Hello there!

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’s cultures.

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—from user interfaces, to typography, to copywriting—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 Google, Virgin America & Live Nation—along with an app that Apple was proud enough of to promote on the App Store home page!

Other achievements included web applications that onboarded millions of users, an app used to time 3.5 million participants of sporting events in over 200 countries, and an app that went viral in Brazil—because its name there means, “butt crack”.

All these interests converged in the world of crypto, where I joined as a co-founder, Head of Product, and Chief Strategy Officer at Aurora—an EVM blockchain, running on the NEAR Protocol.

There, my team created the Rainbow Bridge web application, used to transfer 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 into semi-retirement, working in part-time advisory and product roles—for companies ranging from leading crypto exchanges to AI startups.

Over the years, I’ve created a number of personal projects, including a place to store and share chess games in the cloud, and an introductory book on investing.

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.

Questions or comments? — Feel free to email me using the contact form below, or reach out on Twitter.