We are back with another fun employee spotlight. At Innowatts, we take pride in our employees and like to recognize the talent and diversity that makes Innowatts so successful. This week, we talked with Adrian Montenegro, one of our data engineers.
Where are you from and where did you go to school?
I consider myself from Aguascalientes in Mexico. I went to the Autonomous University of Aguascalientes and studied computer science. Although I am originally from a smaller town in a different part of Mexico, I consider myself from the city because I went to middle and high school there. I feel really connected to Aguascalientes now. I came to the US for the first time in 2014, and originally lived in Oklahoma before coming to Houston. For me, the US is all southern culture, because I have only lived in this part of the US.
Where did you work before coming to Innowatts?
Before coming to Innowatts, I worked for a big consulting company, Accenture, for almost nine years. During this time, I worked on many different companies. I think I have a unique outlook because of my diverse work experience.
What do you do at Innowatts currently?
I am part of the data engineering team, so I develop data pipelines for data ingestion and consumption and implement all of the models our data science team creates. I make sure that all of the workflows are connected perfectly and I make sure the data is flowing as it should.
How has your career grown since being at Innowatts?
At my previous company, we had a lot of resources and training to guide us through any sort of technology. Working for a startup, the learning comes with the work. Sometimes you have to do things that you’ve never done before and try to solve problems on your own. This has been challenging, but I don’t see it in a bad way. It’s the origin of the growth. You have to fall sometimes and carry on – that’s the best way to learn actually. These learning experiences have helped my career grow in ways that I never expected.
What do you find most exciting or rewarding about working for Innowatts?
The people. Every person at Innowatts has been a teacher to me in one way or another. To see how people push each other and push this company to success is so exciting. The human factor is something that I love to be a part of.
What do you like to do outside of work?
I am a frustrated musician! I like to play guitar and just bought an accordion. I also like percussion. I really enjoy learning new music and instruments.
Where is the most interesting place you have traveled to?
I have two places. One is my favorite travel story, and one is my favorite place that I have been to, so far. My favorite travel story is when I went on a cruise to multiple islands. One of our stops was in Antigua and I was late back to the cruise ship, so it left me behind! I had to stay one night in Antigua and then take a flight to the next island where the cruise was stopping. When I landed, I had to wait 2 hours for the cruise to dock. It was stressful, but Antigua was beautiful, and I really enjoyed getting to stay the extra night. The best place I have ever experienced is Rome, Italy. It is an amazing city!
What is your favorite food?
Before coming to the US, Mexican food was my favorite, but now I have to say that Thai is my favorite!