Mark Koester

I am an experienced UX designer and software engineer. With a mix of programming and data science skills, I bring hands-on experience to designing, building, and launching both online technology products for web and mobile and offline training programs and event management. I have worked in sales, business development and leadership roles across multiple countries and am accomplished launching and growing new products and programs in new markets and regions. Increasingly my personal and professional focus is on data-driven products with an interest in healthtech, healthcare and wellness space involving cutting edge life sciences. I’m currently co-director for Startup Boost Los Angeles, a pre-accelerator program. I previously led regional development in Greater China at Techstars and UP Global, two organizations (one a VC/accelerator and the other a non-profit) supporting early-stage entrepreneurship and technology startups. I continue to serve as an advisor, mentor, speaker, coach and friend at multiple companies, startup organizations, accelerators and investment firms around the Asia, US and Europe. On the tech side, I founded a successful web and mobile development shop (Int3c) in 2010, where I lead product. I currently lead UX research and design for clients and startups. I can also code in several languages, including among others Python, PHP / Drupal, Javascript, and React Native, and I speak yearly at technology conferences. I have contributed to over 50 open source projects (github.com/markwk) and have built a number of personal products too. I'm originally from Omaha, Nebraska and have lived, studied and worked abroad in France, Spain, China and Southeast Asia. I studied philosophy and social sciences in undergraduate and graduate school in Chicago, Paris and Strasbourg. I'm fluent in English, French, Chinese and Spanish. I write regularly at www.markwk.com about self-tracking, technology, personal development and data.