The ZaReason Team
About Cathy: Cathy has been starting companies ever since she was a little girl organizing her stuffed animals into Project Teams. In 2006 with Maile Urbancic, Cathy set up a non-profit Partimus.org to support OLPC. While Partimus (which means "We Share" in Latin) had a place getting refurbished Ubuntu computers to school districts, Cathy craved working with high-end hardware, original design, latest release components. So, along with her brilliant husband, she founded ZaReason. If successful computer companies can be started out of garages and dorms, they can surely be started out of living rooms. And dining rooms. ZaReason quickly overtook the house and operations were moved to a retail / warehouse location on a tree-lined street in Berkeley. Cathy's aim is to see hundreds, thousands, of light, limber ZaReason shops all over the globe.Why Cathy Works Here:"There are few things I love more than seeing sparky interactions between people. I love -- with a passion -- seeing the people at ZaReason working so successfully together. I also love seeing their individual successes when they devote themselves deeply to a difficult task (and there are many, many difficult tasks). For me, the sign of a great team is whether or not there is laughter in the office. ZaReason has the laughter, plus the frequent 'happy dance' that occurs when one of us finds the answer to a tough problem."
About Earl: Earl spent a lifetime as a games programmer and a cell phone coder. After proving his extreme skills in programming, Earl "retired" and now does non-work non-full-time at approximately 60 hours a week. He says, "It's far too fun to call it work." Earl is the brains behind ZaReason R&D. He is bulldog-tenacious making the hardware work seamlessly. Earl enjoys attending conferences to hear people's feedback then implementing improvements. Earl is deeply grateful for the support given by the community.Why Earl Works Here: "My best days are spent designing hardware, traveling the world searching for what works. I'm a perfectionist. Since we were able to self-fund, we don't have any investors / Board of Directors to please. After a lifetime in the corporate world with all sizes of companies, building ZaReason is refreshing. Being able to design the coolest systems and work with the most excellent community is easily the most fun thing I have ever done."
About Kory: Kory has the highly valuable combination of extreme intelligence, innate skill, and strong work ethic. Kory has traveled extensively and has staffed the ZaReason booth at several conferences. Kory is the type of person who never does bare minimum. He solves problems then takes the next step to make sure the same problem won't happen again. Kory has been in software and hardware development ever since he was old enough to prop up on his dad's lap (infancy). Kory is actually the one responsible for ZaReason in the first place.Why Kory Works Here: "It's fun. Most of the people my age are wasting their time. But, yesterday I got to do a delivery with my dad (Earl) to the Stanford AI Lab. While I was there, I saw that Willow, the coolest robot-building company ever, had several robots on display using systems I had built. I am hoping to go to Neumont or UC Berkeley for college. Now that I got accepted to Neumont, I just need to wait for a response from UC Berkeley, then I'll have a hard choice ahead of me." [Kory is currently in his Senior year taking classes at a virtual school, called CAVA, to spend more time working and less time sitting in a classroom doing nothing.]
About Jei: Jei is a Computer Systems Engineer, building netbooks with record speed and accuracy. Since Jei is multi-talented, Jei also makes sure the financial books are looked after. To top it off, Jei makes sure ZaReason has the supplies it needs the day before they are actually needed, keeping inventory tight and profits flowing. It gets even better -- Jei even keeps a close eye on shipping costs, making sure that hardware arrives safely, well-packed. Finally, Jei has shipped thousands of Ubuntu badges and Tux badges internationally. She is well-loved. Jei's former career was in management and she also worked teaching school children music. Jei bakes all sorts of sweet goodies, and is a true Star Trekkie.Why Jei Works Here: "This is a great place to work! I enjoy working here and working with the great team."
About Vincent: Vincent lends his uber-talents to ZaReason during rush seasons, along with several other "burst builders" not listed here. Vincent has been involved with ZaReason since Day One (see Who Started ZaReason in the First Place? below). Vincent's greatest talent is maintaining calm composure in the face of imminent disaster. Often, in the early days, when the shipping people were panicked, trying to get the day's shipment out the door before UPS drove off to do their drop-offs at the airport, Vincent would step in and make it happen.Why Vincent Works Here: "I work full-time at the National Lawrence Berkeley Labs, but I work for ZaReason when they need me. I love the people at ZaReason. I wouldn't want them to stress, so I help them when they need it. Also, in no small part, I believe in giving developers the right to see the code. I'm a gamer and I know that one day there will be better open games too. It takes an easy million for a company to build a game engine, but as a community we could do it easily if we wanted to."
About Phil: Phil spent many of his retirement years working at ACCRC, the Alameda County Computer Recycling Center, a place where four of our engineers first cut their teeth on building desktops.
Phil emailed us a while back saying, "Can I help you build computers? You don't have to pay me. I just want to build." He stopped by one day and helped us build some Limbos, the massive "how low can the price go" desktops that work like powerhorses and weigh nearly as much. Phil is a strong old guy! That day, when he was done working, he took off in his electric wheelchair, zooming up Hopkins, the beautiful tree-lined street that our shop is on, while our CEO ran after him yelling, "Phil! Phil! We want to hire you!" She (a former cross-country runner) finally caught up to him and while panting was able to extend a verbal offer of employment.
