/w=3840,quality=90,fit=scale-down)
Hi again, let’s get acquainted.
I’m Joël (he/him). Second-gen Pilipino American, born and bred in the SF Bay Area. Child of immigrants. First-gen college graduate. UC Berkeley alum. Former educator. Social justice advocate. QTBIPOC. Public interest technologist. Emerging product designer.
Technology is a powerful lever to foster human potential. Through human-centered design + research, I bring a fresh perspective, a diverse skillset, and an insatiable drive to co-create a better, more equitable tech future, especially for marginalized communities.
Core Values
Inclusive Design
With a nontraditional, intersectional perspective, I see our differences as a strength — not a weakness — and strive to make inclusion a practice rather than a principle as a designer.
Empowerment
From tackling education inequity via AmeriCorps to making government more effective via Coding it Forward, strengthening communities is a central theme in my career.
Social Innovation
I draw inspiration from my four years working in fast-growth megacities, like Shanghai & Seoul, where I witnessed the commonalities of the human condition on a global scale.
Other
- Interests: history, documentaries, social psychology, social justice, inclusive design, emerging technologies, mentorship
- Hobbies: writing, video filming/editing, podcasts, hip-hop dance, reading, cooking
- Current reads: Power to the Public, Recoding America, Hack Your Bureaucracy
- Archetypes: INFJ (The Advocate, MBTI), Type 3 (The Achiever, Enneagram)