Creators

	chris "smokey" lavelle mechanical & pyrotechnic engineering Smokey sees every project as a chance to challenge his capabilities and creativity. Attracted by the ingenuity of mechanical systems, he studied in the engineering program at UCONN. After two years, he opted to get his hands dirty and enlisted in industrial manufacturing. A tendency to fully immerse in and commit to projects leads to Smokey overworking himself most of the time, but it hasn't killed him yet so change is not on the horizon. A varied work history ranging from electrical systems to nuclear steamline plugs has allowed him to find the intersection between fabrication and creativity. He is currently in a welding program, always striving to learn new skills. A similar focus is applied to his hobbies of poi spinning and general tinkering.
	dennis "zoo money" lambe software engineering Zoo has been working for five years as an embedded software engineer, three of them working alongside Valence. By day he programs industrial controls, vending machines, USB sticks, and other tiny brains that lurk inside everyday things. Spending that much time working on devices with tiny displays and rigid requirements has resulted in an uncontrollable urge to create big, noisy, pretty things in his spare time. He is also thrilled to finally turn his long-standing obsession with rhythm-action games into an asset.
	"valence" software engineering Valence, an embedded software engineer and sometime coworker of Zoo Money, is a man of few words but epic hacks.
	jen "monster" swanson multimedia designer & advertising Jen graduated from the School of Visual Arts with a BFA in Graphic Design. By day she is a handbag designer, by nights and weekends she devotes herself to a constant variety of projects. Fire spinning and performing takes the top of the list and is always a default activity. Her melting pot of projects ranges from fashion & costume design to videography, web design, freelance graphic design and whatever comes her way.
	ray "neutral" somers electrical engineering Neutral's childhood wonder and exploration of technology landed him in a Connecticut technical high school where he graduated with an Electrical Technology diploma. Now, a decade of electrical experience has given him a professional approach and execution to each project, enabling a "do it right the first time" strategy. time in the field has also enhanced his dynamic outside-the-box thinking, allowing his creative mind to push the limits. With a love for spark and fire, he thoroughly enjoys diving into these projects created with his peers.