tonyabrowning.com

Palimpsest—A parchment or other writing material written upon twice, the original writing having been erased or rubbed out to make place for the second . . .

We are all palimpsests, with fragments or remnants of our past experiences rising and falling to the surface of our daily lives. Like many individuals in the technology industry, I have worn many hats—granted, some more gracefully than others. I am an educator, teaching at The University of Texas at Austin in the Science, Technology and Society concentration for the past five years. I am a leader and manager of people, not resources, at an industry-defining company. I am still a student, learning as much from the people I teach as they learn from me. I have recruited the cream of the crop from my classes, starting an internship program at my company that has led to jobs for former students. I have worked at start-ups, universities and corporations and know that while the cultures may vary, resourcefulness and productivity have great value in all three. Intersections between technology and business, like those in academia and technology, continue to intrigue me because the "way we do business" has been fundamentally changed as a result. But the expectations of our customers have not—they want creativity, integrity and commitment; technology is just a bonus.