MICHIGAN SOFTWARE - Key Persons
While earning his computer science degree from Kettering University, Aaron held leadership roles in his fraternal organization as well as technical and customer service roles for the local health system. These experiences served to make him a better communicator and problem solver with our software development team here at MichiganLabs.
Aaron learned how to use computers at an early age. However, it wasn't until his senior year of high school that he first realized the joys of making them do what he wanted them to do, rather than simply using them as devices.
He began building on his interest at Kettering University, where he earned a computer science degree focused primarily on software development. When not taking classes, Aaron served in leadership roles for his fraternity, Phi Gamma Delta.
He also spent his undergrad years working for Bronson Healthcare. In addition to technical support, Aaron held a series of customer services positions that were instrumental in advancing his communication and problem-solving skills. Over time, he grew increasingly adept at resolving hard-to-identify user issues.
After hearing from a friend about the culture and opportunities available at MichiganLabs, Aaron interviewed and landed the role of software developer. Always eager to tackle new challenges (whether he has experience with a given topic or not), he is the perfect addition to our team.
Alivia's choice to work at MichiganLabs was based on the great culture, talented teams, and the ever-changing challenges she would face. For her every project offers a new and intriguing puzzle to solve. In the role of delivery lead Alivia loves being there to organize, bridge communication, and brainstorm solutions.
Amanda is a graduate of Grand Valley State University where she received her Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Information Systems. She was most recently in the logistics software industry at BluJay Solutions in Holland as a software developer.
Amanda's journey to software development started at Grand Valley State University at a time when she was losing interest in her business degree. Like countless other students, she changed her major. Following in her father's footsteps, Amanda settled on software development, even though she had no idea what it entailed. After her first "Hello, World!" project, she knew she was on the right path. For her, development felt like a never-ending puzzle to be solved. She loved the challenge.
After graduation, Amanda began working as a software engineer for BluJay Solutions. Working on a logistics software application written mostly in Java, she quickly improved her skills. Today, she's thrilled to continue improving at MichiganLabs, a place where learning about technology is a shared passion.
When not at work, Amanda enjoys starting but rarely finishing quilts, camping with her husband, Kohl, playing soccer with her dog, Eleanor, and chatting with her dad about the world of software.
Over the years Andrea has picked up valuable HR experience in the areas of recruiting and hiring, talent management, training, onboarding, and culture. What she always comes back to is the belief that a company is only as good as its people. Learn more
As a Delivery Lead at MichiganLabs, Brittany works alongside teammates she describes as smart, humble, ambitious, and focused on what matters most: people. She loves being in a place where she can push herself to learn something new every day.
Toward the end of college, Cameron interned as a software developer. The experience taught him that communication is the absolute key to success. In the same role here at MichiganLabs, he loves coming to work each day and solving problems in new and unique ways. As he says: It's not work if you love what you do.
Cayte's appreciation for the world of technology grew immediately upon joining MichiganLabs. In her role, she supports those who make it possible. Along with front desk responsibilities, she manages the physical space, cultivating a warm, welcoming environment for team members, clients, and the community. She also assists leadership and oversees community involvement efforts.
Chris has been in tech working with Apple products since Rhapsody Developer Release 1. He was one of the first people in the state of Michigan to use an iPhone while working for Apple. Finding ways to surprise and delight MichiganLabs' clients is his top priority.
While earning his degree in computer science at Grand Valley State University, Edric had the opportunity to work closely with his future employer on his Capstone project, an Android-based jokes app designed for kids. He then interned with Meijer where he helped create a pharmacy app before reuniting with MichiganLabs in the familiar role of software developer.
While Grant enjoyed using and building computers from a young age, it was his high school robotics team that ultimately piqued his interest in writing code. He began by learning enough LabVIEW to give his team a strategic advantage during matches. Before long, he was designing and developing actual robot code.
While attending Michigan Technological University, Grant joined Husky Game Development. The experience included producing a minimum viable product, providing stakeholder updates on development cycles, and working closely with UI/UX designers.
After graduating with a computer science degree in 2018, he began at BluJay Solutions. There, he learned the value of close collaboration-from fully understanding user challenges to communicating effectively with team members to find a solution. All in all, the experience taught him there's more to professional software development than writing good code.
Grant made the move to MichiganLabs for two main reasons. First, because the people you surround yourself with mean everything. Even during his interview, he could see a culture that emphasizes being humble, hungry, and smart. He's also a big believer in continuous learning. As Grant says, "When the challenges and tools for solving them aren't static, it no longer feels like work."
