# Harper Reed

> Harper Reed is a technologist, entrepreneur, and team builder. As CTO of the Obama 2012 campaign, he brought the tech mentality to politics. He pioneered crowdsourcing at Threadless.com, founded Modest Inc (acquired by PayPal), and is CEO of 2389.ai. He lives in Chicago with his partner Hiromi and their poodle Lulu.

This is the extended version of llms.txt with full context. See also: [llms.txt](https://harperreed.com/llms.txt)

## About

Source: https://harperreed.com/about/index.md

Harper Reed is a technologist who predicts the future for a living. He spends his life traveling around the world showing people the possibilities of tech and sharing his experiences to propel the greater good, all while raising the level of fun in the room.

Harper knows his incredible luck has led him to achieve many wonderful things. At PayPal, his roles as Head of Commerce and as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence allowed him to guide teams into the thrilling future of e-commerce. The technology he developed as co-founder at startup Modest Inc had initially garnered the attention of PayPal, which led them to acquire Modest only a few years after launch.

Harper also believes the talent of a great bunch of humans can transform an organization like nothing else and he uses that belief to strengthen, deploy, and inspire every team he works with. Previously, Harper was CTO of the Obama 2012 campaign, where he was the first to bring the mentality and connective capabilities of tech to the political stage. He was also the CTO of Threadless.com, where he pioneered crowdsourcing and grew the company from a 12-person startup to a multi-million-dollar enterprise. Harper is an MIT Media Lab Director’s Fellow, sits on the advisory boards for IIT Computer Science and the Royal United Services Institute, and is on the Cornell College Board of Trustees.

Before 2389 Research, Harper was the CEO of General Galactic Corporation, a web3 company building software for the new internet. Galactic focused on creating rational crypto off-ramps for crypto workers and others who earn crypto. The company shut down in 2023.

In 2024, Harper founded 2389 Research Inc, a venture-backed AI company where he serves as CEO. 2389 Research is building multi-agent workflows that unlock new possibilities for intelligent automation.

You can find Harper hacking on personal projects and enjoying life in Chicago with his partner, Hiromi and their beautiful and bizarre poodle, Lulu.

- [About Harper Reed](https://harperreed.com/about/index.md): Detailed background, philosophy, and personal info
- [Resume](https://harperreed.com/resume.md): Full work history, education, awards, and skills

## Current Work

Harper Reed is the CEO and co-founder of 2389 Research Inc (founded 2024), a venture-backed AI company focused on applied AI for commerce and building multi-agent workflows for intelligent automation.

- [2389 Research Inc](https://2389.ai): Harper Reed's current company

## Speaking

Source: https://harperreed.com/speaking/index.md

Harper Reed is an international keynote speaker who has spoken for premier brands worldwide.

### Topics

- **Artificial Intelligence**: How AI works today, where it's going, and what organizations should actually do about it
- **Creativity & Innovation**: Harper will talk about how to build a culture of innovation and creativity in your organization
- **Disruption & Technological Change**
- **Entrepreneurship**
- **Future of Work**
- **Leadership & Building Teams**
- **Politics & Elections**
- **Team Building**
- **Work Culture**: What makes teams actually want to show up and do good work together

### Past Clients

Amazon AWS, BlackRock, Bloomberg, Booking.com, Cisco, Credit Suisse, Facebook, Google, Greenplum, HEDNA, HSBC, Intel, PayPal, Pictet, Santander, SAS, TIGO, UBS, Volkswagen, Zalando

### What People Say

> "I thought the conference was great and I think Harper Reed has changed my life so thanks again!" — UBS

> "Harper was very well received I think and gave a typically energetic presentation which the audience appreciated." — Terrapinn

> "Harper Reed was a great shout. Entertaining and educational, which is always a winning combination." — UBS

> "Thanks for the conference, we all enjoyed the humorous talk at the end - a good way to end the day on a more relaxed note." — UBS

> "Harper is engaging, entertaining and a delight!  We look forward to working with him again in the future." — SAS


- [Speaking page](https://harperreed.com/speaking/index.md): Topics, clients, videos, and booking info
- [Speaking materials](https://harperreed.com/speaking/materials/index.md): Bios, headshots, and technical requirements for event organizers
- [Book Harper Reed](mailto:speaking@harperreed.com): Email for speaking inquiries

## Press

Source: https://harperreed.com/about/index.md

All coverage:

