As a kid, Joe spent a lot of time outdoors. The rest of his time went to messing around with computers. He studied at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. He holds a Master of Science in GIS and Bachelor of Science in Geology and Physical Geography.
Joe’s been in the industry since 2010, and joined Sparkgeo in the spring of 2018. He chose Sparkgeo for the opportunity to work with open source geospatial tools, and develop custom software solutions. Sparkgeo’s wide range of projects—with interesting organizations—also appealed to him.
Working remotely affords Joe him some flexibility, while collaborating with team members across the country. He likes helping technology companies make better sense of their geospatial data. He particularly appreciates projects that make innovative use of open data sources like OpenStreetMap.
Joe credits his colleagues for their understanding of geospatial tools, and how they can be applied. Recently, he worked with Arturo to help them determine the accuracy of their model—and areas where the existing OpenStreetMap data falls short.
He’s curious about the future of earth observation. Joe notes that increasing sensor numbers, new data standards, and open source tools will usher in amazing use cases.
Joe likes to get outdoors. He mountain bikes, skis, and hikes. He also likes to cook (and eat).
Originally from the UK, Joe has lived in Canada since 2012. He’s also explored The Central Walbran Valley (the last significant old growth temperate rainforest on Southern Vancouver Island). He kayaked all 446 km on the Grand Canyon. If he could go anywhere right now he’d head to Moab to ride his mountain bike in the desert.
