I’ve been working as a technology professional for about 29 years. I gotta say I love it! When I was a kid I really wanted to be an airline pilot and part of that came from an experience as a kid where I was flying as an unaccompanied minor from Jamaica to New York City. Back then they gave kids a tour of the cockpit and I loved it. I moved on from that for a bunch of reasons but to this day I have an obsession with flying and airplanes. I thought I would be a lawyer, but my father bought a computer in the late 80s and I fell in love.
From that moment technology was it for me. I have had the pleasure and opportunity to share my thoughts as a leader of technology functions at various organizations. I am currently the Chief Information Officer of the National Society of Leadership and Success, an organization that helps students develop leadership skills and achieve their goals. Prior to this role, I served as the Chief Technology Officer of the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, where I was responsible for the organization's technology strategy and infrastructure.
Throughout my career and journeys, I’ve held numerous management positions at various public, private, and non-profit organizations. I love leading teams responsible for implementing technology solutions that drive business growth and efficiency. That has led to opportunities where I have been featured on various podcasts, including the New York Times Bits Technology podcast. Same for participating in articles on CNET News, where I had the joy of sharing my insights and expertise on various technology topics.
Beyond my professional work, I certainly have a broad range of technology-related interests. Crypto and NFT are one. I am passionate about NFTs, which led me to create the Rasta Beach Club NFT collection. Bringing that to life was certainly a lot of fun. Loved growing the community around the project. The project minted out as a free mint and is available on OpenSea. The Rasta Beach Club project has opened the door to the creation of my crypto and NFT organization, Arteklabs. More on that soon as the website is being put together now and will have a ton of info on the plans for things I want to get done. The plans include the upcoming NFT collection, "The Good Time Pals". It’s going to be a fun collection on the Polygon blockchain.
I also wrote a book! I love working with young technology professionals and wanted a way to share my experience, opinions, and advice. So, I wrote a book. It’s titled, "Boot Sequence: Strategies to Guide Your Career in Information Technology". I wrote it a while back as a passion project, but I am thinking about writing an updated second edition once I get some time and also figure out what I want to write about. The current book offers what I consider to be practical advice and strategies for professionals in the technology field from the perspective of a long-term career. You can check out the book at all major booksellers.
Lots more I want to get done, and I am going to enjoy sharing it with a great community!