cj littletechnologist & human.
TECHNOLOGY EXECUTIVE · TEAM BUILDER · SPEAKER · LOS ANGELES

Big challenges.
Good humans.

I build ambitious technology and teams people love working with. Preferably while enjoying the whole ridiculous adventure.

Let’s build something worthwhile
THREE DECADES OF CURIOSITY. STILL JUST GETTING STARTED.Meet the work ↓
01 / SELECTED WORK

Hard problems.
Real-world impact.

From global engineering teams to earthquake early warning, I connect technical ambition to things that actually matter.

MAGIC MEMORIES2017–2021

A better team.
A whole new
revenue stream.

Turned a long-standing digital ambition into a platform generating millions in annual revenue—and built the team to deliver it.

The story

I joined a global photography business with a fragmented technology landscape and a digital commerce vision that had remained unfulfilled for years.

We aligned responsibilities with people’s strengths, built a lean leadership structure, and made remote collaboration work across nine countries. Then we delivered a platform that let customers discover and purchase their imagery from their own devices, even after leaving a venue.

When the pandemic brought revenue to a near standstill, I worked across the business to renegotiate costs and develop a recovery plan supporting a successful capital raise. I also helped roughly a dozen engineering colleagues find roles elsewhere. Several later returned, as did virtually all furloughed engineering colleagues.

70+technologists & engineers across 9 countries
Millionsin previously unrealized annual revenue
CTO & GROUP HEAD OF ENGINEERING
Strategy → Team → Delivery
EARLY WARNING LABS2014–PRESENT
SYSTEMS THAT MATTER

A few seconds.
A real difference.

Earthquake early-warning systems that help people and organizations act before shaking arrives.

The story

I designed software and hardware systems, worked with the USGS through a cooperative research and development agreement, and helped define competency requirements for commercial licensing.

The practical applications range from public-address alerts to opening firehouse doors and stopping elevators at the nearest floor before shaking reaches a location.

Architecture · Commercialization · Advisory
CHECCHI CAPITAL ADVISERS2007–2010
BUILT TO KEEP WORKING

Complex finance.
Durable foundations.

Built the data and trading infrastructure behind an investment advisory business—systems that supported the firm well beyond my day-to-day tenure.

The story

As a founding partner and Director of Operations, I built financial data infrastructure covering more than 120,000 securities and architected proprietary order management and trading systems.

The firm grew to more than $100 million in assets under management by July 2010. The technology and team structure helped it handle complexity while limiting manual operational work, scaling efficently to over $2 billion in AUM.

120,000+ securities · Data · Trading systems
02 / HOW I WORK

High standards.
Low ego.
Actual enjoyment.

01

Make the hard thing clear.

Ask questions. Listen carefully. Give people the context and clear priorities they need to do excellent work.

02

Build trust. Then build together.

Be direct and compassionate. Work across disciplines. Own mistakes openly, learn quickly, and make it safe for others to do the same.

03

Leave room for a little levity.

Humor helps people lower their guard enough to hear each other. Difficult work can still be a good time.

03 / THE HUMAN PART

There’s more
to the little story.

Curiosity doesn’t clock out.
Neither does being a parent.

TEAM LITTLEDISH / 2022–PRESENT

Co-Chief
Parental Officer.

From 2022 through 2026, I made raising my two young children my primary focus, sharing the responsibility with my partner.

Helping small humans develop kindness, confidence, and curiosity made me a more patient listener and a more empathetic leader. It’s the most rewarding work of my life.

Early security testing revealed that the crib was not a reliable containment strategy.

The mitigation strategy included making the landing softer for the routine violator; its efficacy was limited.

Our stakeholders now spend more of their day at school. Co-Chief remains a permanent appointment.

ON AIR / 2023–PRESENT200+ EPISODES
Nonsense: A Terrible Podcast — official cover artwork

Serious curiosity.
Questionable segues.

Twice a week, we explore technology, business, science, and whatever else rewards a little curiosity. The title manages expectations; we try to exceed them.

Hear the Nonsense
Putting AI to work

We built AI into the post-production workflow: completed edits become transcripts, candidate episode titles and descriptions, and artwork incorporating the stories we discuss. Human editorial judgment makes the final call.

ALSO IN THE MIX

Cooking. Cars. Lego with the kids. Minecraft worlds.
Usually finding something else to build.

