About Me

Hafa adai!

I'm Yvan (pronounced like even)! I'm a software engineer for Microsoft Loop. My mission is to build technology that'll improve the way people live, work, and play.
I grew up spending the first 9 years of my life in Taiwan, then 9 more in Guam. In high school, I met my greatest mentor, who was my robotics club advisor. Her guidance and lab gave me a direction and space for me to follow my ambitions: I rallied teams of students to compete in a range of STEM competitions, from drone design to underwater robotics. The long conversations regarding the future of science and technology with her combined with my success in these competitions somehow convinced me that I could make a difference.
I was fortunate enough to receive a full ride scholarship to Northwestern University as a first generation low income student. I came in as a manufacturing and design engineering major-- it seemed like the perfect major to build things. Unfortunately, my first shift as a machine shop trainer coincided with the start of the pandemic, and I was forced to pivot to computer science in order to satisfy my desire to build.
Turns out most startups are software startups anyway, so that worked out. Like most undergrads at Northwestern, I was overly ambitious in my first "side project" and tried to build a augmented reality computer monitor as a iPhone app. Yeah that did not happen (but I got a cool prototype and later learned that immersed [same concept but on higher end hardware] was founded around the same time).
[to be continued... Taiwan, BearRoom, SF adventures, Techstars, etc.]

Interests

I've been playing a lot of poker, specifically No Limit Texas Hold'em cash games.
I also play a lot of board games, especially strategic ones.
I enjoy nature a lot. It's always so cool to see our planet in her natural beauty.

Work Experience

I have had experiences in the medical technology field across Taiwan and in the US, specifically at companies including ezClinic and WhaleTeq. Through these experiences, I have been able to grow my skills in software development and marketing, which correlates directly with my passion and interest in using technology to improve quality of life.

BearRoom

I was the Co-founder, CEO, and CTO of BearRoom.

Microsoft

I created a script to automate benchmark comparison testing for M365 Core Substrate Directory Team.

ezClinic

I designed and implemented their first frontend prototype for their eICU solution.

WhaleTeq

I developed the go-to-market launch strategy for SECG 5.0 AIO along with couple other video content to support use of their SECG product line.

Northwestern Univeristy

I tutored underclassmen students on various engineering and computer science topics.