Industry Expert / Executive Interview


1. Introduction: I had the pleasure of speaking with Daniel Howe, a CSU Monterey Bay. He is currently the President of neatMon,  and leads a pioneering technology firm specializing in IoT/software solutions. 

After exploring his Linkedin, I noticed he specialized in embedded systems.  Daniel loved robotics ever since high school, but he also had years of agriculture experience working on the farm with his family’s business. After working in the agricultural industry, he was exposed to so many niche problems. And because he was the technologist expert, his team looked to him for solutions. He was comfortable with the knowledge he gained from being a self-taught programmer, but he soon realized there was limit. There was only so much that he could do alone. 

In an excerpt from the interview, Daniel talks about the problems he faced being self-taught:

“I was working in the industry already in agriculture and technology. I was doing a lot of the functions that I do today, but I was doing it kind of self-taught. And so I was struggling with a lot of the underlying technologies or if somebody said that they wanted some sort of new feature it was up to me to implement it and I was having trouble doing it. So, I wanted to go back to school for computer science, mainly to develop the knowledge but also to kind of broaden my horizons as far as careers were concerned”

His situation led him to doing CSU Monterey Bay’s Computer Science program.  Daniel highlighted the program’s diverse course pathway and each class changed the way he approached his problems. With each course, he was able to apply new information into his passion project for agriculture. By specializing in embedded systems and internet of thing devices he was able to develop a capstone that used small devices that pinged information back to a centralized system. These devices served as data points to monitor infrastructure like garbage cans, heating ventilation, and air conditions systems on campus. With the help of the CSU MB professors, he even won a contest with his capstone!

After graduating, He was able to use his previous capstone project for his own startup. Using all the knowledge he learned from both CSU Monterey Bay’s coursework and his capstone project; he was able to apply it to the initial problems he faced in the agriculture industry. The same IoT approach he used in his capstone served as the groundwork for his agriculture tech start up. By integrating a system that uses all types of environmental surveillance, farmers were able to efficiently care for their crops. The devices are able to monitor water levels, flow/pressure, pump uptime, soil moisture, microclimates and integrate everything in an easy-to-use dashboard. 


2. Summary: Key takeaways from the conversation (e.g., career advice, insights into industry trends, technical challenges).

My favorite piece of advice is that: Each of the courses are meant to open your mind and think differently. Whether its graphical design or data analytics, each of these courses are meant to help us think and solve problems with a different perspective. A data analysts may approach a problem differently than a game developer. It is important to see the value the other side brings. 

3. Reflection: How this experience influenced your understanding of career options and the industry.

Daniel pointed out that he and I have a lot in common. We both re-entered higher education to pursue computer science. Despite having an established career and a family, he was still able to broaden his horizons and learn a new trade. I have always felt a little ashamed that at my current age, I still don’t have a bachelor’s degree. But as I get older, I realize that many people are kind in the same boat. Not only are they still doing great things, but these the people who go back school later in life usually have a deeper drive than most traditional college students (those who complete it straight after high school). I am now proud to be one of those alternative pathway students. I have found my drive, my passion, and vision. I too want to find that intersection of passion and technology. 

4. Future Steps: How do you plan to apply this knowledge to your academic or professional journey?

Take everything in…. and put in maximum effort; I’ll reap the reward 100x. The courses set before me aren’t just GWAR requirements set by the state of California. Time and effort went into the selection of theses course. The pace, the engagement, and even the collaboration has been fine tuned to create a launchpad for students to soar. I’m not here to half ass my way to become an engineer. Moving forward I will try my best not to discount any assignment or optional reading. 



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