Josh’s love of technology has been apparent from an early age. When other kids were riding bikes, he was taking computers apart and putting them back together. Working with BASIC, he taught himself how to write code. While at Grand Valley State University, Josh organized and led a team for a national cyber defense competition.
After graduating from the GVSU Honors College in just three years, his next step was a master’s in Computer Science and Engineering from Michigan State University. To challenge himself, he developed a firewall fingerprint identification process as the basis of his thesis.
Josh was then selected for GE’s coveted Edison Engineering Development Program (EEDP). The few individuals accepted into the program rotate through the company and are groomed for making innovative contributions to GE’s future. Above all, the opportunity sparked his interest in the technical challenges of software, and how best to overcome them. He was ready to take the next step and open his own business.
Josh co-founded Michigan Software Labs with Mark Johnson in 2010. Since then, they have steadily assembled a technically advanced group of developers and designers who think about solving client challenges the way they would for themselves. This means taking personal ownership of the work and digging deep to understand the nature of the problem. Today, MichiganLabs is engaging with clients on a global level, in industries ranging from automotive and logistics to technology and healthcare.
In his free time, Josh enjoys snow shoeing and mountain biking with his two exuberant children and his wife, Leslie. His involvement in church includes serving as deacon for three years and overseeing an $8M budget in the role of treasurer. Josh was named a 40 under 40 winner from the Grand Rapids Business Journal and serves on the board of directors for both Priority Health and The Right Place, Inc.
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