Cathy has been starting companies ever since she was a little girl organizing her stuffed animals into Project Teams. In 2006 Cathy and Maile Urbancic set up a non-profit Partimus.org that is helping get refurbished Ubuntu computers into schools. But Cathy craved working with high-end hardware, original design, latest release components. So, along with her brilliant husband designing and building systems, she founded ZaReason in 2007. 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."
Earl spent a lifetime as a game programmer and a cell phone coder. After proving his extreme skills in programming, Earl "retired" and now is the engine behind ZaReason R&D. Earl is deeply grateful for the support given by volunteer developers.
Why Earl works here: "There's no way I can do even one one-thousanth of what needs to be done. Sometimes when I look at my task list, it is mind-boggling. I have no idea how we keep jumping these hurdles, but somehow we keep getting things done. It's because there are people helping. Thank you."
Tony is our 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."
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."
Who is Zuleyha Sucu Celik? A highly talented photographer who does the impossible -- capture the visual image that conveys the coolness of the hardware. Zuleyha has been consistently photographing our products since 2011. Her work covers many different types of photography and we are grateful that she is so talented with computer hardware product shots.
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!
When Frank came on board ZaReason was in a frantic 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."
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."
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!
Kory is the one responsible for ZaReason in the first place. Kory is the teenage son of Earl and Cathy Malmrose, the founders. One day after school Kory loaded Ubuntu on one of the family desktops and loaded alll the graphic effects of Compis Fusion. Once one computer was switched, the entire family switched and never looked back.
Why Kory Works Here: When I was working at the Berkeley shop 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. That feels really good to know I'm doing something useful to a robotics lab like Willow. Now I am at Neumont University getting my Computer Science degree studying Game Design. I get to work at ZaReason during breaks and sometimes weekends."
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 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.
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.
Internships: Interested in an internship at ZaReason? We did an internship through the US Department of State (gov't press release here) If you would like to be considered for upcoming internships, please contact hr@zareason.com Include a brief description about yourself, your skills, what you would like to learn, and which location you prefer.
Jobs: Interested in working at ZaReason? If you would like to put your resume in our file to be considered for upcoming openings, please send your resume to hr@zareason.co.nz We have openings from time to time, but always post them in a newsletter or on Twitter. Sign up here or @zareason or @zareasonNZ if you want to see the jobs the minute they open up. Our office is fun and upbeat. With a focus on free and open source how could it be anything but amazing?
Visit: ZaReason's first shop was founded in Berkeley, California. Why? Because Berkeley is the only city specifically identified with the development of Linux, Berkeley Software Distribution, BSD. While our office is not set up for retail, we do encourage people to pick up their computers in person if they can. Use shipping code SAYHI for free shipping if you will be picking up in person.
Our Australiasia shop in Wellington, NZ s now open: zareason.co.nz
Upcoming ZaReason Locations:
Next: LONDON
Then:
Canada, Toronto
Finland, Helsinki
New Zealand, Wellington
Australia, Melbourne
Ireland, Dublin
New York, Manhattan
Italy, Naples
Germany, Breman
France, Le Havre
Brazil
South Africa
Please email us if you would like to suggest a different location, offer support, or otherwise have leads that could assist. Thanks!