- ["Conviction Collapse" and the End of Software as We Know It](https://www.oreilly.com/radar/conviction-collapse-and-the-end-of-software-as-we-know-it/) (O'Reilly Media, Apr 2026)
- [Which Workers Will A.I. Hurt Most: The Young or the Experienced?](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/07/business/ai-job-cuts.html?unlocked_article_code=1.Uk8.1ZrA.dJASBCtLvtau&smid=url-share) (New York Times, Jul 2025)
- [At Amazon, Some Coders Say Their Jobs Have Begun to Resemble Warehouse Work](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/25/business/amazon-ai-coders.html) (New York Times, May 2025)
- [An interview about the 2024 election with Harper Reed, chief technology officer for Obama 2012](https://thebulletin.org/premium/2024-09/an-interview-about-the-2024-election-with-harper-reed-chief-technology-officer-for-obama-2012/) (Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Sep 2024)
- [Punk Techie Harper Reed Chats with Students](https://www.susqu.edu/132-punk-techie-harper-reed-chats-with-students/) (Susquehanna University, Nov 2020)
- [What Harper Reed Thinks: A Conversation With Obama’s Former CTO](https://postlight.com/trackchanges/podcast/what-harper-reed-thinks-a-conversation-with-obamas-former-cto) (Track Changes, Feb 2019)
- [Obama CTO says 'Big Data is BS' in keynote to hoteliers and vendors at HEDNA 2018](https://www.tnooz.com/article/obama-cto-says-big-data-is-bs/) (tnooz, Feb 2018)
- [Your Amazon Order Could Get You in Trouble With Customs](https://www.racked.com/2018/1/8/16849298/amazon-counterfeits-global-entry-customs) (RACKED, Jan 2018)
- [Harper Reed: Als Nerd im Dienst der Zukunft](http://www.fuw.ch/article/harper-reed-als-nerd-im-dienst-der-zukunft/) (Finanz und Wirtschaft, Mar 2017)
- [Nobody wants 'federation' of mobile messaging, says PayPal](http://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/nobody-wants-federation-mobile-messaging-says-paypal/1425795) (Campaign, Mar 2017)
- [Do Chatbots Face the Same Doomed Future as Branded Apps?](http://www.adweek.com/digital/do-chat-bots-face-the-same-doomed-future-as-branded-apps/) (Adweek, Feb 2017)
- [PayPal next-gen commerce chief: Don't lose the empathy in our tech](http://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/paypal-next-gen-commerce-chief-dont-lose-empathy-tech/1425511) (Campaign, Feb 2017)
- [WWD’s 10 of Tomorrow: Mobile Commerce Director Harper Reed](http://wwd.com/business-news/technology/wwd-10-tomorrow-harper-reed-mobile-commerce-paypal-10767887/) (WWD, Jan 2017)
- [Election hacking shouldn't surprise you, Obama's former tech chief says](http://www.chicagotribune.com/bluesky/originals/ct-election-hacking-obama-harper-bsi-20161220-story.html) (Chicago Tribune, Dec 2016)
- [Obama’s former tech chief saw the hacked elections coming. He just expected more people to care.](https://www.recode.net/2016/12/19/14013044/obama-harper-reed-2016-election) (Recode, Dec 2016)
- [A Hacker Trolled a Bunch of Canadians Who Confused Him for Stephen Harper on Twitter](http://www.vice.com/read/famed-hacker-confused-for-stephen-harper-trolls-twitter-users-into-arguing-with-him-vgtrn) (Vice, Oct 2016)
- [Pay day - Reed all about it](https://www.charteredaccountantsanz.com/en/Site-Content/Business-Trends-Insights/Acuity/June-2016/Pay-day-Reed-all-about-it.aspx) (Acuity, Jun 2016)
- [Harper Reed, el ingeniero que ayudó a ganar sus segundas elecciones a Obama](http://one.elpais.com/1433-2/) (El País, May 2016)
- [Harper Reed, Obama's Former CTO, Says Data Isn't Everything](https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/harper-reed-obamas-former-cto-says-data-isnt-everything) (Motherboard, May 2016)
- [Election Tech: Leadership is more powerful than technology](http://www.techrepublic.com/article/election-tech-leadership-is-more-powerful-than-technology-said-former-obama-cto-harper-reed/) (TechRepublic, Apr 2016)
- [From t-shirts to President Obama: How Harper Reed harnessed the power of the internet](http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-07/harper-reed-on-information-technology-making-fortune/7270522) (ABC (Australia), Apr 2016)
- [PRESIDENT OBAMA’S FORMER CTO HARPER REED ON SURVIVING STRESS IN A HIGH PRESSURE ENVIRONMENT](http://www.breakingbiz.net/president-obamas-former-cto-harper-reed-on-surviving-stress-in-a-high-pressure-environment/) (breakingbiz, Feb 2016)
- [PayPal’s Simple Solution To A Complex Commerce Problem](http://www.pymnts.com/news/mobile-commerce/2016/paypals-simple-solution-to-a-complex-commerce-problem/) (PYMNTS, Feb 2016)
- [PayPal Commerce aims to bring 'buy button' ubiquity to the web](http://www.zdnet.com/article/paypal-commerce-aims-to-bring-buy-button-ubiquity-to-the-web/) (ZDNet, Feb 2016)
- [Here's How PayPal Allows Merchants to Use Buy Buttons](http://fortune.com/2016/02/11/paypal-buy-button/) (Fortune, Feb 2016)
- [PayPal Commerce Matches Stripe With PayPal’s Own Native Shopping Toolkit For Apps](http://techcrunch.com/2016/02/11/paypal-matches-stripe-with-its-own-native-shopping-toolkit-for-apps/) (Techcrunch, Feb 2016)
- [The man who poached Google and Twitter staff for Obama shares tip for hiring](http://www.businessinsider.com/obamas-ex-cto-harper-reed-on-how-to-hire-top-talent-2015-12?r=UK&IR=T) (Business Insider, Dec 2015)
