Hey There…

My name is Evan and I live in the San Francisco Bay Area with my husband and cats, Bella and Oreo.  A software engineer by profession, I recently decided to take a step back, to self reflect and explore opportunities for personal growth, outside the “for-profit” world. I have started this personal website, as an online journal, to document this journey.  In the process, I hope to live a more fulfilling and creative life, that reflects who I am and the values I hold dear.

I am a dabbler and enjoy a wide array of activities, that provide creative and learning opportunities, so I opened an Etsy store in 2012 as a hobby to re-ignite my creative side. My inspiration comes from nature where my love for plants and obsession with succulents dominates.  BellasJardin is named after my garden kitty Bella.

I also enjoy gardening, photography, cooking, travel….  the list goes on and on…  Did I mention I am a dabbler?  When I’m not gardening or traveling or doing the aforementioned activities, I enjoy exploring interesting technologies, among other things.  This site also serves as an incubator for these learning adventures.

I feel it is important to give back to the world in some measure, so I’m always on the look out for ways in which I can use my skills or talents towards causes that I care most about. These include:  education, and empowering others through education to better their world and the world at large.  I am also interested in issues relating to diversity in tech and science or rather the lack of it. I believe in social and economic equity and view access to education and technology as pathways for enabling equity. Some of my favorite organizations include ReadingPartners, TapRoot, GirlsWhoCode and SocialCoding4Good.