The Team
Kevin McQuown (principle engineer)
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@#@@@*@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@&*,**..,,,*//#@@((@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@%%*,*,,,.***/(((#%&###@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@%,,,....,***/#%%&@@@#%@&@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@&.......,,,*//((##%&&&@@&@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@/.....,.,,*///(##%&&@@@@@&@%@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@.......,,**//((#%%&&&&@@@@@&@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ ........,**,**(#(%&&&@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@&,....,,,*//(*/%%#%#%%&@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@&(.*#%%&#(/(%&&@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@%&*%&@@@%@*/%@@@@@&&@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@*,(#((//.,#@@@@&&%&&@@#@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@. ,,**/*,./&@@@&&&&%&&(@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@..,.,,,,,(%@@@@@&&&%&@#%%@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@,,.,,(#%@@@@@@@@&&&@/(#%@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@****(,,,*/&@@@@@@#/*#&@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@*****,**/%(%&&&@*/#%@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@*/*(&@#//%&@@@**(%@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@,*(%&@(#&@@&@,/#&@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@*((%&@(#%/#,,*%#%//(&@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@(/((@((,,/(%&/**(@@@@&@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@/**,/,*/(//#(%%&@(/%@@@%@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@,//**//(#(/#%%&%#&@@@&&@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@#, .* %#(((#%(((#&&%%&&@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@&@%@&%&%@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@(//(,../.%*##((##(/#%%%#&@&@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@%@#@&&&%@(@%@#@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@(,,., ***@@@@@@(#&#(//#(%#%&@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@%@&@(&#@##@(%#@/ @@@@@@@@#.( ,./., *.#/ %.@@@%%(@/&(/###&@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@&@@#@(@#@*&/#/@%%(, @@@@@*(, (*.* , / ,.(,%&#@(%,#,(,%//#((%&(%@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@&@&@&%@(%*%*&,%/@%&,@ @@@@ . / ,.(* ,,#,/.* (%,(.***,#,**///((#%&@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@&&&#@(&/&*#,&(@#*&% @@@% ,.// , (#.(,%, #.*(*#,,/%/%*****//((%&@@@@&@@@@@@@@@@&@%#%&#@/&/@(%/&&.(@#& @@@. (./(,*,/.../ (.%,(**/./.((,****/(/((&@@@&@%&@@@@@@@%@&@(%#&%&(%*@(&/@@##@&@ @@@/ ((.(## #,# /,,##%*,/(./ #. ..#//*.#%@@@&@@/#@@@@@%@(@#@%@#(@##%/@/%/&%*@(@# @@@/#/ *,#./ //%#/*/#&(#/(&, . . */(/.*,(&@@@@%/#@@@@@&@(@#&(@#(&#@#%(/&*@(@&%@(
About Kevin
I graduated from IIT with a B.S. in Computer Science with a Digital Electronics focus. After graduation, I was hired by General Dynamics (now Lockheed) where I spent several years working on embedded avionics development for special projects as the chief architect. I spent many years working for Rational Software as an embedded software architecture consultant, eventually running their professional services organization, worldwide.
I have been developing iOS mobile apps ever since there was the first iOS SDK. I have taught iOS for several years and have developed a high-school curriculum that is now deployed at over 9 high-schools throughout the Chicago metropolitan area as well as an App Dev with Swift Course for Chicago Public Schools.
I was CTO for-hire for Guard Llama and was the CTO and co-founder of Glance Displays Inc. I founded Windy City Lab in 2014 to provide consulting and education in the IoT space which is what I am currently doing full-time.
My passion is applying my skills across a broad spectrum of disciplines to build a physical product. This includes embedded development in C/ C++, mobile development in Swift, cloud development in Node, schematic and PCB design, and 3-D CAD design.
I also love to mentor and teach. I regularly do workshops on IoT and also teach a 3-week IoT Engineering class to gifted high-schoolers at Northwestern University each summer.
Some fun facts (in no particular order):
- I was born and raised in Chicago. It has come a long way since I was a kid.
- I got my private pilot’s license in 1983. No, I’m not still current but I still have my log book.
- I’m a dog lover and have two boxers, currently, Iggy and Ogden.
- I love to play piano and no, I’m not very good.
- I built my own astrophotography observatory in the countryside of Santa Rosa, CA. My focus was on deep-sky photography, ie. galaxies and nebulae rather than planetary.
- I’m the photographer in the family. I shoot with a Sony A7SII mirrorless and love it.
- I’m a Trekkie. I really don’t see what all the fuss is about Star Wars. Sorry.
- I was very lucky that I became intrigued with computers at a very young age and pursued it both in high-school, college and throughout my career. My first computer was the Apple-II Plus computer. Maybe I’ll buy one on E-bay someday and restore.
