Derick Olson-Chan

Software Engineer

Summary

I'm a full stack software engineer with 5 years of experience building and shipping apps for millions of users at startups like Remind, 1stDibs, and Foursquare. I also have an MFA in Creative Writing. I have a passion for storytelling, community engagement, and libraries. I’m looking to contribute my skills and experience to an innovative team working at the intersection of technology, language, and education to work together toward a sustainable future.

Experience

Self-Employed

January 2023 - Present

Freelance Software Developer

Need help with a project? Drop me a line. I'm based in Cambridge, MA and am available for short and long-term freelance work.

  • Professional services: React/Next apps, Personal sites, API integrations, Python scripts, and GraphQL servers.
  • Hobby projects: I'm open to collborating on projects involving: generative fiction, digital books, and education.
  • Currently Learning: React Native for mobile and cross-platform apps.

University of Virginia

June 2021 - June 2022

University Instructor

At UVA, I was a Poe/Faulkner Fellow in Fiction from 2020-2022. As a graduate instructor in UVA's Creative Writing program, I taught multiple sections of undergrads, helping students discover what, how, and why they write.

  • Public speaking, workshops, and group facilitation.
  • Pedagogy and Mentorship.
  • Syllabus design and course planning.

1stDibs

November 2017 - September 2020

Software Engineer

1stDibs is a marketplace for one-of-a-kind items with 5M+ monthly visitors. I worked as a frontend-leaning JavaScript developer on the Core Engagement and International teams with a focus on React, Node, GraphQL, SEO, mobile web, a11y, A/B Testing, i18n, API Integrations, and Server-Side Rendering.

  • Built automated translations system for launch of International websites in: Germany, France, & UK using React-Intl, Node scripts, Smartling API, Github API, and Jenkins build server.
  • Shipped 'Discover Page' by taking a Company Hack-a-thon prototype to production to launch 1stDibs' first personalized recommendation engine using React, Relay, and GraphQL on Node.
  • Shipped responsive Mobile Web UX across Search / Browse / Product Detail Pages using React, Scss, and React Storybook.
  • Re-built login modals and sign-up flows across site to support new user account types for increased engagement and decreased time to first sale.
  • Built location-based recommendations and filters to connect buyers and sellers from closer locales
  • Re-wrote internal tooling for A/B tests and SEO optimizations, improving Product-Developer time to launch across teams.
  • Organized onsite Student Hack-a-thon with students from three NYC Public High Schools, internal stakeholders, and a team of volunteer teachers from CodeNation

Remind

December 2015 - September 2017

Software Engineer

Remind helps students, teachers, and parents safely communicate in K-12 schools. As a Product Engineer on the Core Engagement team, I worked across the stack to ship features support a user base of 20M+ using: Ruby on Rails, Go, React, GraphQL, Node, AWS, Docker, and CircleCI.

  • Launched full-stack implementations on a large SPA React application for: an iOS-based Redesign, Message Reactions, File Uploading, and Message Composition.
  • Contributed to team-wide adoption of React frameworks: Apollo GraphQL, Redux, and Flow
  • Re-wrote the Twilio integration for a core messaging service using modern JavaScript and Node (no more callbacks!)
  • Joined twice-monthly on-call rotations to monitor backend infrastructure and front end services
  • Successfully ran a multi-week migration from Rails-based PostgreSQL to Go service built on DynamoDB with zero downtime.

Foursquare

May 2015 - August 2015

Software Engineer (Co-op)

Foursquare is a location-based social network with 50M+ monthly users with a recommendations platform leveraging the power of geolocation. As a Data Engineering intern, I launched a new feature (Recently Viewed Venues) for Foursquare's LambdaMART Learning-to-Rank model, which became top-ten score in succesful geolocation ranking problems.

  • Improved product-engineering communication by creating internal dashboard for testing location models with various scores and weights.
  • Re-wrote notifications pipeline in Scala to fetch data in concurrent stages.
  • Decreased machine utilization by batching service calls for similar notifications.

University of Pennsylvania

September 2013 - May 2015

Teaching Assistant

I was a teaching assistant for several undergraduate courses, including: Functional Programming, Data Structures, and Theory of Computation.

  • Java, OCaml, LaTeX, and Javascript.
  • Led weekly presentations and assignments for groups 20-students.
  • Provided one-on-one mentorship on homework and exam preparation.
  • Assisted professors in various tasks such as improving course documentation, assignment updates, and grading exams.

Symposium Inc.