When not writing code, Grant enjoys cooking. Or maybe that's just his excuse for continually buying new kitchen gadgets and equipment. What started as a hobby in college has led to a passion for learning new recipes and techniques. Beyond his kitchen, Grant spends time jogging and powerlifting. These occasions conveniently double as audiobook time-often something out of the fantasy genre.
As a UX design lead at MichiganLabs, Grayson appreciates the fantastic culture and people he collaborates with daily. Like his coworkers, he sees the potential of technology to empower humanity for good. Ultimately, he wants to create products that help people be more productive and create less friction in their lives.
As a delivery lead for MichiganLabs, Isaac looks forward to creating software solutions that improve business and make life better. And he's not alone. "I really love being part of a talented and passionate team that cares about each other and our clients. What makes it even better is that the team loves to have a good time while getting the job done."
Job Titles:
- Development Practice Co - Lead
Jeff loves playing games of the card, board, and video varieties. He enjoys learning about new technology and keeping up to date with the latest smart-phone news. Recently, Jeff has been learning to use Sketch for app and icon design. Learn more
Jessica's move to the tech side of the business world happened a few years ago when she landed a career as an Executive Administrator for a local digital marketing agency. Though her education, experience, and skills equipped her for a range of industries, she was drawn to the innovation and drive that comes with solving software challenges.
John is a creative and a perfectionist. He loves dreaming up ideas on how to make a process more efficient, a design more user friendly, or an app more intuitive. He enjoys keeping up with the latest home automation technology and someday dreams of having Jarvis live inside his home.
Joe is a graduate of Computer Engineering from Grand Valley State University and has been an avid programmer as far back as he can remember. Joe is a proficient programmer in C/C++, Java, and many other languages and is an enthusiast of all things technology. Joe has lived in Michigan in the Grand Rapids area his whole life, but enjoys travelling all around the world.
Joseph's adventures in programming began at age six when his uncle gave his family an old DOS computer. From that point on, his family encouraged Joseph to pursue his hobby, and later, career. When his elementary school only let students check out two library books at a time, Joseph always had to have the one on BASIC. For his high school senior project, Joseph created a suite of games. His interest in all things technology led him to graduate from Grand Valley State University, where he earned a bachelor of science degree in computer engineering.
His professional career includes stints in customer relationship management, industrial automation, 3D office furniture modeling, and automotive circuit board manufacture. At MichiganLabs, he enjoys creating software that makes life just a little bit more convenient for people.
When not working, he can be found hanging out in downtown Grand Rapids, camping in northern Michigan, swimming in the Great Lakes, or traveling the world. There's just too much to do out there to ever be bored.
Josh received his Bachelor's of Science degree in Computer Science from Grand Valley State University. After graduation, Josh worked in software development for BluJay Solutions in Holland where he developed a transportation management web application. He is experienced with the Agile/Scrum methodology and is skilled with Java, Kotlin, REST API integrations, Python, and React/Redux.
Josh is an avid Pythonist and Android developer. He enjoys writing tools that improve his productivity and the quality of his code, or contributing to one of many Open Source projects he uses on a daily basis. Josh indents with spaces, not tabs.
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder
- Managing Partner
- Co - Founder and Managing Partner of Michigan Software Labs
Joshua Hulst is the co-founder and managing partner of Michigan Software Labs, creator of transformational software solutions for middle market and Fortune 500 companies alike. He is a graduate of the GE Edison Engineering Development Program, winner of the State of Michigan's Code Michigan event, two-time contributor to the information security journal, and 40 under 40 winner from the Grand Rapids Business Journal.
Josh's love of technology has been apparent from an early age. When other kids were riding bikes, he was taking computers apart and putting them back together. Working with BASIC, he taught himself how to write code. While at Grand Valley State University, Josh organized and led a team for a national cyber defense competition.
After graduating from the GVSU Honors College in just three years, his next step was a master's in Computer Science and Engineering from Michigan State University. To challenge himself, he developed a firewall fingerprint identification process as the basis of his thesis.
Serving as a user experience design lead, Kai enjoys being able to consult on a wide variety of projects and clients. Originally from Peru, he was attracted by MichiganLabs' size and teams of talented and humble professionals. Learn more
Karl loves to play games and tinker around, which is why he reverse engineered Minecraft's lighting engine to support multiple colors! In between development and learning, you can find him volunteering his time at the Children's Hospital or the local Pokémon Trading Card League.
As a UI/UX design associate at MichiganLabs, Kourtney loves the welcoming environment and opportunity to learn something new every day. During her interview process, she could tell she was at a place that values culture and communication-things that are very important to her, both in and outside of MichiganLabs.
