About

Brian Mitchell is a Senior Software Engineer at soona. In Brian's spare time, he enjoys cycling, watching science-fiction, listening to music, and drinking coffee.

If you're looking for a more formal résumé, download the PDF.

Tools, Frameworks, and Languages

TypeScript, JavaScript, React, TanStack Query (React and Vue adapters), Testing Library, CSS-in-JS, Svelte, Vue, Jest, Puppeteer, D3, Webpack, Eleventy, Jekyll, Ruby on Rails, NestJS, Next.js, Node.js, Python, HTML, CSS, SCSS, git, LaTeX

Operating Systems

macOS, iOS, Linux (more familiar with Fedora and CentOS), Windows

Other Skills

Pair programming, mentorship, enthusiasm, organization, lighting design, theatrical lighting electrician, lighting and sound board operation

Hobbies

• Co-organizer of the JavaScriptMN meetup (2019 – present)
• Board on Streets.mn (2022 – present)
• Bicycling
• Downhill skiing
• Electronic music shows
• Theatrical and live performance lighting (since I was in 4th grade!)
• Watching science-fiction TV shows and movies
• Learning/speaking Danish
• Traveling

Experience

• soona Senior Software Engineer (June 2022 – Present), Minneapolis, MN.
  • Upgraded the Vue application from Vue 2 to Vue 3.
  • Created patterns and promoted using TanStack Query over global state solutions for server data in the Vue application.
  • Upgraded Rails frontend bundler to use Vite, reducing dependencies, improving developer experience, and modernizing tooling.
  • Worked on the Production team to implement new and enhance existing product features.
  • Rewrote a chat implementation with a third-party SDK to allow for better observability, resilience, and user experience.
  • Built a sidebar navigation and refactored site-wide layout touching nearly every page to allow for better scalability of the platform, more consistency, and a lighter weight implementation.
• Level2 Senior Frontend Engineer (April 2021 – May 2022), Minnetonka, MN.
  • Wrote a new chat interface utilizing Twilio chat, simplifying and separating display and data logic.
  • Led the development of the next generation internal coaching portal React application to improve performance, accessibility, user experience, visual consistency, and ease of additional development.
• C.H. Robinson (November 2016 – April 2021), Eden Prairie, MN.
  • Senior Software Engineer (March 2021 – April 2021), Customer Facing Analytics
    • Led the architecture and development of the React application for the premier customer facing analytics platform.
    • Worked with leaders on the customer solutions teams to create and document technical patterns.
  • Software Engineer III (August 2019 – March 2021), Customer Facing Analytics
    • Led the architecture and development of the React application for the premier customer facing analytics platform.
    • Lead technical maintainer of a hubot chatbot running in Slack.
    • Advocated for React Testing Library and modernizing frontend tooling.
  • Software Engineer II (January 2018 – July 2019), Customer Facing Analytics
    • Led the architecture and development of the React application for the premier customer facing analytics platform.
    • Implemented asynchronous event tracking for Adobe Analytics, creating a common library used by React applications.
    • Built a multi-source user authentication and impersonation flow.
    • Introduced, advocated, and provided patterns of using React hooks and React Testing Library across the company.
    • Built performant and animated charting and table components.
    • Mentored across the company with JavaScript/TypeScript and React.
    • Led development and publishing for the C.H. Robinson Engineering Blog.
  • Software Engineer I (November 2016 – December 2017), Enterprise Data Warehouse Customer
    • Built new widgets and lead major refactoring for a customer analytics tool to support additional segments of the company and powerful dynamic data filtering application-wide.
    • Designed new and rewrote screens in an animation-focused data visualization tool for lobby displays leveraging D3 and Bing Maps.
• Concordia Language Villages - Skovsøen, Counselor and Technology Support (Summer 2016), Bemidji, MN.
  Presented the camp to family and friends of campers through photos and daily blog posts. Managed the retail store and acted as a counselor for campers aged 7-18.
• CarlHacks 2016 (April 8 – 10, 2016), Carleton College, Northfield, MN.
  36 hour hackathon where I worked with a classmate to start an iOS application in Swift. For more info, see our devpost page.
• C.H. Robinson, Intern - IT (Summer 2015, internship), Eden Prairie, MN.
  Developed an interactive lobby display illustrating active customer shipments on an animated world map, implemented with web technologies for touch-driven hardware as part of working on the Client Technology Strategy and Enterprise Data Warehouse teams. Some technologies used were JavaScript, jQuery, Microsoft Maps, and d3.js.
• MICS 2015 Robotics and Programming Competitions (April 10 – 11, 2015), Grand Forks, ND.
  Teams placed 2nd of 14 in robotics (Arduino), and 26th of 52 for programming (Java).
• Computer Science Discipline, University of Minnesota, Morris., System Administrator (Fall 2014 – Spring 2015), Morris, MN.
  Managed, maintained, updated, and supported the computer science labs in relation to software, hardware, and users.
• Info Link, Inc., IT Specialist (Summer 2014, internship), Morris, MN.
  Assisted with managing Info-Link's network and services. This included but was not limited to:
  • Providing support and consulting for users
  • Computer service and repair
  • Installing wireless Internet in homes and businesses
  • Providing custom network installations
  • Managing internal tools, servers, radios, and other hardware
  • Climbing telecom towers, water towers, and grain elevators to install or service Info-Link's hardware
• MICS 2014 Robotics and Programming Competitions (April 25-26, 2014), Verona, WI.
  Teams placed 4th of 11 in robotics (Java), and 18th of ~50 for programming (Java).
• University of Minnesota, Morris, Student Center Tech Crew (Fall 2012 – Spring 2016), Morris, MN.
  Lighting Lead for the 2014 – 2015 school year and Spring 2016 semester.
  Designed, set-up, and operated sound and lighting for small to large scale events. This included rigging, power distribution, electrical work, DMX network management, operating heavy equipment, cable management, and working with clients.
• Concordia Language Villages, Assistant Cook (Summer 2012, Summer 2013), Bemidji, MN.

