Alex Lindblad has spent 20+ years in software engineering, ranging from the development of high performance modeling and simulation software to executive leadership roles in automotive technology companies. After obtaining a PhD in computational science, with a focus in computer aided surgical simulation, in 2006, Alex spent the first five years of his career developing high performance computing modeling and simulation software for Sandia National Labs as well as founding a 3D nano fabrication company, Auma Laboratories. It was with Auma Laboratories that Alex designed and developed micro controller software for laser based nano fabrication and helped co-author numerous grant applications that lead to Auma being awarded a Phase 1 and 1b National Science Foundation SBIR grant. Upon leaving Sandia, Alex spent the next couple of years working for a variety of tech startups as a senior software engineer and building relationships in silicon valley that led to the formation of FS Studio, a San Francisco based software consultancy. During his time as founder and EVP of Applications Engineering at FS Studio, Alex helped build and manage an international team of engineers working on multiple client projects ranging from computer vision aided gaming platforms to embedded micro-controller based applications. During this time Alex had a large focus on evolving his leadership skills and helping to promote an environment that supports others to be their best. One of his clients was The Appraisal Lane, an automotive wholesale marketplace, where Alex joined full time in 2015. As the CTO of The Appraisal Lane, Alex helped build and scale a product and engineering organization, from four to almost fifty people, that designed and built multiple applications geared around a wholesale automotive marketplace using a variety of technology stacks including native iOS and Android applications and a cloud based backend made up of numerous micro-services. Alex’s leadership helped organize the company around common goals and create an environment where both the people and the products thrived. Recently, The Appraisal Lane was acquired by Reynolds and Reynolds.