Engineering, with a creative foundation.
Ingrid Avendaño, a software engineer and engineering leader based in San Francisco, currently working at NVIDIA in Silicon Valley. My career spans AI infrastructure, site reliability, and developer experience, with experience leading engineering teams, building large-scale systems, and tackling complex technical challenges.
I come from a family of engineers and artists, so I've always had an appreciation for both the technical and creative sides of building things. I attended an arts high school before leaving for college early to study art alongside electrical and computer engineering in college. Along the way, I conducted research at Carnegie Mellon University and studied abroad in England and Switzerland. I left college in my final year and became an early engineer at Uber. It wasn't the most conventional path, but curiosity and a love of figuring things out have always been constants. I've also worked for companies like Netflix, Chime, Intel, Jawbone, and YC-backed startups like Cruise and EasyPost. I was also the co-founder and former CTO of Antler-backed Aparti.
Born in Caracas, Venezuela, to a German mother and a Spanish father, I grew up very Midwestern in Minnesota. I'm a third culture kid, and growing up across cultures shaped how I see the world, giving me an appreciation for different perspectives, new experiences, and the things I have yet to learn.
I care about building things that are trustworthy, respecting security and privacy, and questioning what doesn't feel right. I value independent thinking, sound judgment, and the conviction to make difficult decisions, even when the easier path is tempting. Some of the most worthwhile choices are the ones that require a little courage.
Outside of work, you'll usually find me sailing, making art, knitting, tinkering with electronics, or taking on fixer-upper projects that inevitably become more ambitious than planned. I love Pilates and yoga, traveling, spending time outdoors, and learning new things, especially when they involve making something with my hands.
I'm drawn to interesting problems, thoughtful conversations, and people who are curious about the world around them.