Why Phil works here: "I just want to build computers. I don't care about the money. I'm too old to want to 'expand my career'. I just want to build."
About Rory: ZaReason is lucky to be located in the shadow of UC Berkeley, which means we have access to extremely intelligent, driven students who need jobs. Since Rory is attending Cal, you would think this would be how we found him. But we found him an even better way -- we met him at ACCRC, a local computer recycling center, which at the time was a place where volunteers could come to build computers that would be donated to people who needed them. Rory has internal drive and is a natural at R&D. Who wants to talk about sports when he can talk about new hardware?
Why Rory Works Here: TBA as soon as he finishes the builds. But if orders keep coming in... this may not get posted for a while.
About Tony: Tony is our new CTO, Chief Technical Officer, and ZaReason is extremely lucky to have him and his energy at the helm. Tony was in the process of training to become a Pharmacist, managing an office full of highly trained pharmacy assistants who every day would prepare life-and-death medicine for people who depended heavily on the staff's ability to be accurate. In a way the CTO position is similar. Our shop's staff is aware that extreme accuracy is crucial. Time is the most valuable resource we all have, and when you get a new computer you want it to work straight out of the box. With Tony now in the lead, we are already seeing a monumental shift under our feet.
Why Tony Works Here: "At Zareason my desire to make a difference in the lives of others meshes with my passion for technology. It's just too rewarding."
About Iqbal: When ZaReason was on a hiring spree, Iqbal's resume crossed our desk. At the time we were hiring Builders, Engineers, and Research people but what we really needed was a full-fledged CFO. After a weekend of, "I sure wish we knew someone who could handle ____ and ____. We need someone with financial savvy to help us survive these growing pains," and a seemingly fruitless brainstorming session, we looked back at Iqbal's resume and found a treasure trove of previous experience and trained skill, along with an intense desire to do the exact job description of CFO at ZaReason. Watch us grow with Iqbal helping us get things done!Why Iqbal Works Here: "I have always had an interest in electronics from a young age, but I ultimately chose to go into Accounting. Because of my interest in electronics and gadgets, working at ZaReason is great fun for me, especially since I work with such a talented group of individuals. Within my first few weeks here, I already felt as if I was a part of the ZaReason family. I am working as the CFO, Chief Financial Officer, and my time here thus far has been wonderful."
About Quinn: Quinn is the first student we hired from the University of California network of schools. We originally positioned the office close enough to UC Berkeley to attract students, but ironically, four years later our first UC hire is from UC Davis. Does that count? Quinn is also the first staffer who followed a request we give in our initial training: "If you want to listen to music while you work, please do. People's brains are usually happier on music they love." Quinn definitely ranks as one of our most effective builders. Maybe the music has something to do with it?
Why Quinn Works Here: Coming soon once he finishes his builds!
About Terry: During the first few weeks of Terry volunteering at our shop, Cathy and Earl (company owners) exchanged the comment, "Wow, he's good. Terry can do anything," several times a day. Seriously, he was able to do any task we sent his way. There is one other thing that we found to be the ultimate treat with Terry. He is calm. Calm like a Buddhist meditating. Terry brings a sense of peace and comfort to the office every day. He is the kind of guy you want around just because. But he can build and do all other tasks, including core organizational tasks, just because. We can not pay him enough, so we don't pay him at all. Very Zen.Why Terry Works Here: Coming soon once he finishes his builds!
About August: August attends a private school nearby and we are sure he will be biking straight to work as soon as the final bell rings during November and December. School always comes first, but this guy is fast. He can box and ship with the best of them. It was during August's first few months that we finally got a real air bubble machine and transitioned into "a real shipping department". August is smart and he pays close attention to the details -- something that you need when shipping high-end hardware.Why August Works Here: "When I started this job, which is my first, I was nervous, excited, and unsure of what to expect. Would I be working around people I liked? Would it be hard work? Over all, would I like the work? After the first day, I could see that the answer to all of those questions would be, "Yes". The people are great and the work is engaging and interesting. I plan to continue working here as long as I live in the Bay Area."
About Anthony: ZaReason sees a huge fluctuation in orders -- sometimes we are working around the clock, sometimes (like before a regular Ubuntu release) things slow down and we catch our breath. Anthony has been there for us every time we have needed assistance staying on schedule and keeping our heads above water. Anthony, being the quintessential Italian, walks in the office and we all feel a bit more sophisticated. We have appreciated Anthony as a Burst Builder. Thanks!
Why Anthony Works Here: Coming soon once someone forces him to write this!
About Rebecah: We found Rebecah through a much-loved teacher at Berkeley High School, Peter Bloomsburgh. Peter is retired, but generously lending his assistance to Berkeley High for Computer Science and a few high level math classes. We asked Peter if he knew any brilliant students who would help us as we grew. He mentioned several and we chose Rebecah out of the bunch. She has many skills including building, product descriptions, web work, and hopefully soon technical writing for our user manuals.
Why Rebecah Works Here: Coming soon once she finishes updating the rest of the website (and chasing around coworkers who need to have their pictures taken for this page)!
About Etienne: We knew Etienne as a friend of Kory and Vincent, and he was also recommended to us by Peter Bloomsburgh of Berkeley High. He has helped us with builds for several months and has contributed a boundless sense of humor and energy to the shop. He plans to study engineering when he leaves us in the fall for college.
Why Etienne Works Here: Coming soon once he has a spare moment!
About Jack: From day one, Jack has proven his brilliance. On his first day, we were very low on staff. Jack was the only one on-site who could handle the big tech support call that came in that morning. You know, the type of call that takes most of your day and all of your energy. For two hours Jack talked a customer through reseating a video card that had come loose during shipping on a massive server. Two. Long. Hours. Followed by three more hours, broken up in chunks throughout the rest of the day. We were surprised when we saw Jack come to work the next day. He's smart, tough, and the fact that this customer (Bob, did you know it was this guy's first day on the job?) still loves us speaks volumes for Jack's ability to handle situations calmly.Why Jack Works Here: Coming soon once he tears himself away from the hardware!
About Elliot: We are hoping to have Elliot on the team for the next 20 years (we can dream!). Elliot has been building many of the ultra-mobiles. Due to his excellent fine motor skills, he is able to do the difficult little tasks that take a surgeon's steady hands. Elliot was originally trained by Vincent, one of our original founders, and we hope that someday Elliot will be training others in the exact same skills.
Why Elliot Works Here: Coming soon once he finishes his builds!
About Sam: Without Sam, our office could not run. Sam makes sure that our cardboard is properly recycled, our desk areas are cleaned out and other areas are prepped for the builders in the mornings. The first thing we noticed about Sam when he was at the beginning of the training cycle was his bright smile. He was upbeat, thorough, and everybody liked him. We would be buried under cardboard without him. Thanks, Sam!
Why Sam Works Here: Coming soon.
About Frank: When Frank came on board, our sister company, bitcoinrigs.com, was in a terrifically fast phase of growth. The first thing we noticed about Frank was that he was strong, confident, and would be able to lift the 63 lb boxes that were coming out of shipping room. And we were right. Frank is a machine when it comes to building -- a happy machine. We have never seen Frank with anything but a smile. Frank is the kind of person we really need on board when the holidays hit -- a consistent, high-quality builder who enjoys his work. Happy people build better computers.Why Frank Works Here: "When I first heard about this job, I thought that there was not a better thing that I would like to do at the time. I was super excited to learn about and build all different kinds of computers, especially when they had Linux on them because I wanted to get a more hands-on experience with that area of software. All my expectations I had before starting work here have been met and exceeded. All the people I work with are helpful and a pleasure to be around. I work here to gain a newfound knowledge of computers and the Linux systems that run them, as well as because I am transfixed by the world of computer technology and I get an opportunity to work firsthand with the latest and greatest hardware."
About Matthew: After seeing how important it was for our staff to be able to be able to lift heavy machines (and to do so with the grace and ease of Mr. Incredible), we were on the look-out for people with serious muscle. We asked around and found Matt. He is also an Eagle Scout, something ZaReason has fond memories of because we supported an Eagle Scout project that partnered with Kids on Computers to send a batch of 30 desktops to a rural school in Mexico. They had no electricity before the computers were sent. Once locals heard they would get computers, they supported both electricity and internet for the school.Why Matthew Works Here: Coming soon once he has a spare moment!
About Phil H.: Coming soon!
Why Phil H. Works Here: Coming soon once he's done playing with graphics!
Note that our R&D and building process are structured so that we are Made in the USA! There is no extra cost to building in the US if you do it right. We are located right near UC Berkeley and are able to employ many people who are over-qualified (very over-qualified). It's a win-win-win.
Jobs: Interested in working at ZaReason? We have openings from time to time, but always post them in a newsletter. Sign up here if you would like to be notified when there is an opening. Our office is fun and upbeat. With a focus on free and open source how could it be anything but amazing?
Who Started ZaReason in the First Place?
Two brothers with a tight bond of brotherhood and a love-of-all-things-computer-related.
As little kids, they "needed" nine desktops at home so they could "play with friends". As little kids with non-Linux computers, they were constantly surrounded by blue screens and parents tired of fixing the computers.
One day the cute little blond brother took a big magnet to each of the nine computer monitors and found that the magnet made "pretty rainbows". At least it was better than the blue screen.
When they hit 12 and 13 years old, they took computing into their own hands. The cute one with red hair switched over one of the home computers to Ubuntu. The rest of his family's home computers fell like dominos into a new way of living -- a cleaner, virus-free, headache-free way of living.
The parents, Earl and Cathy Malmrose, were so appreciative that they decided to devote the next phase of their lives to helping others achieve a better computing experience also. Once you have done serious tech support, you understand how important it is to have good hardware and good software in the first place.
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