04 / THE LONGER VERSION

A career in
making things happen.

Three decades. Many industries.
A consistent love of solving problems
with good people.

September 2017–November 2021Magic MemoriesChief Technology Officer & Group Head of Engineering

Chief Technology Officer & Group Head of Engineering
August 2020–November 2021

Group Head of Engineering & Interim CTO
September 2017–August 2020

Led a technology organization of more than 70 people across nine countries for a global business generating hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenue. Managed global annual engineering spend (seven-figures USD), with responsibility spanning engineering, IT, security, data, technical operations, and product design and development.

  • Reorganized a fragmented engineering function into a collaborative, remote-first team. Aligned responsibilities with people’s strengths and introduced a lean management structure with clear accountability.
  • Led delivery of a digital commerce platform that generated millions of dollars in annual revenue without additional operating costs, realizing a business ambition that had remained unfulfilled for years.
  • Oversaw systems handling millions of daily photo, image-processing, retrieval, marketing, and purchase events across a distributed global operation.
  • Delivered personalized content marketing and automated campaigns that enabled customers to discover and purchase their imagery after leaving a venue.
  • Worked across executive, product, and engineering teams to clarify requirements, resolve competing priorities, and give engineers the context needed to deliver.
  • Helped lead the pandemic response: renegotiated hundreds of vendor relationships, maintained critical systems with a drastically reduced team, and developed a technology-led recovery plan supporting a successful capital raise.
  • Helped roughly a dozen engineering colleagues secure roles elsewhere during the disruption. Several later returned, as did virtually all furloughed engineering colleagues.
  • Oversaw deployment of a separate operating environment in China during pandemic travel restrictions, coordinating delivery without sending the team into the country.
2014–PresentEarly Warning LabsStrategic Advisor

Strategic Advisor
2014–Present

Help turn earthquake early-warning technology into practical systems that give people and organizations time to act before shaking arrives.

  • Designed and architected software and hardware systems supporting the service.
  • Worked with the USGS through a cooperative research and development agreement and helped define the competency requirements for commercial licensing.
  • Supported the transition from development to commercial operation.
  • Advise on solutions for prospective customers, including systems that can trigger public-address announcements, open firehouse doors, or stop elevators at the nearest floor before shaking reaches a location.
January 2023–PresentNonsense: A Terrible PodcastCo-Founder & Co-Host

Co-Founder & Co-Host
January 2023–Present · Los Angeles, California

Co-created a twice-weekly podcast exploring technology, business, science, entertainment, and whatever else rewards a little curiosity and a questionable segue.

  • Published more than 200 episodes totaling approximately 130 hours as of September 2026.
  • Research and explain complex subjects through accessible conversation and humor, including interviews with guests from aerospace, film, and television.
  • Developed an AI-assisted workflow that turns completed episode edits into transcripts, candidate titles and descriptions, and artwork incorporating key story elements. Retained editorial judgment over the final selections.

The title manages expectations; we try to exceed them.

January 2022–PresentTeam littledishCo-Chief Parental Officer

Co-Chief Parental Officer
January 2022–Present · Los Angeles, California

Made raising my two young children my primary focus from January 2022 through September 2026, sharing the responsibility with my partner.

The work: helping two small humans develop curiosity, confidence, kindness, and the ability to navigate disagreements. Along the way, I became a more patient listener, a more empathetic leader, and better at recognizing when my own approach needed to change.

Early security testing revealed that the crib was not a reliable containment strategy. The mitigation strategy included making the landing softer for the routine violator; its efficacy was limited.

With both children now in school full-time, I’m pursuing my next professional chapter while continuing as an engaged parent and school volunteer. Co-Chief remains a permanent appointment that I am most proud of.

July 2020–July 2021FAVERStrategic Advisor

Strategic Advisor
July 2020–July 2021

Provided strategic advice to an early-stage technology startup tackling the consumer-to-consumer, trusted recommendations space. Focused on providing technical depth and operational acumen to the founder.

2014–2017Little AdvisoryStrategic Advisor & Angel Investor

Strategic Advisor & Angel Investor
2014–2017

Advised and invested in early-stage technology businesses through an independent practice.

Worked with founders and leadership teams on technology strategy, architecture, product direction, execution, and team building. Brought an operator’s perspective to technical assessments and investment due diligence.

