I’m Erick Friis. I live in San Francisco, where I am figuring out what to build next.

My journey in tech began when I was in 4th grade, attempting to outsmart my dad's time-limiting software on our family PC just so I could play Age of Mythology a little longer. This sparked a passion for understanding computers, leading me to some enjoyable projects in high school (e.g., automating admissions tour assignments and running an iPhone screen-fixing business) and ultimately to my studies in electrical engineering and computer science at MIT.

At college, some of my favorite classes included The Human Intelligence Enterprise (6.833) with Patrick Winston, Computer Systems Security (6.858), and Distributed Systems (6.824). I had the incredible opportunity to teach every semester I was at MIT, which I thoroughly enjoyed. This culminated in grad school, where I served as a teaching assistant for 6.858 under the guidance of Robert Morris and Frans Kaashoek. Additionally, I completed the Gordon Engineering Leadership Program, which focused on developing the essential soft skills associated with engineering careers.

For after grad school, I signed onto Instabase when it was just a small team of 12, and I had the amazing opportunity to hone my systems and AI interests while helping the company grow to 250 employees. From there, I co-founded Chestnut, a fintech startup focused on applications for insurance agents. Currently, I'm exploring new ideas and building out my next project at South Park Commons, feeling excited and optimistic about what the future holds!

Throughout the years, I've always had a love for outdoor activities, especially swimming and cycling. Recently, I've embraced running as well, allowing me to compete in type-2-fun events like Escape from Alcatraz (2021), Ironman 70.3 Santa Cruz (2021, 2022), and Ironman California (2022).