- ['Don't eat the pizza': Obama's tech guru shares his best advice on surviving a high-pressure job](http://www.businessinsider.com/obama-cto-harper-reeds-advice-on-how-to-survive-in-a-high-pressure-office-2015-11?r=UK&IR=T) (Business Insider, Nov 2015)
- [Obama's tech guru on hackers: 'These kids are very intelligent, they're just misdirected'](http://www.businessinsider.com/obama-cto-harper-reed-talktalk-hack-hacking-culture-2015-11) (Business Insider, Nov 2015)
- [The Entrepreneurs, Edition 214 ](http://monocle.com/radio/shows/the-entrepreneurs/214) (Monocle Radio, Nov 2015)
- [CEO Secrets: Five tips from tech titans](http://www.bbc.com/news/business-34808495) (BBC News, Nov 2015)
- [This week in Tech #431: Rhymes With Assword](https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech/episodes/431) (This week in tech, Nov 2015)
- [Not that Harper - Twitter reaches out to wrong man](http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-34555152) (BBC News, Oct 2015)
- [Harper Reed: the tech star on helping Barack Obama into a second term and his plans to transform online shopping](http://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/london-life/harper-reed-the-tech-star-on-helping-barack-obama-into-a-second-term-and-his-plans-to-transform-a3085661.html) (Evening Standard, Oct 2015)
- [How Corporations Can Be Safe Users of Computer Data](http://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2015-09-01/how-corporations-can-be-safe-users-of-computer-data) (BloombergBusiness, Sep 2015)
- [Harper Reed of Modest | Bootstrapping in America](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoSrFLnNOmk) (TastyTrade, Aug 2015)
- [PayPal übernimmt mit Modest Harper Reeds Checkout-Booster](http://t3n.de/news/paypal-uebernimmt-modest-harper-632713/) (T3N Magazine, Aug 2015)
- [PayPal's Modest purchase is a bet on the buy button](http://www.zdnet.com/article/paypal-buys-mobile-commerce-startup-modest/) (ZDNet, Aug 2015)
- [PayPal acquires mobile commerce platform Modest, run by Obama’s former campaign CTO](http://venturebeat.com/2015/08/19/paypal-acquires-mobile-commerce-platform-modest-run-by-obamas-former-campaign-cto/) (VentureBeat, Aug 2015)
- [PAYPAL’S ‘MODEST’ ACQUISITION](http://www.pymnts.com/news/2015/paypal-acquires-modest/#.VdSLpvlViko) (PYMNTS, Aug 2015)
- [PayPal makes its first acquisition after splitting from eBay](http://fortune.com/2015/08/19/paypal-acquisition-ebay-modest/) (Fortune, Aug 2015)
- [PayPal Continues Acquisition Spree, Buys E-commerce Startup Led By Former Obama Campaign CTO](http://www.forbes.com/sites/ryanmac/2015/08/19/paypal-continues-acquisition-spree-buys-e-commerce-startup-led-by-obama-campaign-cto/) (Forbes, Aug 2015)
- [Braintree buys Harper Reed's startup Modest](http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20150819/BLOGS11/150819808/braintree-buys-harper-reeds-modest-for-mobile-payments) (Crains, Aug 2015)
- [Harper Reed's Modest Acquired by PayPal](http://chicagoinno.streetwise.co/2015/08/19/modest-is-acquired-by-paypal-harper-reed-startup-joins-braintree/) (ChicagoInno, Aug 2015)
- [PayPal acquires Harper Reed's mobile-commerce startup, Modest](http://www.chicagotribune.com/bluesky/originals/ct-paypal-acquires-modest-bsi-20150819-story.html) (Chicago Tribune, Aug 2015)
- [PayPal Makes a ‘Modest’ Purchase](http://ww2.cfo.com/ma/2015/08/paypal-makes-modest-purchase-startup/) (CFO, Aug 2015)
- [PayPal acquires Harper Reed's Modest just months after emerging from stealth](http://www.builtinchicago.org/2015/08/19/paypal-acquires-harper-reeds-modest-just-months-after-emerging-stealth) (Built in Chicago, Aug 2015)
- [PayPal Holdings Inc (PYPL) Acquires Modest As Its First Acquisition Since Split](http://www.bidnessetc.com/50578-paypal-holdings-inc-pypl-acquires-modest-as-its-first-acquisition-since-spl/) (Bidness Etc, Aug 2015)
- [PayPal Acquires Obama CTO's Startup](http://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2015-08-19/paypal-acquires-obama-cto-s-startup) (BloombergBusiness, Aug 2015)
- [Obama’s former CTO is headed to PayPal, it’s acquired his retail startup Modest](http://thenextweb.com/insider/2015/08/19/not-so-modest-achievements/) (The Next Web, Aug 2015)
- [The myth behind President Obama's 2012 campaign win](http://tech.co/harper-reed-launches-modest-mobile-commerce-2015-02) (DecodeDC, May 2015)
- [Harper Reed: Innovation Is Worthless](http://www.informationweek.com/mobile/mobile-applications/harper-reed-innovation-is-worthless/d/d-id/1320227) (Information Week, Apr 2015)
- [Life after Obama: Why the president’s 2012 campaign CTO left politics](http://bgr.com/2015/04/13/obama-cto-interview-modest-harper-reed/) (BGR, Apr 2015)
- [Modest CEO Harper Reed: Bitcoin Is the Future, But It's Not Ready Yet](https://cointelegraph.com/news/modest-ceo-harper-reed-bitcoin-is-the-future-but-its-not-ready-yet) (CoinTelegraph, Mar 2015)
- [Modest Advice: Life Lessons from Harper Reed and Inside His New Startup](http://chicagoinno.streetwise.co/2015/02/25/harper-reeds-new-startup-life-lessons-from-obamas-ex-cto/) (Chicago Inno, Feb 2015)
- [Harper Reed Launches Modest to Revolutionize Mobile Commerce](http://tech.co/harper-reed-launches-modest-mobile-commerce-2015-02) (TechCocktail, Feb 2015)
- [Obama campaign veterans launch startup](http://thehill.com/policy/technology/233612-obama-campaign-veterans-launch-startup) (The Hill, Feb 2015)