2013–2018A Little SpeakingTechnology Speaker

Technology Speaker
2013–2018

Spoke at conferences and events about how technology was changing industries and enabling people to do things better, faster, or previously thought impossible.

Brought technical depth, accessible explanations, and humor to conversations about what emerging technology could make possible.

October 2012–July 2013AcadmxCo-Founder & Adviser

Co-Founder & Adviser
October 2012–July 2013

Co-founded a SaaS writing and research tool for the legal profession, applying emerging database and search technologies to make legal research and document creation more efficient.

March 2011–September 2012BlacklotsCo-Founder

Co-Founder
March 2011–September 2012 · Santa Monica, California

Co-founded a curated online auction marketplace for contemporary art, bringing a faster, more accessible buying and selling experience to a traditionally relationship-driven market.

  • Led technology development and operations, working across fundraising, investor relations, and business development.
  • Built and launched the auction platform with a small founding team under an aggressive timeline.
  • Helped establish an active niche collector community and supported the company’s acquisition by Paddle8 in 2012.
November 2007–July 2010Checchi Capital AdvisersFounding Partner & Director of Operations

Founding Partner & Director of Operations
November 2007–July 2010 · Beverly Hills, California

Helped build a technology-driven investment advisory business, translating a complex investment approach into scalable data, trading, and operating systems.

  • Built the financial data infrastructure covering more than 120,000 securities, integrating multiple data sources and extensive historical records.
  • Architected the firm’s proprietary order management and trading systems to support diversified portfolios while limiting manual operational work.
  • Led technology and operational work as the firm grew to more than $100 million in assets under management by July 2010.
  • Established systems and a team structure that continued supporting the business well beyond my day-to-day tenure.
November 2005–April 2008ElephantDriveVice President of Architecture

Vice President of Architecture
November 2005–April 2008

Designed infrastructure for an early consumer cloud-storage service, addressing the challenges of storing, securing, and protecting growing volumes of customer data.

Built a redundant, expandable architecture designed to scale from terabytes to petabytes, using cloud platforms to accommodate bursts in demand.

November 1996–March 2008little consultingFounder & Principal

Founder & Principal
November 1996–March 2008

Founded and operated a technology consultancy serving large enterprises, professional services firms, startups, and real estate businesses.

Worked across software, hardware, infrastructure, and operations to solve problems that rarely fit neatly into one discipline. Engagements included product development, data analysis, systems integration, network deployment, and technology strategy.

Frequently served as an initial or acting technology leader, helping clients turn business requirements into working systems and sustainable operations.

2005–2007Creative Conversion TechnologiesCo-Founder & CTO

Co-Founder & CTO
2005–2007

Developed video-over-IP infrastructure enabling content owners to operate consumer video-on-demand storefronts on existing platforms, including Xbox 360. Led technology development, strategic partner relationships, and business operations.

2004–2006Critical Section SystemsCo-Founder & CTO

Co-Founder & CTO
2004–2006

Built data capture and analysis solutions for businesses without the internal resources to make full use of their customer data. Turned fragmented information into a clearer understanding of customer behavior and revenue opportunities.

2003–2004Traffic MarketplaceDirector of Technology

Director of Technology
2003–2004

Managed technology infrastructure and technical operations, with responsibility for platform availability and reliability.

2002–2004Vivendi UniversalDirector of Technology & Game Development

Director of Technology & Game Development
2002–2004

Led internal game development and technology teams, alongside relationships with external development partners.

Helped relaunch iWin as a cash-competition gaming platform, delivering custom transactional infrastructure supporting more than 15 games and tens of thousands of daily transactions.

1999–2000iwin.comFounding Technology Employee & Interim CTO

Founding Technology Employee & Interim CTO
1999–2000

Joined as the first technology employee and helped build an early online casual-gaming business.

Led game and website development, infrastructure deployment, and scaling through rapid growth before the company’s acquisition by Vivendi Universal.

1994–1997Silent SoftwareSoftware Developer

Software Developer
1994–1997 · Glendale, California

Started as a software development intern and moved quickly to building internal tools and helping port core products to additional platforms.

EDUCATION

University of Southern California
Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering and Computer Science
Studies completed in 2000; degree awarded in 2011.

05 / YOUR NEXT BIG THING?

Let’s make
something matter.

If you have a hard problem and want a team that enjoys solving it together, I’d like to meet you.

Executive leadership · Strategic advisory · Speaking

Or connect on LinkedIn