Summary
Ryan Howard is a seasoned software engineer and leader with 12 years of experience designing and delivering complex, data-driven web applications and mission-critical products. He has a strong track record as a first-hire/Principal Engineer at startups and as a technical leader at established firms like Microsoft, Nordstrom, and Deloitte, blending hands-on development with architectural vision. Ryan specializes in customer advocacy, translating business requirements into reliable, on-time deliveries while building high-performance, cross-functional teams. He moves comfortably between startup scrappiness and enterprise processes, having led product security and incubation efforts as well as commercial product launches. Based in Dallas, he pairs a technical CAD engineering background with usability certification, which informs his pragmatic focus on both system integrity and user-centered design. An informal throughline in his career is recurring early-stage impact—joining teams where foundational architecture and delivery practices mattered most.
12 years of coding experience
18 years of employment as a software developer
Certification, User Centered Analysis / Conceptual Design / Practical Usability, Certification, User Centered Analysis / Conceptual Design / Practical Usability at Human Factors International
Technical, CAD/D Engineering, 3.8, Technical, CAD/D Engineering, 3.8 at Sawyer College