We’re excited to introduce you to the newest member of our team, Tobie Tsuzuki, a Full Stack Engineer. He’ll be working to support our PARTNER Platform and Person-Centered Network App. We asked Tobie a few questions to get to know him a bit better. Read on!

What is your professional background prior to coming to VNL?

Growing up I always wanted to work in the music industry. I even graduated from Baylor University with a degree in Music and Entertainment Marketing. My first job out of college I was helping out a festival promoter in Austin, TX. I quickly realized that this was not the dream I had in my mind and quickly pivoted. I decided to chase some of my other hobbies and worked as a rock climbing instructor, and at a brewery as a shipping tech and did some seller work. I eventually landed at a company called RetailMeNot Inc. working on their facilities team. While I was there I was able to explore agile project management and observe engineering teams in action. The opportunity that RetaiMeNot provided me definitely launched me to where I am today. Since then I was focused exploring options that would keep me in a similar industry and decided to pursue education in development. I enrolled in Flatiron School, a fifteen week bootcamp, and went on to help develop a couple of personal apps. All of which led me to arriving at Visible Network Labs!

What caught your eye about VNL? What did you find interesting?

Initially I thought the idea of leveraging networks with measurable data was interesting. Everyone is a part of a network and having a way to quantify that network leads to the potential of people receiving resources or help that would not have otherwise, and that is awesome. I think at the core, VNL is leading the way on network science and I definitely wanted to contribute in any way I could to help bring this idea to the world.

What do you hope to accomplish in your new role here at VNL?

I hope that I am able to help lay down a framework that will be used to connect network science to a user. Before I started here I did not know that network science could make such an impact if used to as a tool. This could mean that one day businesses could have dedicated teams to measuring their network and acting to create better relationships. As for my personal hopes, I want to grow as a developer. I am alway eager to learn and the team at VNL has a great mix of challenging problems and willingness to help. Adding to that culture is definitely something I hope to pass on.

What do you enjoy most about development and engineering work?

I enjoy the creative problem solving that developers face. Each day there are new problems and you are able to use different technologies or methods to create your own solutions. Over time you are able to hone your skills through experience or working on different projects and are able to create even better solutions. That is what makes development so unique. You have endless possibilities to grow!

Away from work, what are your hobbies or interests?

I grew up near Aspen where I developed an affinity for outdoor recreation. I am an avid skier, rock climber, and generally like to play most sports so I try and get out as much as possible. When I’m not out in the mountains I enjoy catching a live show here and there, drinking/brewing beer and the occasional video game. I am also an avid food enthusiast. I wouldn’t label me a foodie, but I do enjoy trying to make everything by hand or at least trying.

What’s something we’d never know about you unless you told us?

I make a pretty decent latte. I used to source coffee from local roasters for an espresso I worked and managed. I entered a couple of latte art competitions for fun. While I enjoy a high quality cup of coffee I don’t drink coffee everyday. I like to drink it for the taste and not for the caffeine.

Learn more about Tobie and the rest of our staff on our Team Page Here.