Introducing Myself - Entrepreneur, Software Engineer & Fun Guy

I am brand new to the Steemit community and I wanted to take this opportunity to say Hello and introduce myself.

About Me

Hi, I’m Dan Vega. I am a Software Engineer living just outside of one of my favorite places in the world, Cleveland Ohio. I am a self-taught programmer who firmly believes that you can accomplish anything in this life if you put your mind to it, roll up your sleeves and are willing to put in the work.

I have been writing software for over 16+ years now and I use my knowledge, passion, and influence to help other developers achieve their goals. I teach online and currently, have over 20,000 students.

I have also been lucky enough to speak at user group meetings and conferences around the country. If you are interested in having me speak at your event please contact me.

When I am not writing software I have a number of things that really keep me busy. I love to read books, listen to podcasts and watch online courses. I have a real thirst for knowledge and it consumes me every single day of the week. I also love to run & lift heavy weights which keep me balanced throughout the week.

In the summer of 2017 I happy and lucky enough to say that I am going to marry my best friend in the whole world. We just bought our first house together and we are knee deep in planning our magical day. After the wedding, we are going to spend 2 weeks in Jamaica and I seriously can’t wait for that. I am stockpiling books that I can read on the beach and just enjoy life.

Entrepreneur

I still have a full-time job but I really do love what I do. I work from home and work on an amazing team full of smart people that help push me each and every day. If it weren't for that I would probably be doing my own thing full time. I am so motivated to push myself to do greater things that I spend nights and weekends working on a number of projects.

I started a business when I was 21 that quickly failed but taught me many things. I started a nonprofit here in Cleveland that you can read more about below. I have a number of side hustles going that you will read a lot about here on Steemit. The 1 thing that I can say is my #1 passion in life though is helping others. This passion drove me to start teaching online and it was the best decision I have ever made.

CHARITY

I am the president of a nonprofit here in Northeast Ohio called CLE Cares. Our mission is to try and help as many people as we can in the area and give back to a place that we hold near and dear to our hearts.

This year marks a special 10 year anniversary of an event we put on called Toys for Shots. You can read more about it on our website but the idea is pretty simple. We throw a huge party and provide you a shot in exchange for a toy that we then donate to the Marines Toys for Tots Foundation. These are toys that get distributed right here in Northeast Ohio and last year alone we raised over $20,000 in toys and became the #1 toy drive in Cleveland. If you are interested in donating, partnering up or finding out more about our organization please contact me.

What to expect from me

I am going to post a variety of articles on entrepreneurship, programming, finance, passive income, blogging, non profits and so much more. Please follow me and I will follow back and let me know what you would like me to write about.