Education

• B.A. Computer Science, University of Minnesota, Morris. May 2016.

  Related Courses

  • Network Administration Practicum with an Emphasis on Directory Services Directed Study (CSCI 4993)
  • Robotics (CSCI 4454)
  • Models of Computing Systems (CSCI 3401)
  • Human-Computer Interface Design (CSCI 4656)
  • Robotics Directed Study (x2) (CSCI 3993)
  • Software Design Directed Study (using MEAN Stack) (CSCI 4993)
  • Algorithms and Computability (CSCI 3501)
  • Software Design and Development (CSCI 3601)
  • Ethical and Social Implications of Technology (IS 1091)
  • Data Structures (CSCI 2101)
  • Foundations of Computer Science (CSCI 1302)
  • Digital Media Computation (CSCI 1201)

• DIS - Danish Institute for Study Abroad. Copenhagen, Denmark. Fall 2015.

  Related Courses

  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Sustainability in Northern Europe
  • Danish Language I–II

Theatre Experience

• Lighting Designer - Young Artists Initiative's Frozen Jr., January 2020, The Wellstone Center, Saint Paul, MN Photos
• Lighting Designer - Young Artists Initiative's Annie, March 2018, The Wellstone Center, Saint Paul, MN Photos
• Electrician - Green T Productions' Frankenstein: A Modern Prometheus, November 2017, The Historic Mounds Theatre, Saint Paul, MN
• Lighting Designer - Dance Ensemble, Spring 2016, University of Minnesota, Morris Photos
• Lighting Designer - Dance Ensemble, Spring 2015, University of Minnesota, Morris Photos
• Master Electrician - Many Moons, Spring 2015, University of Minnesota, Morris
• Master Electrician/Programmer - Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teen-Age Blockhead, Winter 2015, University of Minnesota, Morris
• Lighting Designer - Dance Ensemble, Fall 2014, University of Minnesota, Morris Photos
• Electrician - Twelfth Night, Fall 2013, University of Minnesota, Morris
• Assistant Stage Manager - An Evening of One Acts, Spring 2013, University of Minnesota, Morris
• Assistant Lighting Designer/Board Operator - God of Carnage, Winter 2013, University of Minnesota, Morris
• Sound Board Operator - The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later, Fall 2012, University of Minnesota, Morris
• Co-Lighting Designer/Co-Board Operator - The Importance of Being Earnest, Spring 2012, Central High School, Saint Paul, MN
• Co-Lighting Designer/Co-Board Operator - Bye Bye Birdie, Fall 2011, Central High School, Saint Paul, MN
• Co-Lighting Designer/Co-Board Operator - The Government Inspector, Spring 2011, Central High School, Saint Paul, MN
• Co-Lighting Designer/Co-Board Operator - Damn Yankees, Fall 2010, Central High School, Saint Paul, MN
• Co-Lighting Designer/Co-Board Operator - Go Back For Murder, Spring 2010, Central High School, Saint Paul, MN
• Co-Lighting Designer/Co-Board Operator - Once Upon a Mattress, Fall 2009, Central High School, Saint Paul, MN
• Co-Lighting Designer/Co-Board Operator - Noises Off, Spring 2009, Central High School, Saint Paul, MN
• Co-Lighting Designer/Co-Board Operator - Grease, Fall 2008, Central High School, Saint Paul, MN
• Sound and Light Board Operator - Singing in the Rain, Spring 2008, Capitol Hill Magnet, Saint Paul, MN
• Sound Engineer - Story of The River, Spring 2005, Linwood A+ Elementary, Saint Paul, MN