00Portfolio '26
Full-stack engineer based in Dallas. I like being in the room when the problem gets scoped, writing the code that solves it, and running the demo that sells it. Most of my work lives at the seam between product and customer.
01About
Who I am
Hello
The best solution is the one people actually use.
Getting there usually starts with listening — long before it starts with code.
From the kitchen
I'm Nelson. I spent years managing a restaurant before I ever wrote production code. That sounds like a detour, but it taught me how to read a room, keep 15 people moving in the same direction, and stay calm when the system is on fire.
Into the room
That background is why solutions engineering feels natural. A good technical answer only matters if the person across the table trusts it enough to act on it. I learned that long before I learned React.
·Off the keyboard
The first week of a project is my favorite part. The problem is still fuzzy, you're sketching in code, and by Friday you've got something you can actually put in front of someone.
Now·Right now: E-Commerce prototype for a client in the home goods space.
V4 on a good day, V2 on a humid Tuesday. It's the closest thing I've found to debugging with your whole body. Read the wall, try, fall, adjust, send.
Now·Home gym: Dyno Climbing, Dallas. Always down for beta swaps.
A decade in restaurants taught me that a 6-top dinner rush is basically a high-throughput system. These days the stakes are a quiet Sunday and a good bowl of phở.
Now·Current project: getting the broth to taste like my mom's.
02Journey
Restaurants taught me people. Engineering taught me systems. I got good at both by doing them at the same time for a few years. The overlap is where I do my best work.
Building and demoing a SaaS tax compliance platform on Next.js and AWS. I run live technical walkthroughs for finance and IT buyers, handle client escalations as the primary technical contact, and drove state certification across four U.S. states to expand our sellable market. Also generated $15K in new revenue through discovery calls and demos.
Ran daily operations for a high-volume restaurant in Addison, TX. Managed revenue reporting, customer satisfaction metrics, and operational KPIs. Led a 15-person team across scheduling, logistics, inventory, and front-of-house service. This is where I learned to manage people, resolve conflict fast, and build long-term customer relationships.
Designed and built websites for small businesses, working directly with owners to turn their brand and goals into something that actually works on a screen. Most projects started from a Figma mockup and ended with a React app deployed on GCP.
Studied software engineering with a focus on OOP, design patterns, HCI, security, and databases. Picked up Java, Python, C, C#, and React along the way. The coursework was useful; the side projects are what actually taught me to ship.
03Selected Work
A mix of web, mobile, AI, and VR work.
A SaaS application that automates real-time sales tax determination and return filing for e-commerce transactions on BigCommerce. I designed the architecture, built the integration layer against BigCommerce's APIs, and deployed it on AWS. This is the product I demo to clients at Avior.
You're looking at it. Next.js, TypeScript, Tailwind, Docker. I built a custom design system, scroll-triggered reveals, and a responsive grid from scratch. The portfolio is the demo.
Real-time audio classification in the browser using TensorFlow.js. Captures audio through the user's mic and identifies sounds across Google AudioSet categories — animal calls, voices, environmental noise. Python and Node backend for model management, React frontend.
A Unity VR simulation that lets nursing students practice end-of-life care conversations. I ran usability sessions with 50+ students, fixed 75+ issues from their feedback, and cut the build size by 90% through asset optimization.
A React app on top of the PokéAPI and Google Earth API for proximity-based Pokémon lookups. Went Figma-first on the design, then focused on microcopy and feedback states. Testing showed a 40% bump in engagement.
An Android app for tracking runs, macros, and daily activity. Firebase handles storage; Google APIs tag workouts with location. I prioritized trust and clarity over feature count.
04Say hello
I'm always happy to talk shop, hear about what you're building, or just say hi. I read every message and I'm quick to reply.