Meet the Team Laser-Focused on the Future of PhotoShelter

Meet the Team Laser-Focused on the Future of PhotoShelter

Looking back on 2019, I realize that this was a big year for PhotoShelter. As mentioned in a previous post, we opened our first international office in Guadalajara, Mexico (where I live) and started hiring experienced developers to deliver on our promise to breathe new life into the PhotoShelter product you’ve come to rely upon.

So far, we have 5 employees (with 3 more to come), and as you can see on our product roadmap, they have a big agenda ahead. They have already started to tackle product updates like anonymous downloads, a mobile-friendly shopping cart, and SEO improvements with skill and their own unique style.

Because our group in Mexico is tightly aligned with the team in NYC, we’ve been able to get up to speed quickly. In fact, both teams just completed a full week working side-by-side in the New York office. This gave everyone a chance to get to know each other better, so that’s why I wanted you to meet our team and get a sense of who they are professionally and personally.

Everyone hanging out at the NYC office last week.
Photo by Todd Owyoung.

Luis Abendaño, Senior Developer & PSMX Team Leader

Luis Abendaño, a senior developer, is the PSMX Team Leader. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering from the Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí. He has worked as a team builder and teacher in his previous roles, and was the first member to join our team in Mexico.

“I’ve always liked challenges,” he said. “When I started here I thought the people at PhotoShelter were passionate about the product and their work.”

“I wasn’t looking for a new job at the time, but something told me to answer that recruiting  email from PhotoShelter. After just a few months here, I felt like part of the team and it’s exciting for me to be involved in all the improvements that are about to come.”

When he is not deep in PhotoShelter code, he is either riding his motorcycle, or training for (or participating in) triathlons.

Luis is the only person in the office who does not like avocados, mayonnaise, mustard, and mushrooms.

Anaís Reyes, Front End Developer

Anaís Reyes is a Front End Developer at PhotoShelter. She graduated from Laboratoria, a highly-selective, 6-month intensive, technology bootcamp for women located in Mexico City. She is a fast learner and was named one of the Top 5 Technical Experts in Front End Development in her class. Each year approximately 1,200 women apply for the program, but only 120 are selected.

She grew up in Guadalajara, and spent 7 years living in Mexico City before returning home to work in the fast-paced technology sector.

Anaís has also served as a volunteer on several occasions: one year taking care of a shelter that had no water, electricity, or gas for indigenous Rarámuri children living in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico (where she had to shave her head!), and a month working in a shelter for Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador migrants on the Guatemala border.

“I love PhotoShelter because it is an inclusive company, with many talented and creative people of different backgrounds,” she said. “There is a great deal of respect among our team, and for our member photographers. The energy here is positive and we enjoy seeing the product improve.”

“Photography is an interest of mine, too. And I enjoy working with a team that has such a strong emotional bond to PhotoShelter, many of them who are, or were, professional photographers. I can see why it means so much to them, and it is infectious.”

Anais is the only person in the office who does not like going to the beach.

Ana Victoria Frías, iOS Developer

Ana Victoria Frías (we call her Vicky) is an iOS Developer for PhotoShelter. She is working on all of the PhotoShelter apps, but mostly with our new FileFlow app. She earned a bachelor degree in Computer Engineering from the Technological Institute of Morelia, and was a data analyst prior to her career as a mobile developer.

Vicky loves to read, study, and learn new things. She approaches all assignments with enthusiasm and, like the rest of us, has a love of photography.

“When PhotoShelter contacted me about the opportunity to be their iOS developer, I felt that it was an excellent opportunity for me to continue to grow as a professional while also working with photographers,” she said. “I love photography, and have great respect for photographers because I know how difficult that job really is.”

“I love to work with talented and passionate people, and PhotoShelter is loaded with them. Our recent trip to the New York office, and working with the team there, made me realize that I was in the right place. The company culture is warm and welcoming, and I can see where my contributions will help our team.”

Vicky is the only person in the office who does not like frogs.

Riley Sainz, UX Designer

Riley Sainz is a PhotoShelter UX Designer, and she is leading the effort to build the new website themes that are coming soon to PhotoShelter. Her specialty is listening, which is the most important part of the user research and testing processes she uses to do her job.

In addition to being a designer, she is also a talented developer with a specialty is creating responsive products that work equally well on desktop browsers, tablets, and mobile phones.

She is a graduate of the Instituto Tecnológico de La Paz, where she studied Engineering in Computer Systems, and the Universidad de Artes Digitales, where she studied Digital Design.

“I’ve always wanted to work with creative people,” she said. “I love sharing ideas and concepts, and showing the amazing world around us. PhotoShelter has that, because it is not only about photographers, it is about the celebration of a visual lifestyle, capturing a moment, a view, a landscape.”

“The meaning of life can be found in the subtle details, and I want to focus on those details.”

Riley likes playing soccer, running, writing, reading books, and music of all types (except reggaeton).

Riley is the only person in the office who does not like birthday cake.

Abril Garcia, Project Manager

Abril Garcia is the Project Manager for the PhotoShelter Mexico team. She is our newest member, starting just this week. She spent 7 years working as a Project Engineer at IBM in Guadalajara before joining PhotoShelter, and has a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Tecnológico de Monterrey.

She is an organized and detail-oriented person, and it’s her job to keep projects running smoothly and on time. Her experience as a data analyst will help the team make informed decisions about product direction, and keep the lines of communication open between the NYC and Guadalajara offices.

“The opportunity to work with PhotoShelter was just the opportunity I was looking for,” she said. “I appreciate the trust that has been given to me, and realize it will translate to my professional growth.”

“I hope my work here will be meaningful and rewarding, and I love that I get to work with so many talented, creative photographers.”

She is also a Mexican folk dancer with the Ballet Folclórico de la Universidad de Guadalajara, and she speaks 3 languages: Spanish, English, and French.

Abril is the only person in the office who does not like alcoholic beverages.

***

Thanks for your continued support of PhotoShelter. Please keep an eye on our roadmap, because it is being updated as we continue to make the progress you’ve been waiting for.

Oh, and by the way, we are currently looking for a Sr. QA Engineer, and a Sr. Front End Developer. If you know anyone in Mexico, please send them our way. Gracias! 🙂

Next Post:
Previous Post:
This article was written by

PhotoShelter co-founder and GM

There are 4 comments for this article
  1. Peter Webster at 10:40 pm

    I’d like to stay in touch and learn more about photo shelter. Have been a specialist marine photographer ‘down under’ for (cough, ahem) nigh on 50 years . . . and I’m still learning.

  2. Mauricio at 11:35 am

    ME encanta saber del nuevo talento que tendrá Photoshelter. Creo en el talento Mexicano, y estoy emocionado de seguir disfrutando de esta fenomenal herramienta.

    • Grover Sanschagrin Author at 11:45 am

      Viva México! Nuestro personal en Guadalajara son personas talentosas, inteligentes y dedicadas. Tenemos la suerte de tenerlos en el equipo.

  3. Victor Elias at 3:15 pm

    Congratulations guys!

    So proud of the new Mexican team, Como Mexicano me llena de orgullo!
    He sido cliente de PhotoShelter desde sus inicios.

    Ahora si el mundo va a saber de que lado masca la Iguana

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *