I like to think of myself as a maker of things and an explorer.

I was born and spent my early life in Sri Lanka, an island off southern India. It was an amazing time in an amazing place. It offered me the opportunity to explore my natural environment and and to be creative with materials I had at hand. Toys and entertainment had too be imagined and created. There was little that was processed and instantly consumable.

My education has been pretty diverse — I attended both public and private schools in Sri Lanka, India, and the US. My college education is similarly diverse and included readings in Math/Computer Science, Anthropology/Political Science, and Public Administration in California, Arizona, and Pennsylvania.

My professional life was mostly spent in the Tech world. I had a variety of different roles at both a large company and startups. I loved distributed and networked systems and the way one approaches building them has defined much of my approach to making things.

I love the water — specifically the ocean. Swimming, snorkeling, diving, sailing, and wind surfing are all activities I’ve enjoyed over time. I also enjoyed flying and motorcycles, but those are more youthful pursuits.

I currently live in the wine country near Portland, OR with my two dogs, a largish yard and ample space in which to play. The location allows me to pursue my interests in working with ferrous and non-ferrous metals, as well as wood joinery and turning.

If you’d like to follow my continuing evolution as a maker, please follow me on Instagram @aserappa and @TinyShinyToolworks — a venture I launched with my partner Kristin to fabricate tools for other creatives.