Ahoy! I'm Mat,
an aspiring engineer focused on open protocols, automation, and rapid prototyping.
a lil’ :about me
A decade of technical experience has shaped me into an indie maker who builds engaging, accessible, and secure toolsI see my projects as tools meant to serve, not products to exploit. I prefer to use tools which align with this.1 for real people. I am especially passionate about search UX, crafting interfaces with the real world, and decentralized infrastructure.
Outside of computing, I’m also a guitarist, competition aficionado, and linguaphileI speak and (sometimes) understand English, Spanish, and Esperanto so far2.
what i’m up to :now
Recently, I’ve been shipping, (expand for stats!) but also:
- reverse-engineering electric and bass guitar amplifiers to build:
- maintainingI’ve also contributed code to systems (such as Hackatime, Revoker, & site), and reported data leaks through the security program.[^3] Hack Club tools such as Slacker News, the #ship channel (30k+ members), and technical support systems for new hackers & YSWS participants.
formative :experiences
Since being exposed to computer programming on Scratch a decade ago, I’ve:
- built a life-sized board game using industrial tech which supports community outreach & won:
- 1st in the 2025 PLCNext Innovation Contest Nationals
- 1st at the 2026 Pennsylvania Invention Convention
- a Hack Club X Congressional App Challenge Open-source Certification
- made videogame submissions within 48hrs-2wks for ~7 game jams
- run AV systems (livestreams and sound mixers) for funerals and weddings
- discovered and disclosed vulnerabilities / data leaks within my school and Hack Club
-
been recognized in other ways (not that interesting)
- participated in the selective PennApps XXVI college [hackathon](https://pennapps.com)
- received recognition for Integrity and Sportsmanship within academics and competitions.
- earned ~$1k in grants and prizes for personal projects submitted to Hack Club programs incl. High Seas, Summer of Making, CMD-K, and Magazine.
I recommend (not biased at all) that you check out…
…some initiatives & projects I’ve worked on independently or with competition teams, (all)
Yinzone
Sep 2026- Sep 2026Operating System powering the burgh's affordable housing build chain for developers and zoning regulators.
NestEgg
Sep 2026- Sep 2026A helpful phone line assistant that helps older adults and families understand their budgeting and financial security, no smartphone app required.
MiniMentor
Sep 2025- Sep 2025Micromentorship platform for connecting learners and mentors through personalized, skill-building lessons.
Big O's Loop Lab
Aug 2025- Aug 2025A programming-simulator puzzle game where you create programs with loops, recursive algorithms,
Regreso
Nov 2024- Jul 2025Open-source tool for creating, finding, and managing links, files, and resources you want to return to later.
Operation: Falcon Nation
Dec 2024- Apr 2025Industrial-tech-automated life-sized board game built for philanthropic outreach and competition(s).
Harmonic Heights
Aug 2024- Aug 2024A rhythm game centered around building using chord progressions, scales, and simple song arrangements.
…my various roles and responsibilities at Hack Club,
Fraud Squad
Jun 2026- nowMember and analyst for the selective internal team responsible for preventing thousands of dollars in distributed organizational losses
Draw a Dino
Apr 2026- nowSlacker News
Apr 2026- nowLead technical maintainer of Slacker News, Hack Club's official newpaper, and rewrote a Jekyll blog into a platform using Astro, Payload CMS, and OIDC.
…and some thoughts I’ve had or shared, (all)
Articles can now be pulled from Slack automatically — and a new \#news channel, now a default on Hack Club's Slack, surfaces them to the whole community.
Keep reading...Slacker News Gets a Members-Only Area
08-31-2026
As of last week, some articles on Slacker News are hidden unless a user is logged in. This article serves to explain the background behind this change and the reasons behind it.
Keep reading...Responses and Follow-ups
04-29-2026
As of today, Slacker News lets stories be marked as followups or responses to other stories, making the paper the conversation it is meant to be.
Keep reading...
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