Diversity reboot

Mike Straw was raised as an Air Force brat, then went on to join the Air Force. He served as an enlisted Communications-Computer Systems Operator and Programmer for 15 years. He then earned a commission and served another 10 years as a Personnel Officer. After tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, he retired, and found a job at a major university as a software developer on a web-based research administration system. Then he discovered Automattic and was hired as a Happiness Engineer for WordPress.com. After discovering the flexibility and joys of remote work, he never looked back. In his four years at Automattic, he's supported customers for WordPress.com and WooCommerce.com, and is now completing a one-year apprenticeship as a Code Wrangler for WooCommerce.com.

When he's not developing for one of the highest-traffic WooCommerce sites in the world, Mike is refereeing roller derby and working on his podcast: The Human Tapestry. He has a daughter, Angela, who is (in his biased opinion) one of the greatest chefs in the world. He lives with Deanna, his spouse and life partner of 9 years, their two dogs (Maggie and Maisy), and their four cats (Scrapper, Josh, Eliza, and Mjölnir).