September 2014 - March 2015

Product Manager

Crowd was a recruitment platform for web and mobile focused on good conversation. As one of the first three employees, I designed, implemented, and deployed the company's first landing page. I also served as the primary liason between a non-technical founder and a team of software contractors.

Capvision Partners

September 2013 - May 2015

iOS Engineering Intern

During a summer internship in Shanghai, I worked with members of the IT and Marketing department to prototype the company's first iOS app: a News Aggregator for financial consultants based in China and abroad. I built 凯盛汇 (KaiShengHui) on an OSX environment using Objective-C, Core Data, and AFNetworking. I also worked with the Marketing team to proofread translated content in English. By the end of the summer, I had a testable prototype to hand off to a new full-time iOS developer, made lasting friends, and upped my Badminton game 20x.

Sustrana

September 2013 - May 2015

Product Development Intern

Sustrana was an Environmental Sustanability consultancy. I joined them for a summer and one academic year as a Product Development intern to develop a curriculum and launch strategy for a SaaS-based subscription service for local businesses to develop their own Sustainability Management plans.

Open Source Projects

Learning into the technical constraints of a noisy NYC apartment by opting to record everything outside, letting the sounds of the city become part of the experience.

A visual essay inspired by Sepharad, a novel by Antonio Munoz Molina.

Sample Syllabus for a course in creative writing.

Education

University of Virginia

September 2020 - January 2023

Master of Fine Arts Creative Writing

  • Fiction Workshop
  • Structuring the Novel
  • Forms and Theory of Poetry
  • Rhetoric and Pedagogy
  • Reading the Esoteric
  • Introduction to Pali

University of Pennsylvania

September 2011 - May 2015

Bachelor of Arts Computer Science, East Asian Studies

  • Internet & Web Systems
  • Operating Systems
  • Linux
  • Theory of Computation
  • Introduction to Buddhism
  • Daoist Scripture and Traditions

Volunteer

Post-CRIT https://crit.works/

January 2018 - Present
Writing Group Member

I'm a member of a wonderful writing group based in NYC. Together, we run bi-weekly workshop meetings for pieces fiction, essay, and poetry. I've workshopped and edited 100+ pieces of writing including 3 novels, 1 essay collection, and dozens of short stories and poems, helped colleagues with submissions to literary journals, contests, and MFA applications, resulting in 10+ publications and acceptances to top programs.

Barista

Helped setup mobile cafe in farmer's markets across Charlottesville, VA and assisted in the cafe / roastery.

Barista

Helped bean-to-bar chocolate maker in Exeter, NH improve cafe experience with specialty drinks, tastings, and customer service.

Barista

Helped local specialty coffee shop in Exeter, NH during employee shortage.

Code Nation https://codenation.org

September 2017 - June 2019
Web Development Teacher

For two academic years, I spent two afternoons per week teaching web development fundamentals (js/html/css) to high schools in New York City. I worked with team of volunteer teachers in Brooklyn (Uncommon Charter) and Manhattan (Seward Park Campus, Essex, LoMa, Dual-Language) and organized and hosted Student/Teacher Hack-a-thon at 1stdibs HQ.

Literature in Context (UVA)

June 2022 - August 2022
Digital Humanities Associate
Poetry / Fiction Judge

I led in-person Ekphrastic workshops based on a tour of museum galleries. Selected winners from 300+ entries for the Ekphrastic Poetry and Fiction for the Fralin Museum of Art's annual 'Writer's Eye' contest.

Abhaya Yoga https://abhayayoga.com/

October 2017 - April 2018
Yoga Exchange Volunteer

Assisted teachers with studio management: pening and closing of studio 2-3 times per week, helping owners with moving logistics to setup new studio in Gowanus, Brooklyn.

Yoga Society of San Francisco

January 2016 - September 2017
Resident Yoga Teacher

As a Resident Yoga Teacher at an urban ashram in San Francisco, I led twice-weekly Hatha Yoga classes, led Agnihotra fire ceremonies and meditations most weekdays, and led three two-hour workshops on Meditative Breathwork.

Board Member

Oikos is a student organization for sustainable economics. As a board member, I represented US universities at the oikos International President's meet in St. Gallen, Switzerland. I also organized events to highlight sustainable businesses in Philadelphia such as a brewery tour, an exploration of Philadelphia's Green City, Clean Water initiative, and a featured tasting of local fruit and produce.

Publications

HAD Magazine
University of Virginia Libraries
Sino Platonic Papers
Peregrine Magazine