As a Software Developer at MichiganLabs, Kyle likes the variety of projects he gets to work on and solving challenges with great people, including our clients. Like a lot of us, his goal is to improve lives by building great products.
Job Titles:
- Software Developer
- Software Associate
As a Software Developer at MichiganLabs, Kyle likes the variety of projects he gets to work on and solving challenges with great people, including our clients. Like a lot of us, his goal is to improve lives by building great products.
Lisa was on a pre-med track at the University of Michigan for two years before taking a computer science class. The experience impacted her major and the course of her life. Hooked on software development from the very first moment, Lisa put her degree to good use creating an Android app for her parents' business. At MichiganLabs, she enjoys making technology more helpful, friendly, and intuitive for a range of clients.
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder
- Managing Partner
Mark co-founded Michigan Software Labs around a simple mission: to build software for clients like we'd want it built for us. A frequent technology contributor for Forbes, Mark has been named one of the Grand Rapids 200 Most Powerful Business Leaders in West Michigan by the Grand Rapids Business Journal.
Mark enjoys solving challenges by uniting people around a common goal. As co-founder and managing partner of Michigan Software Labs, he leads the charge for custom software solutions for clients ranging from middle market to Fortune 500 companies. On the leading edge of technology, culture and innovation, he is a member of the Forbes Technology Council and frequent contributor to Forbes.com.
It turns out Mark isn't the only entrepreneur in his family. His great-grandfather started the Forslund Furniture Company in 1935, then grew it to international renown by telling stories about his love for his family and his excellence in craftsmanship. Mark's goal at MichiganLabs is to continue his grandfather's legacy of building relationships and providing excellence in craftsmanship.
From an early age, Mark has enjoyed tinkering with technology. He taught himself how to write code at age 11, then developed an HTML website offering snowboarding and wakeboarding advice. The website sold and has since become About.com.
After earning his undergraduate degree from Hope College, Mark received an MBA from Cornerstone University as well as a leadership certificate from Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Mei received her master's degree in computer information systems with honors from Grand Valley State University. She loves to challenge herself and learn new things all the time. She is passionate about building high performance apps to solve problems and with making those apps easy to use.
Xiaomei hadn't planned on a career in software development. After earning a degree in bioengineering, she began her career as a sales engineer for image analysis systems, such as Karyotyping, Morphology software etc. She was amazed how software helped scientists and physicians solve complex analytical challenges, improve diagnostics, and increase laboratory productivity.
In 2009, her family moved to Grand Rapids. The experience prompted her to rethink her career. Xiaomei spent a year and a half in college, earning database and programming credits. It was a good fit. Once she completed these introductory classes, she enrolled at Grand Valley State University where she received her second master's degree--this time in computer information systems. While at Grand Valley, Xiaomei became interested in mobile development and helped a startup build an app called Aghelp. The company was selected as the 2017 Grand Rapids Business Journals' Newsmakers Award Winner.
Xiaomei loves building useful things and solving puzzles. At MichiganLabs, she helps solve complicated business problems using new and exciting technologies. She likes how much innovation is encouraged and differences embraced. Teams are deeply committed to improving the user's experience and functionality.
On the weekends, Xiaomei's family hosts game night. She likes to try different games, but Tichu is still her favorite. She also enjoys creating new recipes by exploring new ingredients and cooking methods. When disasters occur, her husband still manages to eat what's on his plate.
At MichiganLabs, Pete enjoys collaborating with teammates on custom software solutions that make life better for users, and blow clients away in the process. Instead of improving user experiences for one company, he has opportunities to help many.
As a User Experience Designer at MichiganLabs, Ryan enjoys being on the front lines-building products that reduce pain points for end-users and maybe even bringing a little joy to their day. As he likes to say, "Reducing UX debt and increasing usability is the name of the game."
Ryan became a software associate at MichiganLabs largely because of the company's values. Working in an environment that pushes curiosity, he enjoys working with teams to develop well-written software capable of benefiting people.
Sarah attended Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan where she studied Computer Science. She is experienced in working with C#, C++, Java, JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, Ruby, SQL and Lisp. She spent a semester abroad in Budapest, Hungary.
Scott loves being on the bleeding edge of technology and overcoming new challenges. Always thinking about how a user would interact with software, he likes exploring new designs and imagining how they can be improved. He enjoys the learning process and gets excited about video game development.
After receiving a computer science degree from Calvin College, Tyler began his career developing web applications for a local software company. In addition to being a talented musician, he is versed in JavaScript, ReactJS, Go, HTML, CSS, and Python.