Hi, I'm Joel.
I build things — apps, tools, dinners, costumes, the occasional charging rig for glow-in-the-dark wristbands. By day I program lighting control systems. The rest of the time I chase whatever seems useful, or at least funny.
I like cities built for people, trains that show up, and the long odds that humanity figures it out. Be kind. Stay curious.
Now boarding
Tonight
The project I care most about right now. It started years ago with a simple question — "I wonder what's going on tonight?" — and it's back, rebuilt, and live at tonight.quest: one place to see what's happening at local venues tonight, without digging through ten different calendars.
Ghost Bike
A digital memorial for cyclists killed on our streets — because every white bike marks a person, and a preventable death.
Tool — run your ownHelm / Compass
A post-it wall for your TV, controlled from your phone. To Do, Doing, Waiting, Done — visible from the couch.
Tool — run your ownBounty Board
Chores become bounties, allowance becomes wages. "Earn your fun" — a task board my son actually checks.
GabeTreks
Two tickets, one rail pass, no plan
A few years back my son and I landed in London with Eurail passes, a flight home from Copenhagen, and absolutely no plan for the middle. By day three I was on crutches. We made it anyway — trains, ferries, and a lot of patience from Gabe.
I meant to make a whole YouTube series about it. I posted the trailer and one episode, which by internet standards makes it a series. Watch 36 Hours in London or the channel at @GabeTreks.
Next up: February 2027 — Mumbai to Trivandrum by rail, ending at my grandmom's place. Same rules: a start, an end, and no plan in between.
Everything else
The million random projects
Campaign logistics tools that quadrupled a delivery rate. A COVID dashboard built out of impatience. A backpack mount for yard signs. Matching SpongeBob and Patrick costumes. It's a long list, and it keeps growing.
Fuel
Ridiculous food
I cook like I build: ambitiously, and with no regard for how long cleanup will take. Braciole, birria tacos, caramel-cheesecake-stuffed churros — the photographic evidence keeps growing.