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Bret Funk

Software Engineer

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About Me

Iraq veteran, Turing graduate and former small-business owner looking for meaningful work in the technology sector. I believe in a strong commitment to others, a passion for learning and a desire to contribute to a great team.

Projects

Takeoff

Crowdfunding blockchain app built on the Rinkeby Ethereum Testnet using Solidity, Web3, React.js, Next.js, IPFS and Semantic UI.

View live site        View code

AnkiSound

Language-learning app that converts text files in 20+ languages into downloadable audio files for digital flashcard programs like Anki. React.js and Redux frontend and Rails backend. App also uses AWS API Gateway, Lambda (in Python), and a S3 bucket.

View live site        View frontend code (React)
View backend code (Rails)        View lambda code (Python)

Cloney Island Travel

Group rails app utilizing Oauth, Google, Yelp, and other APIs, Action Mailer, and Active Jobs. Won Turing's Demo Night.

View Live Site        View Code

Palpit8

Rails Twitch clone with Oauth, CRUD, custom chat using Websockets and a dynamic chat room tone display using the Watson API and live chat data.

View Live Site        View Code

Experience

Mountain Peak Survival

Founder and sole worker

  • Started an online ecommerce company to learn about product development.
  • Designed products, found and negotiated with factories in Chinese, imported shipments, designed packaging, wrote SEO and press releases, packaged all products, etc.
  • $20k MRR within three months.
  • Shutdown the company in late-2017 to focus on software development.

Ruby Recruiting

CEO and Cofounder

  • Started, funded, executed and continuously improved operations of an online recruiting company. Oversaw 20+ remote W2s and 1099 contractors.
  • Responsibilities included profitability, sales, recruiting, HR, finance, press, digital marketing, government contracting and building all internet properties.
  • Bootstrapped five continuous years of 50% growth. Current revenue: $1,000,000+.
  • Sold the company in late-2016 to pursue software development.

U.S. House of Representatives

Communications Director

  • Crafted press releases, op-eds, speeches and talking points for the Congressman and responded on-the-record to local, national and international media outlets.
  • Resolved major public relations issues including self-inflicted controversies, the Budget Control Act and various Continuing Resolutions.
  • Established procedures for a new congressional office and trained the Congressman and his incoming staff in media relations and congressional procedures.

U.S. Senate

Press Secretary/Systems Administrator/Cybersecurity Legislative Aide

  • Simultaneously held three different senior positions in a U.S. Senate personnel office less than two years after being an intern.
  • Crafted press releases, op-eds, speeches and talking points for the Senator and responded on-the-record to local, national and international media outlets.
  • Involved in the Bank Bailout (The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008), Stimulus, Healthcare and major Omnibuses and Continuing Resolutions.
  • Had classified meetings in the Congressional SCIF while advising the Senator on cyber security issues.
  • Built the most technically advanced congressional office less than two years after being named the second worst in the Senate. Our office was using iPads for official business two years before it was authorized. Budget $200k per congressional year.
  • Led a congressional staff delegation to Taiwan and gave speeches in Chinese to major government leaders on behalf of the United States.

U.S. Navy

Aviation Electrician/Plane Captain/Final Checker

  • Inspected, repaired and troubleshot F-14D Super Tomcats during peacetime, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Southern Watch and Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) on the USS Abraham Lincoln and the USS John C. Stennis.
  • During Operation Rapid Dominance (Shock and Awe) and other critical missions, I was personally in charge of flight deck operations of the only U.S. Navy squadron capable of reaching deep inland cities such as Baghdad and Mosul.
  • Dayshift supervisor over 13 Plane Captains.

Education

Turing School of Software & Design

May 2017 - November 2017

Backend Engineering Program

The seven-month-long Turing backend engineer program teaches students about Object Oriented Programming, Ruby, Rails, testing, building professional web applications, MVC, HTTP request/response cycle, database normalization, SQL, APIs, git, github, Agile practices, AJAX, jQuery, Javascript, Node, Express, etc.

University of Central Missouri

2004 - 2008

Bachelor of Science in Commercial Aviation

Graduated Magna Cum Laude as a fully certified FAA Commercial Pilot.

Programming Skills



Non-Programming Skills



Awards

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