Austin Labs

My husband has been working with a company called Austin Labs. Austin Labs is an IT company that works with something called Big Data and Data-Driven Optimization. I know this because Jer uses those terms all of the time to describe to me what he does for a living.  😁

The team of Austin Labs has been working together for closing in on three years now and I've finally had the opportunity to meet most of them at their annual meeting, this year held in Orlando. The team got together several years ago with the goal of creating a company that they'd built together and that allowed them to be creative and dynamic in the field. It must be working because I can honestly say that I've never seen my husband happier...which is why I'm writing this blog post about something so outside of my usual purview.  
After spending time with the guys, I'm just that impressed by them...

A couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to be able to join them all in Florida where they held their annual January Team Meeting. I was delighted that all of the guys with Austin Labs were all so welcoming of me because I planned on commandeering one of their cars to visit Florida friends and to get some beach time...and I was determined to get them out of meetings and out to decent dinners each evening!  😁 

And now I can put faces to names. 
Please indulge me as I say a few words about these guys.

First is my husband Jerry. You know, you live with a guy for twenty-five years and you think you know a guy. But seeing him in action was an eye-opener for me. This guy who, to me is funny and friendly and lovely, is so much more than that. He is truly dedicated to this company and he so admires all of the others on the team. Jer is a super intelligent man, I've always said this and, somehow, I've known that he's quite high on the intellectual food chain. So when he continually acts amazed with the brains on this team, well that says something about them, don't you think?

At Austin Labs Jerry is VP of Data Something or Another. Something about data architecture and, um, optimization... I'm exceedingly proud of him.

The president of Austin Labs is Sushil Verma. Can you say out-classed? I have to admit that, of everyone, I was looking forward to meeting two people. The first was Sushil, prez and CTO of the company. Jerry has been talking about him for years, always saying what a genius Sushil is. While I have no idea why IT guys need scientists, Sushil is the scientist on the team and he brings his considerable presence to the meetings. While sitting in on some of the team meetings in Orlando I noticed that Sushil observes everything, seems to lead by following, and has, somehow, brought a quiet sophistication to the group. Don't believe me? Go check out his Austin Labs blog!

Jerry has often commented on Sushil as a CTO. I simply found him to be a gentleman and a hilarious father. I happened to be in the car during a phone conversation that Sushil had with his daughter where she was giving him a great deal of shit. It was hilarious and very endearing. There is nothing like the pride of a good dad.

Simon Drake: What the heck does Simon do?
Seriously?
This guy seems to be everywhere all of the time doing everything. He's the Chief Operation Officer of Austin Labs, whatever that means. I can tell you that he spent hours on the phone with clients while the rest of the team continued their meetings. He also seems, inexplicably, to know and understand all of the enormously complex applications that the guys were talking about during meetings. He reminds everyone to eat and drink, takes the meeting astray, keeps the meeting on task, and generally manages the joint. Simon was a storyteller, group facilitator, and host of the party. Honestly, I found him a lovely guy. Simon and I talked about our kids, homeschooling, our keto diets, his apparently amazing wife Aimee, their kids, and their family ski trips during the time that he and I chatted...that is, when he wasn't giving Jerry shit for one thing or another. I think he might be the main contact between Austin Labs and their clients. But I could be wrong.

He also seemed quite concerned that I was able to get this nice shot of him when he doesn't cooperate when his wife wants a pic!  😁

I truly enjoyed meeting Dave Brown because he was quite unique in this bunch. A real outdoorsman, Dave showed me pics of he and his wife's vacation in Alaska fishing with the black bears; in one pic, his wife had caught a huuuge fish! He and his wife Trish have a nice bit of property where they raise their chickens and their beloved dogs...I'm quite sure he would have preferred to have been home in solitude than hanging with this rather loud bunch of friends and team members.

But the moment Dave got in front of the team and started talking about some bit of client...stuff, I really saw his passion for the project, for Austin Labs, and for his work. You know, sometimes you can just see that in a person.

I could not wait to meet Renato Akamine, General Manager of the Austin Labs Brazil team, and I know Jerry felt the same way because this is the person who my husband talks to even more than he talks to me in any given day! Renato is a part of the Brazil team and he and Jerry finally met one another for the first time while at this meeting in Orlando. When Renato wasn't taking my money in Texas Hold 'Em, he and Newton were sharing the growth of their work in Brazil.

A neat thing about Renato is that he sings in his spare time, as well as playing drums and guitar. I challenged him with some Led Zepplin karaoke and he wasn't at all intimidated by that. Now that's impressive! He has been singing with bands for much of his adult life. Now he can say that he's sung in Orlando.  😁

I was surprised to meet Newton Neiva, Director of Brazil Stuff, because I thought that Renato was the only human being in the country of Brazil.  😁  Of course, I found I was wrong. Renato and Newton make an amazing team. Newton seems to have brought tremendous momentum to the Brazil team and I was super delighted to meet him, especially when he shared pictures of his freaking adorable children Pedro and Isabella! OMGoodness! He and his wife Julia are doing something right there.  😉 

Newton is a sweetheart of a man and I know that, although he enjoyed Orlando and although he has tons to contribute to the meetings, he was missing his wife and kids.

And finally is one of my favorite people Aashish Bansal. He told me that he has worked in oil for many years and he now enjoys working at Austin Labs with their energy apps. In his quiet way, he's a brilliant addition to Austin Labs. He is a truly lovely man and I'm so glad we were able to spend time together as Jerry and I taxied him around town most of the week. He is a complete gentleman. I know he and his wife Bela will enjoy their upcoming trip to SPAIN!!!

Aashish also confided to Jerry and I one night that he and Bela have been thinking about moving to a smaller house now that they are in the "empty nest" part of their lives together, but their daughter's dog  prefers their house, so they stay. He even showed me a picture of her...the dog, not the daughter.
😅

Our dinner at Capital Grille in Orlando was delicious, but the lighting was a bit too dark for decent pictures of each guy. Here's a nice shot of the entire team. And if you've ever been the lone woman in a group of men, trying to take their pictures...LOL...well you know how difficult this was!

P.S. The eagle now has a management position at Austin Labs.