I'm a data engineer who builds systems that amplify human judgment without breaking budgets or requiring black boxes. Currently at TalkingPoints, where I've reduced Snowflake costs by 70% while processing 1.5B+ multilingual messages for family-school engagement. Also building Relod, an IoT operations co-pilot for small businesses, and maintaining Tacos de Datos, a 20K+ member Spanish-language AI/data community.

Professional Journey

Growing up in Tijuana, México shaped how I approach problems—the vibrant intersection of cultures taught me to see possibilities where others might see limitations. After college, I started my career in San Francisco, where my public policy research at PPIC directly influenced California state legislation. This work evolved into building data visualization tools to help decision-makers uncover patterns in complex datasets. Making data stories accessible eventually led me to data engineering, where I now design AI operations pipelines that teams can both afford and trust.

At TalkingPoints (2022-Present), I lead data infrastructure efforts that power multilingual communication between 5M+ students' families and their schools. My focus has been on making AI operations sustainable— not just technically sound but economically viable. This meant first redesigning our Snowflake architecture to cut costs by 70%, then maintaining those savings even as we scaled from millions to over 1.5B messages. We've since built out advanced conversation intelligence—from thread segmentation to sentiment and intent analysis—while keeping infrastructure costs predictable and data quality high.

Beyond my primary role, I'm co-founder of Relod, where we're using ESP32 sensors and consumption forecasting to help food businesses know when to reorder before running out. What drives me is removing artificial barriers—small businesses shouldn't need a chief of operations to manage inventory effectively. We've been accepted to Founders Inc and are currently piloting with a couple cafés and bars in San Francisco and Berkeley.

Building in Public

Since 2018, I've been writing and teaching through Tacos de Datos, making technical knowledge accessible to Spanish-speaking developers. With over 20,000 followers and 1,100+ active community members, it's become a platform for sharing practical AI operations playbooks, data engineering patterns, and reflections on how technology reshapes our work.

I also experiment with AI-native tools that extend human capabilities: Fieldnotes for AI-aided lesson design, Kishmish/Amoxcalli for offline-first journaling with on-device AI, and Alnilam for terminal-based career development. Each project explores how we can build systems that augment rather than automate human judgment.

Technical Philosophy

My approach centers on augmentation over automation—tools should extend human capabilities, not replace them. I believe in optimistic realism: making sustainable, accessible systems that show progress in small, meaningful slices. When faced with complex challenges, I diagnose with data and treat with design, because the best solutions emerge when we focus on empowering users rather than restricting them. Access isn't just about availability—it's about making tools that everyone can genuinely use and trust.

I'm particularly interested in "extended mind" approaches where we treat notebooks, prompts, and devices as cognitive prosthetics designed to reduce working memory load. This philosophy influences everything from how I structure data pipelines to how I design user interfaces—always asking how we can make complex systems legible and learnable.

Current Focus

Right now, I'm deep into three areas: making AI operations economically sustainable for everyone, bridging hardware and software for small business operations and consumer applications, and creating bilingual technical content that doesn't compromise on depth. I believe the next wave of innovation will come from making advanced tools accessible to businesses that can't afford Silicon Valley price tags.

I'm drawn to teams that ship evidence-based products, value iteration over perfection, and believe that a little restraint goes a long way. If you're working on problems where cost-effectiveness meets human empowerment, especially for underserved communities, I'd love to connect.

Background & Education

UC Davis alumnus from Tijuana, México. My approach follows what I call joyful brutalist minimalism—ruthlessly stripping things to their essential function while recognizing that joy itself is a critical function. This philosophy shapes everything from my code to my communication style: be minimal, be intentional, but never at the expense of delight.

I work primarily in English and Spanish, though I also speak French and Portuguese. I choose to create and teach in English and Spanish because I believe technical knowledge shouldn't be gated by language. Access isn't just about translation—it's about creating spaces where people can fully participate across cultural boundaries.