---
layout: ../layouts/Base.astro
title: About · Jesse Anderson
description: 30 years of obsessions, four boys, two granddaughters, currently deep in AI infrastructure.
slug: about
navLabel: About
navOrder: 3
summary: non-linear arc, family, what I'm into
---

<main class="about">

  <header class="page-header">
    <p class="eyebrow">I throw myself into the <span class="accent">deep end</span>.</p>
    <h1>
        It's not a career ladder - it's <span class="accent">curiosity unleashed.</span>
    </h1>
  </header>

    <section class="arc">
        <h2 class="section-title">My arc, multiple passions</h2>
        <ol class="arc-list">
            <li class="arc-item"><strong>Age 8.</strong> TI BASIC on a <span class="accent">TI-99/4A</span>. The hook set early.</li>
            <li class="arc-item"><strong>School years.</strong> Apple BASIC & LOGO. Found <span class="accent">order and passion</span> in violin/fiddle. </li>
            <li class="arc-item"><strong>16 - 18</strong> <span class="accent">Flight lessons</span>, Civil Air Patrol, Search and Rescue.</li>
            <li class="arc-item"><strong><span class="accent">U.S. Air Force</span>, 1994-1998.</strong> Aerospace Ground Equipment Journeyman</li>
            <li class="arc-item"><strong>Hawaii, 1997-1999.</strong> Two hats: <span class="accent">Realtor</span> and the firm's principal IT person.</li>
            <li class="arc-item"><strong>Tropical Connection, 1999-2001.</strong> Part owner of a <span class="accent">flowers wholesaler</span> and IS Manager. VB, Visual FoxPro, Magic Btrieve.</li>
            <li class="arc-item"><strong>Smart Solutions, 2002-2007.</strong> C#.NET, MSSQL - <span class="accent">my Microsoft years</span></li>
            <li class="arc-item"><strong>Pixelsilk, 2007-2012.</strong> <span class="accent">Part owner</span> and product director, still coding.</li>
            <li class="arc-item"><strong>Ashford University, 2012.</strong> Formal degree is in Education, <span class="accent">Language Learning</span>.</li>
            <li class="arc-item"><strong><span class="accent">Xero</span>, 2013-2018.</strong> 100+ two-week sprints on a 2-million-user SaaS.</li>
            <li class="arc-item"><strong>Capital One, 2018-2022.</strong> <span class="accent">Master Platform Engineer</span> at a top-10 US bank.</li>
            <li class="arc-item"><strong>2021.</strong> Kora Labs <span class="accent">founded with my son</span>. Cardano picked for the academic discipline, decentralization, and the RealFi mission.</li>
            <li class="arc-item"><strong>May 2022.</strong> Left Capital One <span class="accent">full-time for Cardano</span>.</li>
            <li class="arc-item"><strong>2022-present.</strong> Building ADA Handles, H.A.L., and <span class="accent">K.O.R.A.</span> full-time.</li>
            <li class="arc-item"><strong>Today, PapaGoose LLC.</strong> My own AI-focused company. <span class="accent">The current immersion.</span></li>
        </ol>
    </section>

    <section class="family">
        <h2 class="section-title">Proud father of <span class="accent">four boys</span>.</h2>
        <ul class="family-list">
            <li><strong>Eldest.</strong> A <span class="accent">MARSOC badass</span>. Father of my two granddaughters.</li>
            <li><strong>Goose, second-eldest.</strong> <span class="accent">CEO</span> of Kora Labs (technically my boss). Cardano deep-dive writer. <a href="https://x.com/ieGoose">@ieGoose</a></li>
            <li><strong>8-year-old.</strong> Designs in Blender, Roblox Studio, and Suno. <span class="accent">Writing his own Roblox game.</span> The collaborator on the OpenClaw 3DCG bridge.</li>
            <li><strong>6-year-old.</strong> Very athletic. <span class="accent">Drawn to challenges.</span> Recently trying out theater.</li>
        </ul>
        <p class="family-postscript">
            <span class="accent">Baseball</span> is a multi-generational thread. I played all through school and some adult league.
            The older boys played, and now I coach the two younger boys.
        </p>
        {/* <ImagePlaceholder note="Baseball photo, young Jesse plus coach-with-the-boys (TBD)" /> */}
    </section>

    <section class="likes">
        <h2 class="section-title">What I'm into.</h2>
        <ul class="likes-grid">
            <li><strong>Screen.</strong> MCU, Star Wars, anime.</li>
            <li><strong>Music.</strong> KPop/JPop, KRock/JRock, Southern goth, hip-hop, rap.</li>
            <li><strong>Places &amp; culture.</strong> Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, Australia</li>
            <li><strong>Tech hobby.</strong> AI, blockchain, 3DCG.</li>
        </ul>
    </section>

</main>