 

Independent Contractor and Consultant (2003-2009)

After leaving my ex-partners there was no downtime. Within a month I had a deposit on a $150k project, and was able to hire two technicians who left my previous partners for that and other projects. As things were wrapping up a Crestron sales rep called asking if I could help a dealer in Austin. It started with programming a whole-house Crestron system for a retired Dell executive and kept going from there, with travel to Austin for programming work becoming so frequent that for about a year I kept apartments in both Arlington and Austin

Ultimately I relocated to Austin, and for the next six years worked as a contract programmer, designer, and consultant to multiple AV companies while also working with residential and commercial clients directly. Some clients are covered by NDAs that remain active, so the Previous Work page names projects rather than people. What I will say...

  • Programmed and implemented the Crestron interface to the security, camera, and access control systems at the Texas Governor's Mansion in downtown Austin
  • Programmed and implemented whole-house automation at the Austin home of a US Congressional Representative
  • Designed and managed installation of automation, lighting, telephony, gate entry, and audio-video systems for a 24,000 sq. ft. residence outside Austin
  • Obtained a Canadian work visa to complete multiple Crestron projects in Vancouver, including a system aboard a 55-foot motor yacht
  • Worked in homes that could have been, and in some cases were, featured in Architectural Digest

It goes without saying that my work involved a high degree of trust (and the occasional background check), and because of the clients involved, work mostly came from trusted referrals. I was fortunate to sustain my career doing work for people who aren't easy to impress...and for that I am very thankful.

 

Personal Projects (2009-2025)

In the summer of 2009 I left Austin for a writer's cabin in the North Carolina mountains. That decision started a journey that took me to California, Guatemala, Canada, China, Taiwan, and Thailand. Even though my intention was to write a book, a lot of unexpected things happened along the way:

 

OLED Lighting (2025-present)

In November of 2025 I began an unsuccessful search for OLED lighting for a personal project, which led to asking a question: why is no one manufacturing flexible OLED lighting in North America? It took several months but I was able to answer the question, and that has resulted in a new venture. What started as a personal need, revealed an opportunity that I wasn't looking for, but now feel an obligation to pursue. The process thus far has involved:

  • Researching solution-processed OLED materials and device architectures: emitter systems, solvent orthogonality, encapsulation approaches, etc
  • Manufacturing processes: vacuum thermal evaporation, roll-to-roll, and sheet-to-sheet slot-die deposition
  • Equipment and suppliers: coating equipment, substrate and material options, encapsulation
  • Facility research: site selection, consultations with civil engineers, and financing structures
  • Engaging industry advisors: OLED veterans, manufacturing, and architectural lighting

Things are moving quickly, and I'll share more publicly as things develop. If you've been directed here in connection with that venture, the materials you've received cover the business, and this page covers me.

More about OLED →

More about Projects →

How I Got Here →