About your author

My name is Matt Henderson, and this website is where I’ve been writing since 2003. You’ll also find me on Twitter, and LinkedIn.

My story…

My career has been spent at the intersection of innovation, technology and design.

Originally from the United States, I studied electrical engineering at Georgia Tech. A girlfriend from Spain, and time spent at the school’s campus in France, sparked a lifelong interest in exploring the world.

My first job was tracking satellites in Germany at the European Space Agency. Wanting to experience the business side of the industry, I started an aerospace engineering company in 1997, which I grew to about 35 people, and sold in an industry roll-up in 2012.

I fell in love with design & usability, and started an agency, Makalu, hoping to create products even Apple would be proud of. That little business, which I ran for 20 years from the southern coast of Spain, created some critically acclaimed work for brands like Google, Virgin America and Live Nation.

Among our achievements included a marketing campaign for Google that Ogilvy execs declared, “A glimpse into the future of digital marketing”, a web application that onboarded a million users, an app used to time three million participants of sport events, and an app featured by Apple, that went viral in Brazil—because its name there means, “butt crack”.

All these interests converged in the world of crypto, in which I became a builder, working as a founding member, Head of Product, and Chief Strategy Officer at Aurora Labs—an EVM blockchain, running on the NEAR Protocol.

There, my team created the front-end for the Rainbow Bridge, responsible for transferring more than $2B in assets, Aurora+, one of the first web2 apps in the web3 space, and Aurora Cloud. I was also affectionately accused of impersonating Tim Cook in this keynote video :)

In 2023, I transitioned out of a full-time work, and into part-time advisory roles—including a Dubai-based crypto exchange and Asimov Protocol, an AI startup.

I’ve also created a number of personal projects, some of which you may be interested in!

Outside of work, I’m a three-time European gold medalist in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, a martial art in which I received my black belt in 2011. I also enjoy outdoor activities like hiking, cycling, rock climbing, and skiing.

I value simplicity and authenticity, and love exploring the diverse experiences and cultures the world has to offer.