About Me
Art
Art has played a central theme in my life for as long as I remember. I gravitate towards freehand sketching, micro-drawing, and technical diagramming, where I like to experiment with shading and perspective. I find that visual art and engineering share a deep common thread: both demand precision, spatial reasoning, and an eye for composition.
Architecture
Before discovering artificial intelligence, I was captivated by high-profile architecture. I started my career as a structural engineer at ARUP, where I worked with international teams in delivering soaring skyscrapers and airport megaprojects in Mexico City, Singapore, and New York City. I later taught high-rise design and mass timber studios as an Adjunct Professor at Pratt Institute's School of Architecture.
At Nordic Structures in Montreal, I managed the design and delivery of novel engineered timber buildings. I love architecture, but my experience as a designer left me disillusioned by the technological stagnation of AEC. I started writing automation software, which eventually led to a scholarship to study computer science at the University of Chicago. That drew me into the world of machine learning and generative AI, and I haven't looked back since.
Rock Climbing
Rock climbing is my favorite way to connect with the great outdoors. Some of my most vivid memories come from traveling with friends in search of inspiring routes — deep water soloing in Croatia, scurrying up limestone cathedrals in El Potrero Chico, and slithering through mid-mountain tunnels in Red Rock Canyon.
Music
The electric guitar has always held a special place in my heart. Like a painter blending colors, I love to mix pedals, amps, and effects to shape new sounds. I quickly came to the limits of my gear, and at 14, decided to build and soder my own electric guitar, painted to exactly match Eddie Van Halen's Frankenstrat (before he added the famous red coat of paint).
I've since immersed myself in the music of Jimi Hendrix, John Frusciante, John Mayer, and Tom Misch.
Ethnicity
I'm Lithuanian-American. I grew up between two cultures and speak Lithuanian fluently. The Baltic perspective — stoic, resourceful, quietly stubborn — shapes how I approach my work and life. I speak French at a working proficiency, after living in Montreal for two years (~taaaa..barnac! )