About Me

Hello World! Link to heading

Greetings! I’m Juan, a relentless autodidact who thrives on solving complex problems and pushing the boundaries of creative engineering. Whether it’s coding entire frameworks, designing urban microcities, or theorizing about global citizenship, I approach everything with a mix of curiosity, pragmatism, and a touch of chaos.

Birth and Beginnings Link to heading

Born in 1989 in the Dominican Republic, I was quickly transplanted to the concrete jungle of New York City, growing up in the South Bronx. I attended P.S. 130 for grades one through five, excelling in math and science before graduating as valedictorian from MS 52 (now MS 302) in 2004. High school took me to the Foreign Language Academy of Global Studies (FLAGS), a small institution tucked inside the J. M. Rapport School Career Development building. FLAGS no longer exists, but I graduated in 2007 before it faded into educational history.

The Road to Mastery Link to heading

My high school years sparked my love for computers, even while I was busy fronting a rock band (Unholy Thirst) and running for student body president. Fluent in French, Spanish, and English, I initially set my sights on a computer science degree at St. John’s University. But financial realities hit, forcing me to pivot. Rather than let a setback define me, I took the direct route—teaching myself and diving straight into the industry.

Within six months, I landed a PHP web developer role at LMG digitalMedia. That was just the beginning. Over the years, my expertise expanded across PHP, Python, JavaScript, SQL, Golang, and beyond.

Engineering the Future Link to heading

I’ve played key roles at companies like Touro College, Borderfree (later acquired by Pitney Bowes), and Shutterstock—architecting systems, optimizing infrastructure, and engineering scalable solutions. But I’m not just a cog in the corporate machine. I build things.

Sphire, Inc. – Transformative Innovation Through Creative Engineering Link to heading

At Sphire, Inc., my philosophy is simple: build better, smarter, and more efficient technology. From cutting-edge software solutions to open-source frameworks, I lead the charge in creating tools that streamline development and push the boundaries of innovation.

Some key projects under Sphire include:

  • Core – A powerful and extensible foundation for PHP applications.
  • Godex – A flexible, high-performance PHP dependency injection container.
  • Mantis – A lightweight event-driven framework designed for high scalability.
  • Server Status Recorder & Reporter – A two-part system built in Go for tracking server health and performance.
  • FSx Flight – A military-focused drone command and control system designed for large-scale autonomous fleet management.

Sphire isn’t just about software—it’s about solving problems elegantly and efficiently. Whether it’s designing infrastructure, building scalable microservices, or architecting next-gen solutions, my goal is to engineer smarter systems that make life easier for developers and businesses alike.

Side Projects & Open-Source Contributions Link to heading

Beyond Sphire, I’m constantly experimenting with new ideas. My GitHub (nsa-yoda) is a playground for everything from low-level system utilities to high-level web frameworks. Some of my side projects include:

  • MicroCities – An urban planning initiative focused on creating self-sustaining, tech-driven microcities outside major metropolitan areas.
  • Global Citizen Initiative – A vision for a universal travel program, eliminating visa restrictions between participating nations.
  • Hydrate – A powerful Go library for auto-hydrating structs from various databases.
  • Filesystem Helper – A cross-platform Go library for handling file system paths intelligently.
  • Airflow Enhancements – Tweaks, optimizations, and configurations for better DAG execution and scheduling.
  • Postman Automation Scripts – Advanced pre-scripts and workflows to automate API testing and environment management.

If there’s a problem worth solving, I’ll probably write code for it.

Beyond Code Link to heading

Software is only part of the story. I’m fascinated by the sciences—physics, biology, space, history, math—basically anything that makes the universe tick. I tinker with electronics, break things just to fix them, and occasionally indulge in writing.

Currently, I’m working on my book, 1000 Worst Offensive Remarks You Should Never Say (Unless You Want to Get Cancelled)—a satirical deep dive into cultural taboos, linguistic landmines, and the fine art of getting canceled.

The Journey Continues Link to heading

I don’t believe in a fixed path—only in solving interesting problems and leaving an impact. Whether it’s through code, urban design, or global policy, I intend to build, innovate, and disrupt.

Finis amoris sed non vitae.