B.S. Computer Science, 2009
Co-Founder and Chief Technical Officer Reflect
As a child, Brad Heller enjoyed working with his hands and building things. His father’s work in the cable industry exposed him to technology and the early internet. At age 10, he was reading basic computer programming books from the school library. “I discovered that I could be infinitely creative when writing code, and there were no resources attached — just my own time,” Heller said.When it came to choosing a school, Heller says that ľ«¶«Ó°ĘÓ State offered a lot of coursework in computer science that other schools didn’t deliver. But not until many years later did he realize the applied value of all the theoretical knowledge gleaned from school. When he began stretching the boundaries of his intellect, it started to pay off.Heller is co-founder and chief technical officer at Portland-based Reflect, a data visualization and analytics company. Reflect’s embedded business intelligence platform lets companies provide analytics to their users without having to build and maintain an in-house product for it.Reflect is finding traction in industries that are becoming increasingly data-driven, like finance, healthcare, retail, and agriculture. “We’re building tools that make it possible for basically anyone in the world to consume data,” Heller said. “We also strongly believe in providing rich and interactive data experiences — experiences that have the right context and tell a story.” The company recently raised $2.5 million in seed capital from Silicon Valley venture firm DFJ, Stanford University, Liquid 2 Ventures (Joe Montana’s investment vehicle), and Seattle’s Founders’ Co-op.Heller hopes that current students are inspired by his example. “There’s never been a better time in history for technologists,” Heller said. “It’s never been easier and more rewarding to make your own way in the world. You have the power to effect positive change.”