- I’m a big Carl Sagan fan. Watched his original Cosmos series as a kid and was completely enthralled.
- I’m also a big Stephen Covey fan. His 7-habits were right-on. I especially love the “Big Rock” analogy.
Todd Rylaarsdam (intern)
############################################################################### #######((#(############(**********,###.*/###############*(/*////***.############ #######(((#((#(########(**,**%%&%###((#%%##%#(*,#######.*(***///***.############ ######((((((((#((((((##/**%%%##%%%###%#%%(#(#%##((,#####,(/***/****.############ ######((((((((((((((((((###%(%%%#(#(((((#((//////##(*###,(/********,############ #####((((((((((((((((((/%(#(####(/(###(///*******//((((.*(/********,############ ####((((((((((((((((((//##(#(//*******************//(((%*(/*********.########### ####(((((((((((((((((((,,,,******//////**/********////((/***********.##########. (###(((((((((((((((((/,.,,*/////((((((##%&&&&&%%##(*//((#*,,,*******.########### ((##((((((((((((((((((*,#%%&&%%%##((((###%%#(//////***/#/*,,,*******.#########.# (((#((((((((((((((((((///((##%%&%(/***/(%%%%@@&#(%(//**/**,,********,########### (((((((((((((((((((((((,*#(%@@@&@(*****//(##%#((///*******.,,,,,****,########### ((#((((((((((((((((((((./*(((((//***********************///(%,,,,,**,####..##### ((#((((((((((((((((((((,.,*****,*******//**************,,/&***,,,,,*,#####.,,.## ((#(((((((((((((((((((/.,,****/#%#%%&@@%((//**************,./.,,,,,*,.########## (((((((((((///////////,.,,,,*//((/(#(/((/*****************//*,,,...,..########## ****,,,********///***////,,,*/*//***/********************#((//(((//////////////* ******/////////(#((((#((#*****//#%%%%%%&%((#(//********/((((//((((##(((/(###(((( //***////*////(##%%%######***(%#/(((((#(////(((////////*&#(##((//(###(((((((##(( ////((((//((//(###%%%####%#//(((###%%%##(((/(((///////(##((((/((((######((((##(/ /////***,**///((((####%#####//(//***********////////((%@((((((((///((#######(//( /((/*,*((/**//(((#%%##%#%%&@@%#(///((((////(/(%%%%&&@@&%%%%(//(##(/////////(((## /(#(**/((/////((((#####%@%&@@@&&%%%%%%%%%&&&@@@&&&&@&&@%%((///////(//////#%#(/// */(//*////(((((((#######&%&@@@&&&%%#&&&@@@@@@@@@@&&&@@@&(//(#%%(//(///////((//// ////////(((((((((######%&@%@@@&&&%%%####%@@@@&&&&&%&%&%%&&((#%#((((((((###(((/// ////////((((///(###%&@@&@&@&@@&&&&#((((@@&@@@&%%@%%@&%&%&&%&/(//(###((((((((((// ((///(((((//%&&&%&@@&@&&&#&@@%&%##(((%@@@@@&&&%&&&@@%&@&&%&&&&&%&&&&@%%((((##(/( ##((###&%%&#%%&&@@@@@&%&%@&@&@@#####%&&&&&&&&@&@&@@%%%%&&%&&%&&%#&&&%%%%##%#%##/ &%%%%&%&&%&%&&&%&%%&&&%@&@@&@&&&((&%&&&&&@@%&&&@@@@%&@%%&%@%&&@%&%&&%&%%%%###(%# %%%%%&&%%%%@%%%%%%%&#@&%&%&#&&&&%(&&&&&&%&&%&&%@@&%&&@@%%#&&@@##%%&#%&&%&%#%%%%%
About Todd
I found Windy City Labs through taking classes taught by Kevin for CTD at Northwestern University. During mid-2020 I started as a part-time intern at WCL and then started working full time in May 2021 after graduating high school a year early.
I’ve been writing code for embedded systems since middle school through VEX Robotics and expanded to developing for the Arduino and Particle platforms in high school. Over the past year and a half, I have been doing extensive work in JavaScript and Node.JS as well and implementing most of the MERN stack in a variety of projects. I also have experience in 3D modeling and creating custom mounts and enclosures using various additive and subtractive machining tools such as 3D printers, CNC routers, and laser cutters.
I love taking ideas for products and bringing them to life by designing and manufacturing them and then connecting them to the cloud with various IoT technologies. Alongside my work at WCL, I also love to play piano and viola, do technical design and operation of theatre shows, and play around with DIY PCs and the Windows registry. I’m also a Star Trek fan (as long as it wasn’t made after 2002) and enjoy playing with my Siberian husky Colby.