I grew up in Durham, NC and wrote my first website in 1995 in raw HTML. After years as a computer technician, a perl developer, a coffee roaster at Joe Van Gogh, and an IT director, I went out on my own in 2009 to build web presences and custom software for small and mid-sized businesses. I've been at it full-time ever since.
Work
I co-founded Two Rock Software with Victor Rocha in Durham, NC. We build custom web applications for clients who need something that fits their business rather than the other way around. We primarily focus on Django and Python. The name comes from the fact that both of our names mean "rock"—Peter and Rocha. In 2012, Victor and I were hired to build a custom case management app for a small law firm in Chapel Hill. We'd both been working in Django independently, the collaboration clicked, and Two Rock grew from that seed.
My focus at Two Rock is on web application development, architecture, devops, and client relationships. I spend most of my working hours writing Python and Django, talking with clients, and fiddling with AWS.
Community
I became active in the Django community in 2023. I'm currently the President of DEFNA, the Django Events Foundation North America. We run DjangoCon US, support Django events around the world, and send funding back to the DSF to keep Django healthy.
I chaired DjangoCon US in 2023 and 2024, both held in Durham. Chairing a conference of that scale is a substantial volunteer undertaking, and doing it twice was tons of work but totally worth it. Seeing the impact this community has on people's lives is very rewarding.
I'm a member of the Django Software Foundation and a Contributing Member of the Python Software Foundation.
I also serve on the Board of Directors of Extraordinary Ventures, a nonprofit in Chapel Hill that provides meaningful employment and community for adults with autism.
Background
I went to Carolina Friends School in Durham, then to Warren Wilson College near Asheville, where I studied mathematics. I've lived most of my life in the Research Triangle area of NC.
Outside of Work
I've been training in kung fu for over a decade. Sometimes I mess around with dance. I tend a garden that is more ambitious than I ever have time for. I read books that stretch my mind or my soul. I eat out in Durham a lot.