- [Harper Reed on being both awesome and Modest](http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-confidential-harper-reed-0224-biz-20150223-column.html) (Chicago Tribune, Feb 2015)
- [Obama for America’s tech team sets sights on making mobile retail easier](http://arstechnica.com/business/2015/02/obama-for-americas-tech-team-sets-sights-on-making-mobile-retail-easier/) (Ars Technica, Feb 2015)
- [Former Obama Campaign, Threadless CTO Eyes Mobile Commerce With New Startup Modest](http://techcrunch.com/2015/02/24/harper-reed-modest/#xiZg94:iDE) (Techcrunch, Feb 2015)
- [Harper Reed takes the wraps off Modest](http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20150223/BLOGS11/150229947/harper-reed-takes-the-wraps-off-modest) (Crain's Business, Feb 2015)
- [The vital shift from big data to big answers](http://www.i-cio.com/big-thinkers/harper-reed/item/why-it-s-vital-to-shift-the-focus-from-big-data-to-big-answers) (I CIO, Nov 2013)
- [Why the IT industry needs to become a more diverse place](http://www.i-cio.com/big-thinkers/harper-reed/item/why-the-it-industry-needs-to-become-a-more-diverse-place) (I CIO, Nov 2013)
- [Seeing privacy and trust from an under-25’s perspective](http://www.i-cio.com/big-thinkers/harper-reed/item/seeing-privacy-and-trust-from-an-under-25-s-perspective) (I CIO, Nov 2013)
- [The importance of creating a great user experience](http://www.i-cio.com/big-thinkers/harper-reed/item/the-importance-of-creating-a-great-user-experience) (I CIO, Nov 2013)
- [Harper Reed: The techie who got the US to say yes](http://mg.co.za/article/2013-10-11-00-harper-reed-the-techie-who-got-the-us-to-say-yes) (Mail & Guardian, Nov 2013)
- [TLM10: Harper Reed](https://thelast-magazine.com/tlm10-harper-reed/) (The Last Magazine, May 2013)
- [Friend Fracker Tests Your Facebook Friendships by Randomly Deleting Them](http://motherboard.vice.com/blog/friend-fracker-tests-your-facebook-friendships-by-randomly-deleting-them) (Motherboard, Apr 2013)
- [Greeley's Harper Reed the technology mastermind behind Obama's win](http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_22454166/greeleys-harper-reed-technology-mastermind-behind-obamas-win) (The Denver Post, Jan 2013)
- [Harper Reed Goes A Week Without Internet: Obama Campaign Tech Guru Shares What He Learned](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/27/harper-reed-week-without-internet_n_2370432.html) (Chicago Sun Times, Dec 2012)
- [Chicago offers Obama’s tech team future as entrepreneurs, execs](http://www.suntimes.com/business/16710489-418/chicago-offers-obamas-tech-team-opportunities-as-entrepreneurs-execs.html) (Chicago Sun Times, Dec 2012)
- [Lo stalking democratico](http://www.corriere.it/tecnologia/cyber-cultura/12_dicembre_03/harper-reed-obama-stalking_033af628-3d50-11e2-80a1-638b05adae06.shtml) (Corriere della Sera, Dec 2012)
- [Its job complete, Obama re-election tech team ventures forward](http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-1125-brain-pool--20121125,0,7267594,print.story) (Chicago Tribune, Nov 2012)
- [When the Nerds Go Marching In](http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/11/when-the-nerds-go-marching-in/265325/) (The Atlantic, Nov 2012)
- [AWS in Action - Behind the Scenes of a Presidential Campaign](http://aws.typepad.com/aws/2012/11/aws-in-action-behind-the-scenes-of-a-presidential-campaign.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+AmazonWebServicesBlog+%28Amazon+Web+Services+Blog%29) (Amazon AWS Blog, Nov 2012)
- [Built to win: Deep inside Obama's campaign tech](http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2012/11/built-to-win-deep-inside-obamas-campaign-tech/) (Ars Technica, Nov 2012)
- [New Technologies Boosted Obama Campaign's Efforts](http://www.npr.org/2012/11/12/164979755/new-technologies-boosted-obama-campaigns-efforts) (NPR, Nov 2012)
- [How Obama’s tech team helped deliver the 2012 election](http://gigaom.com/cloud/how-obamas-tech-team-helped-deliver-the-2012-election/) (GigaOm, Nov 2012)
- [Inside the Obama Campaign's Hard Drive](http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/10/harper-reed-obama-campaign-microtargeting) (Mother Jones, Oct 2012)
- [Obama's CEO: Jim Messina Has a President to Sell](http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-06-14/obamas-ceo-jim-messina-has-a-president-to-sell) (Business Week, Jun 2012)
- [Obamas orakel - DN.no](https://www.dn.no/magasinet/2012/10/06/obamas-orakel) (DN.no, Jun 2012)
- [Obama’s Re-Election Path May Be Written in Will St. Clair’s Code](http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-12-14/obama-s-re-election-path-may-be-written-in-will-st-clair-s-code.html) (Bloomberg, Dec 2011)
- [Chicago technologist Harper Reed joins President Barack Obama's 2012 campaign](http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-06-02/business/ct-biz-0602-confidential-reed-20110602_1_obama-campaign-campaign-web-site-blue-state-digital) (Chicago Tribune, Jun 2011)
- [Tech Pioneer Harper Reed Becomes Obama Campaign CTO](http://www.fastcompany.com/1757055/tech-pioneer-harper-reed-becomes-obama-campaign-cto) (Fast Company, Jun 2011)
- [Threadless CTO Harper Reed Heads to Rackspace](http://siliconangle.com/blog/2009/09/29/exclusive-interview-threadless-cto-harper-reed-heads-to-rackspace-whats-a-nepholologist/) (SiliconAngle, Sep 2009)

