Having a very strong curiosity as a child, Brad Pommen received his first Commodore VIC-20 in 1985 – he was completely hooked on technology from that point on. Helping to setup a transaction management and inventory tracking system for his father’s small engine shop was his first position at just 11 years old. Cracking open computer hardware for friends and family – upgrading ram, processors and video cards was just the tip of the iceberg. The trend continued through out the years as Brad became the first student at his high school to write his grade 12 English final exam on a computer.
Completing his college education at NAIT, Brad lived in Edmonton, Alberta while working as a Computer Programmer/Analyst, AutoCAD designer and CNC operator for several established technology companies. Exposed to an array of computer programming, engineering, production manufacturing and design positions; he continues to provide technology services to clients from Nelson, BC.
Since 2007 Brad has maintained an emerging technology website SMRT 1 Canada which was incorporated in 2009 providing contracting services to clients across North America. Enjoying alternative energy, home automation and green living articles, his eyes are clearly focused on emerging technology trends as he continues to attend the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas for the past several years.
Constantly expanding into forward-looking technologies, Brad has taken a leadership role in Arduino micro-controllers, home brew CNC technology, open source development and general electronics projects through his position as the Chief Hackerspace Coordinator of the Nelson Technology Club. The NTC is a growing, independent initiative to nurture technology advancement within the local community. Hackerspaces are creative outlets which cater to the curiosities of the enthusiasts and the skilled alike. It’s a place to talk about technology with people who understand what you are talking about. The goal being to provide resources and share knowledge. The NTC functions as a center for peer learning and skill sharing in the form of weekly meetups, online resources, workshops, presentations and collaborative group projects.