About Me
I live in Austin, Texas with my wife Elisa and our two kids. I graduated from TCU, where I also played lacrosse, and I’ve carried that team-first mindset into my work ever since. When I’m not working, you’ll usually find me brewing strong coffee, chasing my kids around the yard, noodling on the guitar, or going down some rabbit hole — be it electronics, bike maintenance, or how to keep an aquarium alive without turning it into an algae farm.
Work
I’ve spent the last 15+ years leading engineering teams, designing systems, and helping companies turn big, messy problems into clean, working software. I’ve worked across industries—transportation, insurance, cybersecurity, SaaS—and across roles, from hands-on coding to setting technical direction and coaching teams through complex projects.
What I enjoy most is being in the middle of it all: working with engineers, product folks, and execs to figure out where we’re going and how to get there without losing our minds. I’ve led teams through everything from greenfield builds to system rewrites, and I’ve seen firsthand how much leadership matters—not just in making decisions, but in creating an environment where people can do their best work.
These days, I work at riyex, partnering with companies that want to move fast and build with intention. I’m still deeply technical, but I’ve learned that clear communication, good instincts, and a steady hand often matter more than any one line of code.
#brothers
One of the biggest influences on my path into technology was my older brother, Scott Barrett Wigginton.
When Scott came home from college, we’d set up his original RadioShack TRS-80 and play through the classic games he had collected. Those were my earliest experiences with computers—booting up floppies, typing in commands—and they lit the first spark that eventually became my career. I’ll never forget the time he showed a friend and me a nickel and—with a completely straight face—explained how he could probably flip it on eBay for five bucks!
Scott graduated from Texas A&M with a master’s degree in meteorology. He was fluent in Spanish and worked for the National Weather Service in Brownsville, TX.
In 2001, Scott started feeling pain and noticed a bump under his arm. We lost Scott 6 weeks later to melanoma skin cancer.
Online, Scott went by the handle swigg on IRC. If you ever crossed paths with him there, I’d love to hear from you!