- [Press kit](https://harperreed.com/about/index.md): Short and long bios in multiple languages
- [Press contact](mailto:press@harperreed.com): Email for press inquiries

## Career History

Source: https://harperreed.com/resume.md

- **2389 Research Inc** (2024-present): CEO & Co-founder — venture-backed AI company
- **General Galactic Corporation** (2019-2023): CEO & Co-founder — web3 and crypto fintech (shut down 2023)
- **MIT Media Lab** (2018-2020): Director's Fellow
- **PayPal** (2015-2018): Senior Director, Software Development — contextual commerce, SE Asia research
- **Modest Inc** (2012-2015): Founder & CEO — mobile commerce platform (acquired by PayPal)
- **Obama for America** (2011-2012): CTO — built technology platform for the 2012 reelection campaign
- **Rackspace** (2009-2010): Customer in Residence
- **Threadless.com** (2005-2009): CTO — grew from 12-person startup to multi-million-dollar enterprise
- **Squidoo** (2005): Summer intern with Seth Godin
- **Cramer-Krasselt** (2004-2005): Web Programmer
- **World Book Publishing** (2001-2004): Security and Software Engineer

## Timeline

Source: https://harperreed.com/index.md

A chronological history of Harper Reed's life and career:

- Apr 2026: Redesigned harperreed.com after about 10 years
- Mar 2026: Finally got some smaller speakers: Altec Lansing 9812-8A Monitors. 
- Mar 2026: Started having FAC events at the space
- Dec 2025: Started using an AI assistant
- Nov 2025: Made cool hoodies (https://shop.2389.ai)
- Sep 2025: Published a paper on how we gave agents Social Media (https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.13547)
- Sep 2025: Shut down the Harper Rules office
- Sep 2025: 2389 Office opened. It is very cool
- Aug 2025: Spoke at H.O.P.E.
- Apr 2025: Stopped using an IDE
- Feb 2025: Code throughput really ramped up
- Nov 2024: Kickstarted my blog again. This time with notes, links, and long form (https://harper.blog)
- Oct 2024: Started running for cardio health
- Sep 2024: Became an AI agent
- Aug 2024: Built some very bespoke models for 2389
- Jul 2024: Started carrying a tiny point and shoot digital camera to capture more moments
- Jun 2024: \"Started\" 2389, Research Inc (https://2389.ai)
- Apr 2024: Invested in some local GPUs
- Feb 2024: Started using AI to aid my coding
- Feb 2024: Started working with a personal trainer, again: Krys
- Oct 2023: Started hacking on some AI stuff
- Jul 2023: Received my uncle's 70s macintosh stack. Vintage HIFI rules. 
- Jul 2023: Started fourth vision quest / walkabout
- Jun 2023: Galactic officially shuts down 😥 (https://galactic.io)
- Jun 2023: Made the hard decision to shut Galactic down
- Mar 2023: Galactic launched the beta of skyteller.xyz (https://skyteller.xyz)
- May 2022: Stopped going to Chicago Bulls games regularly
- Apr 2022: Got really into HYPERPOP
- Jan 2022: Galactic started focusing on crypto off-ramps
- Nov 2021: Accidentally launched Floppydisk.xyz (https://Floppydisk.xyz)
- Oct 2021: Started going to Chicago Bulls games regularly
- Oct 2021: Launched Galactic Camera (https://galactic.camera)
- Aug 2021: AMAZING THING HAPPENED
- Aug 2021: Started using OSX full time cuz Apple Silicon is fast af
- Jun 2021: Published my "decentralized" website: https://harper.eth.link (https://harper.eth.link)
- Jun 2021: Joined my first DAO (https://crisis.network)
- May 2021: Got a pair of Klipsch La Scala speakers on a whim
- May 2021: Convinced my brother, Dylan, he should start his own crypto company and follow his dreams! (https://nervous.net)
- Apr 2021: Fake.sale got banned from opensea (https://twitter.com/harper/status/1382381469209931777?s=20)
- Apr 2021: Hacked together art.pizza (https://art.pizza)
- Apr 2021: Dove deep into web3.
- Mar 2021: Launched fake.sale, my first NFT project (https://fake.sale)
- Jan 2021: Bought my first NFT (https://harper.eth.link)
- Oct 2020: Joined the RAND Pardee School Board of governors
- Oct 2020: My brother convinced me to get a peloton and start riding. Fun!
- Sep 2020: Wrote up all my time doing covid work over the first 3/4 of 2020 (https://harper.blog/2020/09/21/what-have-i-been-up-to/)
- Sep 2020: \"Started\" General Galactic Corporation (https://galactic.io)
- May 2020: Found out I was a Jamstack Pioneer based on our work at Obama for America (https://2020.jamstackconf.com/2020/may/)
- Apr 2020: Launched zooooom.us - a screensaver for our anxious times (http://zooooom.us)
- Mar 2020: Started doing COVID-19 work full-time
- Feb 2020: Started watching covid (https://twitter.com/harper/status/1221888214178377729)
- Dec 2019: Reclaimed modest.com and started using harper@modest.com for my email again (mailto:harper@modest.com)
- Oct 2019: Joined the RAND Pardee School's Tech & Narrative Lab advisory group (https://www.prgs.edu/news/2019/tnl-advisory-group.html)
- May 2019: Opened the company.lol office to figure out what the next thing will be (https://company.lol)
- Apr 2019: Became a Senior Fellow at the Annenberg Innovation Lab at USC (https://www.annenberglab.com/employees/harper-reed/)
