I was born on one of the small islands of the Philippines. No network, no capital, no tech scene within a thousand kilometers. What I had was the internet and the stubborn idea that where you start doesn't get to decide where you finish.

Before Ryder, I was Growth Lead at Stacks, working on making Bitcoin programmable, with stops at Hiro PBC and Freehold along the way. One year of that life looked like 64 flights across 10+ countries, including sleeping in a teepee hut on a remote island with 0 wifi, signal, and electricity. I love living the contrast of life and experiencing everything it has to offer.

Three things kept showing up everywhere I lived: arts, technology, and community. I used to paint and sketch a lot. These days it shows up more through dressing up, fashion, and little creative touches like this. I stopped treating them as separate interests and started building at the point where they overlap. I believe in the saying "YOU ARE THE NICHE," and life isn't one domain.