I have been using the internet since early 1990, before many people had even heard of it. At Virginia Commonwealth University, I received an undergraduate grant from the State Council for Higher Education in Virginia (SCHEV) that allowed me to explore my curiosity about the internet and computers. With this opportunity, I built an application that allowed students to submit, review, and revise their papers.
However, outside of academia, I couldn’t see a way to apply my passion for technology in the Richmond area. After graduating from VCU in the early 90s, I relocated from Richmond due to the limited opportunities for tech enthusiasts like myself. This move transformed me from an “insider” within my small Richmond-area university community to an “outsider” with no connections in the growing Seattle tech landscape. At that time, Microsoft dominated Seattle’s tech scene, but there was an emerging narrative of software companies establishing themselves in the region, often because of Microsoft’s presence.
Eventually, after volunteering for several months without pay, I secured an IT role at an educational software company. This first step led to various positions across different technology companies—from embedded systems test equipment and network analytics to web properties, mobile platforms, and analytics. My career ultimately brought me to work with Amazon Web Services and Alexa.
Throughout my professional journey in Seattle, I was fortunate to have exceptional mentors and leaders. Folks like Craig Kruck, Harry Campbell, Laura Smith and Jeff Chale provided opportunities for my professional growth and offered personal guidance along the way. As I advanced into leadership positions, I was able to pass on what I had learned by leading, teaching, and mentoring other talented professionals.
Now, over 30 years later, I’ve returned to the Central Virginia to be closer to family – a decision that has brought both personal challenges and rewards. Once again, I have become an outsider, fueled by deep curiosity and a desire to drive growth and innovation during this transformative time for the region. Once again, I am trying to discover how to best apply my skills and experience to benefit the region.
SimpleThread Leading the Way Link to heading
Last year, before relocating to Richmond, I attended the inaugural EnergyTech conference—a technology event focused on the energy sector and organized by SimpleThread. At the opening, Al Tenhundfeld, SimpleThread’s CTO, shared his compelling vision: Central Virginia possesses all the necessary resources, talent, and customer demand to become a significant hub for innovation and growth in the energy sector.
The essential components already exist in Central Virginia, but they need a catalyst to unite them and energize individuals, groups, and companies into a recognizable sector. While many regional governments and organizations talk about building new technology centers, they typically lack the ability to transform talk into action. It takes thoughtful, creative people and companies to energize and amplify core themes throughout a region through concrete actions and examples.
Central Virginia has the right ingredients to become a major tech center for energy and other technology industries. Al Tenhundfeld and SimpleThread have brilliantly articulated this vision and are doing the challenging work required to make it a reality.