- Mar 2019: Named as a 2019 delegate for the US-Japan Leadership Program (http://www.usjlp.org/members/news-details.php?id=6213)
- Jun 2018: Started using Linux full time again
- May 2018: Became a MIT Medialab Director's fellow (https://www.media.mit.edu/posts/introducing-the-2018-mit-media-lab-director-s-fellows/)
- Apr 2018: Started third vision quest / walkabout
- Apr 2018: Left PayPal to pursue my dreams
- Mar 2018: Turned 40
- Dec 2017: Started doing yoga
- Apr 2017: Slightly regretted spending all my bitcoin on things
- Mar 2017: Used up all my bitcoin buying Leica cameras on overstock
- Oct 2016: Joined IllinoisTech Computer Science advisory board
- Sep 2016: Joined Royal United Services Institute advisory board
- Aug 2016: Installed a permanent rock monument in my parents front yard that is inscribed, "Boyhood home of Harper & Dylan Reed. The first astronauts to explore Uranus" (https://www.boyhoodhome.com/)
- Aug 2016: Started living at the house in Ukrainian Village
- May 2016: Joined Cornell College Board of Trustees
- Mar 2016: Bought a Leica Monochrom from a good friend. A perfect camera
- Dec 2015: Started carrying a camera everyday
- Dec 2015: Purchased a Leica Q. Started carrying a camera everyday
- Sep 2015: Decided to make photography a real hobby
- Aug 2015: Started as Senior Director @ PayPal, inc
- Aug 2015: Sold Modest, Inc to PayPal
- Jul 2015: Was [awarded 4 patents](https://patents.google.com/?inventor=Harper+Reed) for work done on Modest, Inc
- Oct 2014: First time visiting South America (Santiago, Chile). Fifth continent outside of U.S. I visited.
- Oct 2014: Cornell College Young Alumni Achievement Award (http://news.cornellcollege.edu/2014/10/harper-reed-01-2014-young-alumni-achievement-award/)
- Oct 2014: Started working out
- Oct 2014: Started working with a personal trainer: Dan
- Mar 2014: Adopted our wonderful puppy, Lulu
- Feb 2014: Started living at the condo in West Town
- Nov 2013: Became an honorary patron of the University Philosophical Society at Trinity College (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_Philosophical_Society)
- Oct 2013: First time visiting Africa (Johannesburg, South Africa). Fourth continent outside of U.S. I visited.
- Oct 2013: Wrapped my parents car in zebra stripes while they were on vacation (http://zebraprank.com)
- Jul 2013: First time visiting Australia (Sydney, Australia). Third continent outside of U.S. I visited.
- Jun 2013: CTO of the Year @ Moxie Award
- May 2013: Installed ant miners in the Modest office
- Apr 2013: Launched FriendFracker with Rafeal Lozano-Hemmer at Seven on Seven. (https://vimeo.com/103736132)
- Apr 2013: Breakout of the Year @ Webby's
- Mar 2013: Spoke at TED 2013 (technically TED-U)
- Feb 2013: Did a TED University talk at TED which predicted that the 2016 election would be hacked and manipulated (https://www.recode.net/2016/12/18/13998756/obama-technologist-predict-election-tampering-harper-reed-ted-talk)
- Jan 2013: Started doing a lot of speaking internationally
- Dec 2012: Started a company called Modest, Inc with [@dylanr](http://twitter.com/dylanr)
- Dec 2012: Started second vision quest / walkabout
- Nov 2012: Helped Barack Obama win his reelection campaign
- Nov 2012: 40 under 40 @ Crains
- Apr 2012: Stopped going out as much
- Apr 2011: Started as the Chief Technology Officer at Obama for America
- Apr 2011: Bought a kindle for 45 bitcoin
- Apr 2011: Started using OSX for work
- Oct 2010: Discovered Minecraft
- Sep 2010: Data Innovation Award @ MCIC
- Aug 2010: Started living at the apartment in Wicker Park
- Oct 2009: Became the Customer in Residence for Rackspace Hosting
- Oct 2009: Started first vision quest / walkabout
- Sep 2009: Left Threadless to pursue my dreams
- Jul 2009: Built CityPayments.org with Daniel X Oneil
- Oct 2008: Built Unofficial Transit API for Chicago Transit Authority
- Sep 2008: Received a photo credit in Metallica's Death Magnetic album. It should have gone to [Derek Brooks](https://derek.broox.com/photos/metallica-at-the-iowa-speedway/). (https://derek.broox.com/do-i-sue-metallica-or-do-i-sue-harper/)
- Aug 2008: Started living at the apartment in North Center
- Apr 2008: App Engine launched - learned python and launched Excla.im, Awesome Updater, and Chicago Alerts
- Mar 2008: Turned 30
- Aug 2007: Got married to Hiromi
- Feb 2007: Became CTO of Threadless
- Jun 2006: Stopped using Windows for work, or personal OS
- May 2006: Started using Linux full time
- Aug 2005: Started at Threadless as an engineer
- Jun 2005: Vox Paid for radio ads with my name in them: Step behind the velvet rope with Harper Reed.
- Jun 2005: Started Working as a Summer Intern with Seth Godin @ Squidoo
- Apr 2005: Started a podcast about the club scene in chicago with my Vox Vodka sponsorship
- Apr 2005: Became a professional vodka drinker - Got a sponsorship by Vox Vodka
- Apr 2005: Got laid off. It was awesome!
- Oct 2004: Started Working as a web programmer @ Cramer-Krasselt
- May 2004: First time visiting Asia (Delhi, India). Second continent outside of U.S. I visited.
