About Me

I am The Nerdy Feline, a hacker and a nerd who loves cats. My focus is hardware and web security, and I'm working toward a career in penetration testing. I'm always learning new skills to uncover and exploit vulnerabilities.

Before security, I ran Tiger's Roar Studios, a post-production audio house for feature films and shorts, and earned a B.F.A. in Theatre Technology, Sound Design and Engineering from Penn State. That degree included electrical engineering, and much of the learning was hands-on. I learned the electrical principles behind theater equipment, including how dimmers work, and I learned to solder so I could repair microphones. Looking back, it was my first real exposure to hardware, and it's a big reason hardware hacking later felt like such a natural fit.

In 2017, I went back to school for full-stack web development through UCLA Extension, then spent the next few years building and securing websites as a freelancer. My favorite part was writing code, especially in JavaScript and Python, but along the way I became increasingly interested in cybersecurity. What started as a way to secure my own online presence and protect the websites I built quickly grew into a passion. When I discovered bug bounty programs, I was hooked. Platforms like Bugcrowd and HackerOne provided invaluable resources, and in 2018, I began teaching myself how to test websites for vulnerabilities. After two years of training, I landed my job at Bugcrowd.

The road since 2018 has been a long one, and despite the challenges, it has been one of the most exciting journeys of my life. Now, I'm developing my own tools, not only to protect myself but also to help find vulnerabilities in ethical hacking scenarios. I also use AI in my work, such as to check for duplicates and summarize long AI-generated reports, and I'm continuing to develop those skills to help me with both triage and hacking.

Beyond hacking, I love cooking, baking, martial arts, and, of course, my eight wonderful cats. While I was living in LA, I was inspired to adopt a healthier lifestyle, which included learning how to cook. I took some cooking classes, and now, after a day of hacking, I love preparing a delicious, healthy meal.

After years of enduring LA's heat and increasing brush fires, I relocated to Illinois. The winters may be colder, but I much prefer that to melting year-round. Plus, living here allows me to afford more hobbies.

One of those hobbies is martial arts. I attend two classes at my dojo, one focused on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and one that blends Kenpo with BJJ, both for self-defense. Since taking over hardware triage at Bugcrowd, I've been traveling more, so now I can protect myself both online and in person. In October 2026, I earned my brown belt in Kenpo BJJ, and I'm working toward my next rank.

I'm always seeking new adventures and opportunities to grow in coding, cybersecurity, martial arts, cooking, and baking. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions!