My story

My name is Rafael. I grew up in NYC as part of a first-generation immigrant family. They fought hard to make a living in the US, in turn I did the same. I've been working since my teenage years after my dad passed away from a diabetic coma. I found myself the primary caregiver of a little army of nephews and nieces.

I worked a series of less than glamours jobs to keep my family together. I am no stranger to hardwork, long hours, facing difficult dead-lines, and seeing the value of what a community working together can have. Engineering solutions has been the main role I've had my entire life.

Years later, I focused on my own career goals with my love for problem-solving and tech. I specialize in full stack web development using JavaScript. I spend my days dreaming about how to use my skills for greater good, like supporting immigrant families, LGBTQ+ youth, systems to support foster animals, and ways to use technology to create safer spaces for communities.

I run a small producton company with my partner where I have been merging my interests in technology and moving images. My VFX pipeline experiments include python scripts for visual effects in 3d animation tools, such as Blender. I've also been manipulating color management tools, such as OpenColorIO, to help bring the power of color management to our film productions.