- Feb 2004: Juggled on stage at the Metro for [Chris Holmes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Holmes_(DJ_and_musician))' [Electroclash](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electroclash) night
- Jun 2003: Did a juggling show for [Billy Corgan's](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Corgan) showcase at the Hideout
- Feb 2003: Stopped promoting parties in Chicago. I was terrible at it
- Jan 2003: Started promoting parties in Chicago.
- Sep 2002: Started my first "startup" - 3g Screensaver. Selling ringtones and wallpapers for phones
- May 2002: Regularly street performed with Matiss Duhon in downtown Chicago
- Apr 2002: Started going out clubbing every night. Well M,T,W,F,S lol.
- Oct 2001: Sprint launches Samsung A500 and I launch a500hacking.com
- Sep 2001: Net Vision Honorary Mention @ PRIX ARS ELECTRONICA
- Sep 2001: Launched Audreyhacking.com to help hack the 3COM Audrey. (https://web.archive.org/web/20010922150040/http://www.audreyhacking.com:80/)
- Aug 2001: Hosted my first colocated server in a data center at OAR.net
- Jul 2001: Purchased my first server (A firesale VALinux 2U server)
- Jun 2001: Started living at the apartment in Logan Square
- Jun 2001: Moved to Chicago, IL
- Jun 2001: Graduated from Cornell College with a degree in Computer Science and Philosophy
- Jun 2001: Started first job as a Security and Software Engineer @ World Book Publishing
- May 2000: Started an internship @ MSI in Cedar Rapids, IA
- Apr 2000: Opened for [Sir Mix-A-Lot](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Mix-a-Lot) as a juggler
- Sep 1998: Opened for [Incubus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incubus_(band)) as a juggler
- Mar 1998: Turned 20
- Nov 1997: Juggled for the first time with [@dylanreed](http://twitter.com/dylanreed)
- Nov 1997: Learned to Juggle
- Sep 1997: Started going to Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, IA
- Aug 1997: Moved to Mt. Vernon, IA for college
- Aug 1997: Purchased my first laptop
- Apr 1997: Purchased my first domain name: [nata2.org](http://nata2.org). Still used as my email address. 
- Oct 1996: First time visiting Europe (Dublin, Ireland). First continent outside of U.S. I visited.
- Aug 1996: The ATF visited and suggested I stop using BBSs, and stop blowing things up. I did the latter.
- Oct 1995: Ran my first Apache server
- Sep 1995: Waited in line for Windows 95
- Aug 1995: Started going to Greeley Central High School
- Sep 1994: Started living at the house on 43rd ave in Greeley, CO
- Apr 1994: Started a terrible punk band called Faucet with Atkins Meyer, Karl Mahlburg, and some friends.
- Oct 1993: Started snowboarding
- Sep 1993: Started subscribing to MONDO 2000 (https://archive.org/details/mondohistory)
- Aug 1993: Started going to Heath Junior High
- Jun 1993: Bought a Boing Boing and MONDO 2000 magazine at Powell's in Portland. Changed everything.
- Apr 1993: Installed Linux for the first time: Yggdrasil. Linux changed everything. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yggdrasil_Linux/GNU/X)
- Oct 1992: Saw Public Enemy open for U2.
- Sep 1992: Ran up my first huge phone bill dialing into BBSes around the country. [&TOTSE](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TOTSE) forever
- Feb 1992: Saw Metallica for the first time.
- Aug 1991: Started going to Maplewood Middle School
- Jul 1991: Built a computer for the first time. Ram was so expensive so I could only afford 1mb.
- Jun 1991: Went to first concert, David Bowie.
- May 1991: Got really into OS/2
- Mar 1991: Turned 13
- Jun 1990: Was enamored by Roxanne Shante.
- Jun 1990: Bought Straight Outta Compton by N.W.A.
- May 1990: Stopped taking myself seriously
- Mar 1989: Received an older IBM PS/2 model 25 for my birthday. My brother and I played a lot of kings quest.
- Mar 1988: Got Love and Rockets' Earth, Sun, Moon for my birthday.
- Jun 1987: Programmed BASIC based on code from the **321 Contact** magazine
- Aug 1986: Started going to Cameron Elementary School
- May 1986: Accidentally got Killers by Iron Maiden. Changed everything.
- Aug 1985: Started going to Shawsheen Elementary School
- Apr 1985: Family got a Apple IIc. My brother and I set it up.
- Jun 1984: Learned to code LOGO on an Apple II
- Apr 1984: Started living at the house on 11th st in Greeley, CO
- Jan 1984: House caught on fire and burnt a bunch. LEGOs survived
- Sep 1983: Started living at the house on 27th ave in Greeley, CO
- May 1983: Television broke. Never got fixed
- Oct 1981: Started living at the house near the hospital in Greeley, CO
- Feb 1981: Brother [@dylanreed](http://twitter.com/dylanreed) was born. The Reed Brothers are finally united.
- Sep 1980: Started living at the farm house on rd 15 in Greeley, CO
- Jan 1979: Secret Brother Jon was born. The Reed Brothers are almost united.
- Apr 1978: Moved to Greeley, CO
- Apr 1978: Started living at the house on 11th st in Greeley, CO
- Mar 1978: Started living at the house in Windsor, CO
- Mar 1978: Moved to Windsor, CO
- Mar 1978: Harper was born in Greeley, CO

