Who are you really, Chad!?

Personal Story

I grew up in Solvang, California—the Danish capital of the U.S. (I think), despite not being Danish myself. I'm mostly Irish and whatever else Ancestry.com decides to tell me that week.

I studied Graphic Communication at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, minored in Environmental Studies, and somehow ended up earning a master's degree in the incredibly niche field of Printed Electronics and Functional Imaging—which sounds completely made up but isn't.

After school, I spent nearly a decade in research and development engineering helping scale next-generation solar technology. My days revolved around designing experiments, analyzing data, solving manufacturing challenges, and figuring out how complex systems actually work.

Somewhere along the way, I realized I was applying that same systems-thinking mindset far beyond engineering.

I became increasingly fascinated by questions around motivation, autonomy, fulfillment, technology, work, curiosity, and what makes a life feel meaningful. The more I explored those ideas, the more they became less of an interest and more of an ongoing personal pursuit.

Today, I'm a husband, father of two, founder, lifelong learner, and optimistic explorer of what it means to live well in the modern world.

Most of my time is spent building Our.os, writing, learning, spending time with my family, getting outdoors, and following whatever question happens to capture my curiosity next.

As of 2026, life feels wonderfully full. I have a daughter who is growing faster than seems possible, a son rapidly approaching the "can wipe his own ass" milestone, and a business that is very much in the chaotic but exciting stage of being built in real time.

So for now, I'm doing exactly what Cal Poly taught me best:

Learning by doing.