Wesley Beary

wesley-beary-rgbAge: 33

Occupation: Hacker Laureate, Heroku

What’s the best advice you ever received?
My inheritance, not through words but through actions, from my parents. Curiosity, the hacker mindset, a strong work ethic and some stubbornness to round things out.

What do you consider your greatest professional accomplishments?
The open source software communities I help maintain.

What would most people be surprised to learn about you?
I design and build wooden furniture.

What do you know now that you wish you had known earlier in your career?
Job fit has much more to do with the culture of the workplace than the duties of the position.

How do you ensure a balance between work and your personal life?
Through constant struggle and attention, with varying levels of success.

What’s something people should know about your generation in the workplace?
We can really thrive in results-oriented environments if we are given freedom to do so.

If you had $1 million to give, what causes would you support?
The arts, civil rights, environmental protection, hunger, libraries, STEAM education, and water.

What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
I have long been intrigued by entrepreneurship.

What is the biggest issue facing the Corridor?
We have great educational institutions, but not much luck retaining the talent that results.

What do you want to accomplish by the time you are 50?
Retirement.

Who are your local mentors?
Andre Perry, executive director, The Englert Theatre; Jenny Noyce, Associate Director of Experiential Education, Pomerantz Career Center, University of Iowa; and Patty McCarthy, Director of Development, Iowa City Public Library.