## Awards

Source: https://harperreed.com/resume.md

- Prix Ars Electronica Net Vision Honorary Mention (2002)
- MCIC Data Innovation Award (2010)
- Crain's Chicago Business 40 Under 40 (2013)
- Webby Award — Breakout of the Year (2013)
- Moxie Award — CTO of the Year (2013)
- Cornell College Young Alumni Achievement Award (2014)
- MIT Media Lab Director's Fellow (2018)

## Board & Advisory Positions

Source: https://harperreed.com/resume.md

- Pardee RAND Graduate School — Board of Governors (2020-present)
- Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Negaunee Music Institute — Board Member (2020-present)
- Royal United Services Institute — Advisory Board (2017-present)
- Cornell College — Board of Trustees (2016-2024)
- IIT Computer Science — Advisory Board

## Contact & Social

Source: https://harperreed.com/about/index.md

- Email: [harper@modest.com](mailto:harper@modest.com)
- Github: [harperreed](https://github.com/harperreed)
- Bluesky: [@harper.lol](https://bsky.app/profile/harper.lol)
- Linkedin: [harperreed](https://linkedin.com/in/harperreed)
- Mastodon: [@harper@social.modest.com](https://social.modest.com/@harper)
- Instagram: [harperreed](https://instagram.com/harperreed)
- Signal: [@harper.666](https://signal.me/#eu/WUgv1GZSbX7DRINkL9Uu7i0a-GHdlQIBjtIUU9iUW-ea-OYLPbxNAp0AajiCjJXh)
- Threads: [@harperreed](https://www.threads.net/@harperreed)
- Facebook: [Harper Reed](https://www.facebook.com/harperrules?_rdr)
- Twitter: [@harper](https://twitter.com/harper)

## Other Projects

- [harper.blog](https://harper.blog): Blog and personal writing
- [harper.photos](https://harper.photos): Photography portfolio
- [reading.lol](https://reading.lol): Recently read books
- [Lulu the poodle](https://www.instagram.com/harperreed/)

## Optional

- [Privacy policy](https://harperreed.com/privacy-policy/index.md): Site privacy policy
- [Colophon](https://harperreed.com/colophon/index.md): Site built with Hugo, Tailwind CSS, hosted on Netlify
- [Contact page](https://harperreed.com/about/index.md#contact): All contact methods and social links