Hello, I’m Tomiko (she/her or they/them) — but you can just call me Doc, like everyone else does.
I’m a senior technologist, software engineer, and strategic advisor with over three decades of experience working at the intersection of technology, business, and people. I’ve been in IT since 1993, long enough to have seen multiple cycles of hype, collapse, reinvention, and genuine progress.
I don’t chase trends. I work with what actually ships, scales, and survives contact with reality.
Background and Experience
Over the course of my career, I’ve worked across a wide range of roles and environments, including:
- Over 30 years in IT, spanning infrastructure, software engineering, security, and leadership
- More than 15 years running a cloud-provider business, serving clients across multiple industries
- Operating day-to-day on equal footing with C-level executives and deeply technical teams
- Leading and advising on complex enterprise software projects, including large, long-lived code-bases
- Extensive experience with AI tooling, APIs, and real-world capabilities, separate from hype
- Strong grounding in security and compliance frameworks, including NIST and CMMC
- Deep understanding of DevSecOps, CI/CD pipelines, and full application life cycles
- Particular depth with Microsoft’s ecosystem, from infrastructure through application platforms
I’ve worked in environments where mistakes are merely expensive — and others where mistakes are catastrophic. That perspective informs how I assess risk, set expectations, and help organizations make decisions they can live with.
How I Think About Technology
Technology doesn’t fail in isolation. Projects fail because of misaligned incentives, unclear authority, unrealistic timelines, and poor communication between humans.
My role is often less about “doing more” and more about doing the right things in the right order — and knowing when to stop.
I bring a systems view to organizations: how software, people, tools, vendors, and constraints interact over time. That’s especially important now, as AI tools change rapidly and unevenly, often faster than organizations can adapt.
Identity and Professionalism
I am trans, and I do not compromise on identity or presentation.
In practice, this has been a strength. It has sharpened my ability to read environments quickly, set clear boundaries, and work only with people who value professionalism and respect. Those conditions are not obstacles to good work — they are prerequisites.
Why I Do This Work
I enjoy solving hard problems, untangling stalled efforts, and helping teams regain momentum without burning themselves out. I don’t need to be everywhere, and I don’t want to be full-time everywhere. I prefer focused, high-leverage engagements where judgment matters.
If you’re looking for someone who has seen how this goes — when it works, when it doesn’t, and why — we’ll probably have a good conversation.