Who is Liam
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been fascinated by technology as a tool to amplify ambitions and expand what can be accomplished. The data age has brought with it a complete paradigm shift in the way that the world tackles complicated tasks and learn difficult skills. I was fortunate to be a part of the first generation to truly ride that wave and embrace all that it had to offer. Despite growing up on a rural farm outside of a town with a population of only 280, I was able to feed my curiosity from a young age and explore on my own a deep interest in understanding how the technical world I was living in functioned around me. When I was in middle school, I started trying to teaching myself Java and C# from YouTube tutorials, building my first computer, a Hackintosh, at age 13, and later exploring web development and design, audio production, video editing, drone cinematography, systems administration, and game development. By the time I graduated high school, I had worked on a wide range of tech projects and had a server rack whirring in my bedroom closet, running VMware ESXi and Linux VMs for personal use, but I felt like I had only touched the tip of iceberg.
As my understanding of computers, networking, and programming developed, my eyes were opened to the infinite possibilities for harnessing these tools and technologies to build meaningful new solutions, systems, and services in the digital world, available to a wide audience at unprecedented speeds. My relentless excitement from that idea led me to start to working with other companies and organizations to assist them with best utilizing technology internally to help resolve their issues and magnify their efficiency and output as they strive towards their own goals.Through my freelance work, I’ve had the opportunity to work with companies and organizations at every scale from around the country on problems and projects ranging from office networking equipment and servers, to web design, podcast production, and video editing. Some of my past clients have included Marbleseed, the National Historic Cheesemaking Center, FPS Rentals, and Renewing the Countryside’s Home-based Food Entrepreneur Virtual National Conference.
For close to 6 years, I also shared my fascination with the developments in the technology space as a freelance writer, working with national magazines and online technology publications like Innovation & Tech Today magazine, Mother Earth News magazine, PC Lifeline, my own website TechSocket.net, and TIME for Kids magazine. I primarily covered new releases and developments on subjects like drones, virtual reality, sustainability, Hi-Fi audio, and human-computer interaction, trying to explore the future impact of current trends on the bleeding edge. My work enabled me to attend the international Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas for 6 years as a journalist, providing a glimpse into the future and the opportunity to discuss tomorrow’s technology with other attendees equally fascinated by its implications. At the end of 2020, I decided to step away from freelance writing to focus my efforts on my other technical services and expanding my skill set.
When away from the computer, I spend most of my free time immersed in reading, cooking, hiking, volunteering, connecting with friends online, and working on personal projects. Although growing up in a rural location came with a few disadvantages in terms of internet speed, I will always be grateful for the deep connection to the natural world and the fresh food grown on the land. When progress on a problem faltered, nature has always been my solace and the place I could turn to to clear my head and return with a fresh perspective or solution. I documented my love for the outdoors in a video for the Get to Know 2015 contest, which received first place in the video category. I also explored the outdoors with Cub Scouts and later Boy Scouts in Troop 180 Monroe, where I would go on to become an Eagle Scout in 2019.
Perhaps from the experiences I’ve gathered growing up with my hands in the soil, I’ve always felt a strong connection with food, eventually landing myself a trip to the White House for a “Kids State Dinner” after winning the 2013 Healthy Lunchtime Challenge. Before that, I took first place in KIWI’s 2011 Next Great Young Chef contest with a dessert pizza recipe. I also ran a local organization called Harvest Nina for 5 years, which was was comprised of a group of local kids looking to work together to help tackle food insecurity in our local community. Harvest Ninja worked with nearby farms and individuals who had extra unpicked fruit, vegetables, and herbs in their gardens to coordinate group harvests with the owner’s permission to capture this excess produce and donate it to a local community meal. In five years, Harvest Ninja donated a total of 5,313 pounds of fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs, providing hundreds of meals to the community. I also produced a video on Harvest Ninja, which received an Honorable Mention in the 2015 White House Student Film Festival.