The Lean Scaled Spotlight series is a casual and fun way for us here at Lean Scaled Architects to share a little professional background, some of our personal hobbies or passion projects, and interesting tidbits about our team.
I’ve always been interested in the sciences, cutting edge technology, and the practical improvement of outcomes in a personal, professional, and enterprise context. This probably started in my childhood by grinding for XP points to level up my collection of Pokemon and crafting an optimal set of complementary skills to defeat my opponents! This perspective morphed over the years to taking satisfaction in learning about the world and bringing those lessons to bare on challenges in a way that moves the needle and pushes the ball towards the goal line, whatever that may be. This background and frame of mind led perfectly to Enterprise Architecture which I consider to be the practice of intelligently breaking down an enterprise into its components and influencing them to realize the goal of the business.
I started in my current position in February of 2022 and have been in the federal government consulting space for my whole career since graduating from George Mason University in Fairfax, VA in 2014 with a degree in Systems Engineering. I’ve contributed to EA engagements with the Navy, DOD CIO, Coast Guard, and Air Force. I am certified in the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF), and a Project Management Professional (PMP). I have significant experience with the ARIS tool for enterprise architecture from Software AG, and am proficient with BPMN 2.0, UML, and SysML. I also have a side business investing in commercial & multifamily real estate which is gearing up to offer its first syndication in the coming year.
I’m originally from the Northern Virginia area near Washington DC and currently live in Patchogue, NY on Long Island with my wife and one and a half year old dog! I enjoy traveling, cooking & eating, being in nature, hiking, lifting weights, running, meditating, watching NBA basketball!
Myself, my wife, and my dog Malai around when we first got her in Oct 2021.
Myself and my wife in front of Chichén Itzá, a Mayan ruin in Mexico.
Me about to enjoy a margherita pizza in Rome!
1.What did you want to be when you grew up?
A scientist.
2. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do for a living? (in case you have your own firm: what was the moment that prompted you to start your own brand?)
Enterprise Architecture consulting for the federal government and real estate investing. I parlayed my interest in science into EA consulting so I’m always eager to apply my skills to cutting edge research and technology work. My interest in entrepreneurship was hammered into me by my father who considered it the key to personal independence and fulfillment. Real estate as an industry lends itself well to business-building as a hobby and was a very tangible subject area which I felt could be reasonably understood without over-encumbering me with specific knowledge to learn. This assumption has proved only somewhat correct.
3. In 3 words, describe your occupation or what do you enjoy most about your job?
I most enjoy when the rubber meets the road. In EA, this is when the modeling, analysis, and data crunching results in the benefits it intended. E.g. when a process gets automated and the go-live switch is flipped that turns a gigantic manual process into a single click of a button.
4. What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
To be a good consultant, you must understand how to apply the principle of maximizing the amount of work not done. This doesn’t mean be lazy. This means be smart and know what value you should deliver. Do not invest time or energy into things that will not result in value.
5. What are your main sources of inspiration? Are there any outlets you reference regularly?
My greatest source of inspiration is my father who has always encouraged me to realize my fullest potential.
6. Where do you see yourself (and your brand if applicable) in 10 years time?
In 10 years, I would like to have a handful of successful digital transformations for large enterprise clients under my belt with plenty of battle scars and war stories. I’d like to be in position to autonomously source and manage full engagements from bidding through closeout.
7. What’s the most treasured belonging/item in your own home?
Malai, my dog.
8. What was the last rule you broke?
This past weekend I fed my dog a French fry from my plate because she asked so cute and politely.
9. What’s one thing other people may not know about you (for example any hidden talents)?
I know how to play guitar and drums. I never had any formal lessons, but my friends and I used to jam in our parent’s basements as angsty teenagers. I also got into music production with Fruity Loops Studio in college as a hobby.
10. You’ve got a week off, where are you going?
Hawaii. I’ve never been there, I love oceans, mountains, hiking, plants, and wildlife so this seems like a perfect next destination!