For reference as needed, a formal bio appears at the bottom of the page.
I lead digital strategy and software product teams. I focus on climate and work independently for hire. I currently work with Postlight and Probable Futures.
I currently serve as Product Lead. Probable Futures is an unconventional, interdisciplinary and cross-organizational initiative with the goal of increasing the chances that the future is good by clarifying the futures available to us given the state of the climate. The public platform offers maps, science, historical context, and stories to help us all envision the range of futures available. Other, to-be-released products are in R&D mode.
Before my part-time, contract role, I worked full-time with the good people at Postlight for nearly four years. I led teams, managed and hired product managers, and worked across many industries. I learned a ton and am enormously grateful for the experience. But I always knew I would eventually need to grow in different ways and also that I would return to working on climate.
In January 2022, I alerted leadership that I would like to transition to working only on climate-related projects. Due to the nature of the business, it is not possible to work at Postlight while working only on climate. To ensure a smooth transition, I offered to remain in my role for any amount of time, within reason. At the same time, I offered to and expressed interest in continuing to work part-time on the one climate-related project where I had been working for a portion of my time. Through conversations, we agreed to a part-time arrangement and a six week transition. In February 2022, I had my last full-time day at Postlight. This also marked the beginning of my transition to solo work for hire.
Selected projects from my time at Postlight:
I contracted with Carbon Direct for six months in the early days of the company. I served as the only person with product experience and advised strategies related to software products and digital presence. I managed a search, bid, and hiring process for an agency to handle design and development of the initial digital presence and potentially future digital products for the company.
I held various full-time roles at New York Ave from digital, print, and web design to software engineering and product management.
During my time at New York Ave, I occasionally worked part-time weekend and week-long special events facilitating workshops and executive decision-making meetings for The Salvador Dalí Museum Innovation Labs.
In 2013, I encouraged “green” business in Washington State via an AmeriCorps program. At this time, by reading and researching online, I began to more deeply understand and internalize the dramatic mismatch between the scale of humanity's efforts to avert climate catastrophe and risks it poses to civilization. This realization led me to want to develop in-demand skills to accelerate my impact and influence. At the same time, I needed to make a living.
Before and after my role in Washington State, I began my journey into technology by doing freelance design and software engineering work. It fit some skills I had already developed, was fun and interesting, opened doors for financial sustainability, and offered one path to eventually having more impact and influence to devote to desperately-needed climate and environmental efforts after growing my skill set. While learning, I slow-traveled in Italy, France, Belgium, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Germany by hitchhiking and doing volunteer labor in exchange for room and board through sites like workaway.info. Traveling slowly and immersing in foreign languages and places off the beaten path had a profound impact on my development and how I relate to people and the world.
In sum, I developed a generalist's approach to engaging with people across disciplines and bringing ideas to life at the intersections of digital strategy, design, technology, human experience, and climate resiliency.
Peter leads digital strategy and software product teams. He focuses on climate and works independently for hire. Among other roles, he serves as Product Lead for the unconventional initiative called Probable Futures. There, he works with scientists, designers, and software engineers to publish interactive maps, science, historical context, and stories to help us all envision the range of futures available to us. These are freely available on ProbableFutures.org. People around the world from ages nine to ninety use the maps, context, and stories to prepare for the unavoidable and avoid the unmanageable.
I'm always happy to talk, especially about climate, strengthening communities, good design, useful technology, and fun outdoor adventures.