about.html

---
layout: default
title: About
permalink: /about/
---

<section class="about-section">
  <div class="about-photo">
    <img src="{{ '/assets/images/evan_volgas.jpg' | relative_url }}" alt="Evan Volgas">
  </div>

  <p class="about-tagline">I build data systems that survive contact with production.</p>

  <p>I'm Evan Volgas, Senior Staff Data Engineer at <a href="https://nitrogenwealth.com">Nitrogen Wealth</a>, where I build AI-enabled data infrastructure for wealth management. Previously Netflix, Mailchimp, Capital One, and a handful of startups. 20+ years building data and distributed systems.</p>

  <p>I have seen startups and data teams fail. I have seen them succeed. The pattern is consistent: <a href="{{ '/blog/the-ai-pilot-graveyard/' | relative_url }}">pilots that never reach production</a>, <a href="{{ '/blog/the-data-platform-decisions-that-haunt-you/' | relative_url }}">architecture decisions that haunt you</a>, <a href="{{ '/blog/healthy-metrics-broken-agent/' | relative_url }}">healthy metrics on broken systems</a>. The technology usually works. The problem is everything else.</p>

  <p>I <a href="{{ '/blog/' | relative_url }}">write about</a> what I've learned. I also maintain a handful of <a href="{{ '/projects/' | relative_url }}">misfit data tools</a>.</p>

  <p>If you want to talk about data contracts, agent evals, orchestration, or memory, <a href="{{ '/contact/' | relative_url }}">get in touch</a>.</p>
</section>