I enjoy solving problems for people using computers; keen to apply innovation and entrepreneurship to make a positive impact on people's lives. Since innovation often occurs at the fringes of current technology, I like to spend my time finding and trying to solve problems that require the use of cutting-edge software technologies. I strive to have an entrepreneurial mindset while developing software, keeping the following goals in mind to maximize impact: empathize with users, define problems and communicate solutions with clarity, listen to user feedback, and be proactive to identify and capitalize on promising opportunities.
I work as a Software Engineer at Citrix Systems in Raleigh, NC, where I contribute to the future of work collaboration.
My areas of interest include Machine Learning, Computer Vision, Web and Mobile App Development, IoT, and Robotics. I have tried my hands on all said fields by making projects - some big, and some small...
I joined Citrix the first Monday of 2022, right after graduating mid-December in 2021. I have always wanted to write code as a professional Software Engineer, and Citrix has given me the opportunity to do this work alongside some extremely talented and motivated people. I keep improving and learning something new every single day!
I graduated with a degree in Computer Science along with a minor in Entrepreneurship. Not only have I gained cutting-edge technical knowledge and connected with world-class professors in the fields of Computer Science and Entrepreneurship, I am also forever grateful to this university for my education in the liberal arts - it has been nothing short of an eye-opening experience, and has given me an entirely new way to perceive the world.
This summer internship gave me a taste of what professional software development looks like. I worked with cutting-edge technologies like Helm and Kubernetes, Terraform, Jenkins, Hashicorp Vault, React and TypeScript, .NET Core, Microsoft Azure, and Splunk. By the end of this stint, I had developed an end-to-end proof-of-concept feature for the company with an expected 25,000+ monthly active users by writing backend integrations with third-party SaaS cloud storage APIs (Google Drive and OneDrive/SharePoint Online), an aggregation microservice, and UI code to display a unified list of recent files within the flagship Citrix Workspace product.
I applied for, and got accepted into the highly selective Shuford Program for a Minor in Entrepreneurship at UNC-Chapel Hill! According to UNC, it is the only undergraduate entrepreneurship program in the country that is housed within a College of Arts and Sciences, which allows a diversity of thought and perspectives from many different majors across the College.
I interned as an online instructor at iD Tech Camps for two months, where I provided top-notch STEM education by teaching Java, Minecraft Modding, Python for Data Science, and C++.
When I came to Chapel Hill, I found that there were very few avenues outside of UNC's campus to connect with the developer community. I figured there will be many people in Chapel Hill wanting a community experience like many cities with big tech companies do - regular events on the latest and greatest tech tools, a supportive environment where people help boost each other's careers, the list goes on! I found that Google Developers had a global program for just that! In no time, I applied for the GDG program with a friend of mine, and got our chapter up and running!
How can I miss the opportunity to study at one of the oldest Computer Science departments in the world? Filled with curiosity and ambition, I decided to transfer out from Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) at Vellore, India to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I am extremely grateful to my family and the professors at VIT who encouraged and helped me in so many ways throughout this journey.
I interned for two months at Global BizConnect, a tech startup in my hometown of Vadodara, India that focuses on web development for small businesses. There, I got to build two websites from scratch using PHP and MySQL to add to the company's portfolio - an e-learning website, and a job portal.
In my sophomore year at VIT university, I was promoted to be a part of the project team at the ISA-VIT student chapter. There, I collaborated with other members by helping organize technical workshops, even lectured in some of those workshops, and also took part on behalf of the chapter in national-level hackathons.
At the end of my first semester at VIT university, I decided that I wanted to join a technical chapter on campus. I found out about ISA and the amazing work on Robotics and IoT that they had been doing, and immediately applied. A technical exam, three Group Discussion rounds, and an interview later, I became a core committee member! ISA-VIT became like a family away from home for me. During my first semester at ISA-VIT, I did extensive door-to-door marketing work, helping the chapter gain about 25 registrations by for their annual technical mega-fest, SPARK 2018.
I started my undergraduate degree in Computer Science and Engineering at Vellore Institute of Technology in Vellore, India. At VIT, I developed great friendships, excelled in my academics, had tons of fun, won a hackathon, and finished in the top 10 in academics by the end of my second year.
I spent the entirety of my childhood (K-12) at this school - Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan's in Vadodara, India. Great memories and friendships that I will cherish for a lifetime.
A few memorable snaps from my life!
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At SPARK 2019 - a 3-day technical fest organized by International Society of Automation - VIT University Chapter.
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Web Development workshop organized by International Society of Automation - VIT University Chapter during SPARK 2019, a 3 day technical fest.
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Built a remote controlled, battery operated toy car for fun in 2015...
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We built an awesome app that automates the scanning of medical records at HackDuke 2019 :)
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At the end of my second year at VIT University, I was awarded with an award for excellence in academics (ranked in the top 10 in academics among all the 700+ Computer Science and Engineering sophomores), and an award for cent percent attendance.
Watch this video to get to know where I come from!
In the following audio podcast, I will answer the following questions: