During the latter part of my high school years, I delved into content creation as a livestreamer on Twitch.tv. My typical game of choice was ARK: Survival Evolved on the Official PvP network. Navigating these servers felt like stepping onto a virtual battlefield, with players hailing from every country. Playing here was akin to having a second job; a mere blink could erase hours of hard-earned progress, making international friends a necessity to survive overnight. International friendships blossomed into colossal alliances, leading to epic wars for weeks involving hundreds of players. I became a storyteller of these conflicts, streaming to an audience that ranged from hundreds to thousands, carving out a place for myself in the history of the ARK community. However, life had an unexpected twist in store. In 2018, just as my streaming success was hitting its peak, I found myself grappling with Ulcerative Colitis, unbeknownst to me at the time. Sadly, my streaming dream had to be put on pause less than a year later. Fast forward to today, and I stand healthy and grateful for the journey. Despite bidding farewell to the streaming limelight, my love affair with ARK endured many more hours. Over more than 14,300 hours in total to be more precise, I joined mighty tribes, even assuming leadership roles in some. But the true essence of ARK for me wasn't just the gameplay; it was the unique people you can meet, their cultures, their countries, and their languages. Driven by my passion for languages and cultures, I became a polyglot. This skill allowed me to interact with people that one typically wouldn't be able to due to language barriers. Thanks to my diverse array of friends, I morphed into a conversationalist in Chinese and grasped the nuances of languages like German, Dutch, Russian, and even Romanian. For me, ARK wasn't just a game; it was a passport to friendships that spanned to the corners of the globe.
After parting ways with livestreaming, I navigated the complexities of Ulcerative Colitis for two years. During this period of uncertainty, where the bathroom became a frequent companion, I found solace in Wizard101 when I wasn't able to focus on ARK. In search of somewhere to express myself, I threw my hat into the ring and applied to join the Discord staff for RavenwoodAcademy, the Unofficial Wizard101 Discord. To my surprise, my trial period on the team commenced the very next day. Amidst the challenges posed by Ulcerative Colitis, being part of a team brought a welcome sense of joy. From a humble start, I climbed the ranks to become an Admin, a position I held until opting for a change of direction once I was healthy again. However, this transition wasn't without its rewards. During my tenure, I effectively managed a partnered Discord server with over 50,000 members, contributed to establishing standards for current and future staff, and had my first exposure to Typescript, which quickly became my programming language of choice.
One night, an Instagram doomscroll session provided me a viral OBR Investing post, leading me to join their Discord for a deeper exploration of their methodology for trading options. With my background in managing the Wizard101 Discord, I instantly recognized upon joining that my skillset could significantly contribute to OBR's success. Following a series of interviews, I secured a role as a contract software developer exclusive to OBR. With a mission to create something impactful and replace any 3rd-party software they were paying for, I brought "Jarvis" to life. Beyond being a multi-purpose bot, Jarvis seamlessly automated tasks while maintaining a personalized touch. It efficiently tracked subscription trials, orchestrated marketing campaigns, extended warm welcomes to new members, and played a pivotal role in maintaining order within the Discord. Jarvis became a virtual moderator through my disciplinary system to foster and maintain a friendly and secure community. Jarvis employed both proactive and reactive measures to vigilantly monitor channels, messages, and members for any potential issues. I am very proud that Jarvis quickly evolved into the backbone of OBR's operations, and has 99%+ uptime.
Surrounded by thousands of talented traders and hardworking entrepreneurs at OBR, I dedicated myself to the pursuit of perfection in software development. My commitment caught the eye of OBR's then-Community Engagement Director. Recognizing my dedication and proficiency, I was offered the position of Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of his hedge fund. This unexpected transition quickly propelled me into Fintech. In my role as CTO, my responsibilities extended far beyond conventional software development. I spearheaded the design, and maintenance of complex software applications and services. The challenge, however, went beyond coding; it encompassed evaluating commercial, cloud, and open-source solutions and making strategic decisions that fortified our technical direction. A key function of my role was assuming the position of Privacy Security Officer. Tasked with identifying, evaluating, and responding to all known or suspected privacy and security incidents, I played a crucial role in maintaining compliance with regulatory requirements. The stakes are high in the financial sector, and my vigilance ensured the integrity and security of sensitive information. My commitment to Centurion extended to representing the fund in various forums. Attending meetings and presentations became routine, particularly when software or technology was the focal point. In these instances, I served as the face of the company, showcasing our technical expertise and strategic vision. Embracing my new responsibilities with determination, I made it my duty to foster awareness around privacy and data security issues among our employees. I developed and delivered training sessions, actively contributing to the company's goals of safeguarding information. These experiences helped define my understanding of the complexity between technology, finance, and security.