Carlsbad, California, United States
I serve as Chairperson of the Board and Chief Technology Officer at Calsense, where I focus on long‑term strategy, governance, and technology leadership that advances sustainable water management at scale. With more than 20 years in the landscape irrigation and water‑management industry, I’ve worked across nearly every aspect of the business, from embedded software and cloud platforms to operations, manufacturing, finance, and customer experience. I began my career at Calsense as a software engineer in 2005 and spent the next two decades helping grow the company into a leading provider of intelligent irrigation solutions for public‑sector organizations. As CTO, my work centers on product architecture, embedded firmware, cloud applications, and platform modernization, with an emphasis on long‑term manufacturability, reliability, and customer value. I’ve led the development of irrigation controllers, data services, and software platforms designed to optimize water use while reducing labor and lifecycle costs. In my role as Chair, I partner closely with the executive team and board to ensure strong governance, disciplined execution, and sustained investment in innovation—guiding technology direction, supporting leadership development, and aligning long‑term product strategy with customer and environmental outcomes. I’m deeply committed to water conservation and sustainability. My work has included launching new business models, such as subscription‑based irrigation management, that lower barriers to adoption for public agencies, as well as serving in board‑level and advisory roles focused on education, environmental stewardship, and industry advancement. In addition to my work at Calsense, I spend time working with early‑stage teams, contributing perspective, technical guidance, and long‑term thinking, and selectively committing resources to help founders build durable organizations with real‑world impact. I’m always interested in conversations around sustainable infrastructure, thoughtful technology, and building organizations designed to last.
Serve as Chairperson of the Board and Chief Technology Officer, with responsibility for long‑term strategy, governance, and technology direction. Partner with the executive team and board to ensure disciplined execution, strong leadership development, and sustained investment in innovation. Focus on product architecture, platform evolution, and aligning technology decisions with customer outcomes, reliability, and long‑term sustainability.
Led Calsense through a period of growth and transformation, with responsibility spanning product, engineering, operations, finance, and customer experience, while maintaining a strong focus on water conservation, public‑sector customers, and long‑term product reliability. Established a leadership team and operating structure that enabled a successful transition to the next phase of company leadership.
Began career at Calsense designing and developing embedded software and supporting systems for intelligent irrigation controllers. Built a deep understanding of hardware‑software integration, manufacturing constraints, and field reliability, experience that continues to inform technology leadership and strategic decision‑making today.
I founded Van de Ventures to support the next generation of mission-driven founders, backing early- and growth-stage companies that combine strong fundamentals with meaningful, real‑world impact, drawing on decades of experience building and leading a technology-driven organization. I partner with entrepreneurs as a long-term, values-aligned investor, providing thoughtful capital, hands-on strategic guidance, and operator-informed perspective to support durable, sustainable value creation.
Served as a Lecturer for Environmental Issues, Policies, and Regulations for Water Managers, contributing practitioner perspective on water policy, regulation, and real‑world implementation.