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I’m thrilled to share that I’ve officially joined the Google Developer Experts (GDE) program for Flutter and Dart! Becoming a GDE has been a long-time goal of mine, and looking back on the path that led here, I’m both grateful and amazed.
At Very Good Ventures (VGV), we’re constantly encouraged to take the next step in our professional growth. And to deliver the best outcomes for our clients, our team actively pursues certifications from leading global organizations.
This time, I’d love to share a bit about my own journey.
Where It All Started: A Coffee Shop In Montana
My journey in software development started in an unexpected place: a small coffee shop in Billings, Montana. In 2015, I began studying computer science at Rocky Mountain College, a tiny liberal arts school in a town of just over 100,000 people. The computer science department was small—just three professors—but it gave me my first deep dive into programming.
At that time, I worked part-time as a barista at City Brew Coffee. To my surprise, what started as a job to help pay tuition became a huge influence on my career.
After transferring to Montana State University, I grew tired of just studying theory and data structures; I wanted to build something real. That summer, I vowed to learn Android development and apply those skills to an outdated process of manually recording daily sales with pen and paper. I built a simple app to automate the report, generate a PDF, and deliver it using email. While the app never officially launched, it caught the attention of the corporate team.
That led to an internship, followed by another internship at Foundant Technologies, where I worked in QA. Balancing full-time studies and two internships was tough, but the hands-on learning was invaluable. I’ve learned that when life throws exciting but scary opportunities your way, it’s often best to dive in before they pass you by.
Eventually, City Brew offered me the role of Director of Technology, where I led digital transformation efforts across the company, from POS systems and security cameras to launching a new website and loyalty program. One major project was our first-ever mobile app, built using Flutter.
Discovering Flutter & Finding VGV
I first explored Flutter in 2017 as a way to turn my Android-only app into a cross-platform tool. When it was time to build City Brew’s mobile app, Flutter was the clear choice. But leadership wanted "adult supervision," so I searched for help, and ended up finding Very Good Ventures.
At the time, VGV was small. I connected with David DeRemer, Founder & CEO at VGV, and soon began working closely with the team who mentored me through the development process. That partnership helped me level up fast. City Brew’s app became the first client project built with Very Good Start, VGV’s Flutter starter kit.
(If you have an app idea, I recommend checking out the Very Good Start eBook—it offers a practical look at how VGV’s proven best practices can help you launch your project fast and on the right foot.)
By 2022, after years of balancing school, work, and family life (we had our first child during the pandemic!), I finally graduated with a CS degree. We moved back to Billings, bought a house, and shortly after, I joined VGV full-time as a Senior Software Engineer.
Since then, I’ve worked with six amazing companies building world-class Flutter apps. I was later promoted to Engineering Lead, where I mentor a team of six awesome folks. I’ve spoken at events, earned Google Cloud certifications, written blog posts, and contributed to VGV’s open source software.
Becoming A Google Developer Expert
All this brings me to today, becoming a Google Developer Expert. It’s something I’ve dreamed about for years. Sure, I still feel impostor syndrome—many GDEs are developers I’ve long admired—but I also know how much work, support, and persistence went into this.
Google Developer Experts (GDEs) are highly skilled developers who have a deep understanding of Google technologies and are passionate about sharing their knowledge with the community. To become a GDE, you must be a recognized expert in your field, have a strong track record of community involvement, and be committed to helping others learn and grow.
You must also be referred by an existing GDE or Google employee, pass a few eligibility checks, and finally meet with a subject matter expert at Google to verify your expertise in your field.
Reflecting on the past 10 years, from selling coffee to leading teams at VGV, I recognize the immense amount of mentorship and support I received. I’m deeply grateful to everyone who helped me grow into the leader I am today.
What’s Next?
Over the next 10 years, I hope to use this GDE platform to give back to the community by mentoring, teaching, and helping others grow with Flutter. If there’s anything my story shows, it’s that your path doesn’t have to be traditional to lead somewhere amazing.
I’ve always been inspired by this quote from Steve Jobs:
“You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.”
Opportunities often come from unexpected places. With the right support, hard work, and a little trust, you can go further than you ever imagined.
Let’s keep learning and building together. If you’re on your own Flutter journey, I’d love to connect!
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