Brian is co-founder and managing partner of Bluebuzzard, a Chicago-based software firm founded in 2004, which specializes in Web-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) for the hospitality industry. At Bluebuzzard, Brian leads product management, operations and full-stack development efforts. 

A technology entrepreneur, consultant, speaker, teacher and author with more than 20 years of experience, he has led new product development and software engineering initiatives for some of the world's largest and most progressive companies in hospitality, retail and manufacturing.

He is the co-author of Rails for .NET Developers, published by Pragmatic Press in 2008.

• BS, 1996, Computer Information Systems, Indiana University

• Partner and CTO, Bluebuzzard Technology Group, Inc., 2005-present
• Lead Software Architect, Euromarket Designs, Inc. (Crate and Barrel), 2004-2006
• Director, Applications Development, Applied Decisions USA, Inc., 2001-2004
• Practice Manager, TAP Management, Inc., 1999-2001
• Practice Manager, Symmetry Corporation, 1997-1999
• Senior Consultant, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, LLC, 1996-1997

This course is geared for entrepreneurs and non-programmers who want to build their own web applications and/or manage a software product lifecycle. Students will use HTML, CSS, and the Ruby programming language to build an online product, learning the fundamentals of computer programming and modern web application development along the way.

This class is recommended for students who plan to start their own businesses and want to understand what goes into developing live prototypes and initial versions of their software. By the end of the course, students will be able to build a functional prototype of a typical database-backed web application and deploy it to a production server.

Perhaps more importantly, students will gain an advanced literacy surrounding the ideas that go into building an online product or service, which will allow them to ideate more constructively, converse more effectively with developers, and manage teams more efficiently.

Also covered are agile project management techniques, recommended online management tools, hiring practices, in-house-vs-offshore decisions, and more.

Students will be expected to have Mac, Windows, or Linux computers that they can complete homework and projects on (detailed instructions on setup will be provided to registered students prior to the first day of class).

NOTE: This course overlaps with DSGN 425 and is NOT RECOMMENDED FOR MMM STUDENTS.

Introduction to Software Development (KIEI-924-0)
This course was formerly known as KIEI 924-A/KIEI 924-B
This course is geared to provide technical literacy for non-programmers who will be founders, employees, or consultants to "tech-enabled" organizations. This is a survey-style course that is very hands-on - students will learn the essentials of coding by creating websites and basic software applications that manipulate data and work across today's platforms and devices.
Students will: • Build their own website and deploy it on a variety of platforms, including tablets and mobile devices, using modern web development tools and techniques • Achieve technical literacy with the JavaScript programming language and related open-source technologies, using it to build simple web and mobile applications • Gain exposure to open-source business initiatives from Facebook, Google, and other major contributors to the languages and frameworks shaping modern software development • Learn to manipulate and consume data with SQL and open-source data visualization libraries • Use both software and hardware APIs to integrate with commercial and open datasets, and to understand the current Internet of Things (IoT) landscape
Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours a week on assignments. All students must have a modern Mac or Windows computer for completing homework and in-class projects. Detailed instructions on setup will be provided prior to the first day of class.
FIRST CLASS ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY.