Steven Ortiz
Steven Ortiz
Senior Software Developer
Hi there! I'm a senior software developer with experience across web, mobile, and full stack development. I care about software that works well, looks good, and feels good to use. I enjoy difficult technical problems, but I'm just as interested in the small design decisions that make an application feel polished.

About
I'm a seasoned software developer focused on creating applications that people actually enjoy using. Outside of my day-to-day work, I run a small business where I build and release my own projects. I like experimenting with new tools and turning ideas into software that feels thoughtful and well-crafted. I also enjoy collaborating with people who care about the details.
As an amateur artist, I spend a lot of my spare time experimenting with musical instruments or writing fictional worlds and characters. These days, much of my time is also spent with my wife and son, whether we're trying new restaurants, exploring new places, or just enjoying everyday life together. I've always had a meticulous eye for detail, which shows up in everything from building computers with clean cable management to keeping my home and workspace organized.
I stay active through calisthenics, cycling, and swimming. At home, my talkative cat Coqui often keeps me company, and when it's time to unwind, I dive into immersive stories through video games, movies, and books, especially science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Some favorites of mine include No Country for Old Men, Blade Runner, God of War, and Mass Effect.
Skills
Interests
Roles
Senior Mobile Developer
Security Service Federal Credit Union
April 2023 - Present
As a senior developer, I take on the harder work across our mobile applications and enterprise dashboard. I mentor newer developers, review technical approaches, and help the team work through problems that do not have obvious answers. When a new tool or framework might solve a real need, I research it, build small proofs of concept, and help decide whether it is worth adopting. I also stay involved in everyday development through feature work, bug fixes, code reviews, and maintenance.
Mobile Developer
Security Service Federal Credit Union
February 2020 - April 2023
At Security Service, I helped build a mobile banking application from concept to production within a year, then later helped replace an aging enterprise monitoring dashboard. Both were built with Ionic, Angular, and ASP.NET Core. I worked on features, maintenance, end-to-end testing with Cypress, and the back-and-forth required to turn requirements and designs into working software. A lot of the job came down to staying close to other developers, designers, QA, and business stakeholders so issues were found early and the finished product matched what people actually needed.
Full Stack Developer
AT&T
September 2018 - February 2020
At AT&T, I developed a confidential full stack web application for the federal government. The project required secret clearance and started as a solo effort before growing into a small team near the end. I made the early architecture and technology decisions, built the core platform with React and Django, and helped deploy it to Red Hat Enterprise Linux servers. Security and stability were part of the work from the beginning, not something added at the end.
Projects
Beenana
August 2024 - Present
The website for my business, Beenana. Setting up a business was no small feat: I had to navigate local and state requirements, make sure the paperwork was right, and build something that could represent the company clearly. Built with React and Next.js, the site presents our product lineup and gives customers a straightforward place to learn more about what we make.
Questionairy
January 2023 - Present
A mobile party game built around personal questions and private conversation. Questionairy includes questions across many parts of life, with the goal of helping friends, family, or partners talk about things they might not normally bring up. Built with Ionic, Angular, and ASP.NET Core, the app runs on Android and iOS. It was my first commercial project and took about two years of nights and weekends to design, build, test, and release.
Enterprise Dashboard
Security Service Federal Credit Union
July 2022 - Present
A dashboard for monitoring company applications and viewing operational data through charts and graphs. I rebuilt the older version with Ionic, Angular, and ASP.NET Core, and the team grew as the project neared completion. I also helped design the interface, which needed to show a lot of information without becoming difficult to read. The project had a tight timeline and limited resources, but it gave stakeholders a clearer view of application performance and business metrics.
Fore
March 2021 - June 2021
A mobile image board client for Android. Fore lets users browse and search boards, threads, and posts, then download or share images and videos from the app. I built it with Ionic and Angular and kept the feature set intentionally narrow, focusing on the parts of image board browsing I cared about most.
Security Service Mobile
Security Service Federal Credit Union
February 2020 - Present
As part of a small development team, I helped create this fully featured mobile banking application using the Ionic, Angular, and ASP.NET Core frameworks in under a year, allowing for deployment on both Android and iOS. We implemented end-to-end testing with Cypress to ensure reliability across devices and use cases. Since launch, our team continues to actively maintain and enhance the application, rolling out regular updates with new features and security improvements.
[Redacted]
AT&T
September 2018 - February 2020
Starting with a rudimentary codebase, this web application combined a React frontend with a Django backend. I began the project on my own, taking it from early architecture through deployment, then helped lead a small team as the scope expanded. Because the work required secret clearance, the team had to follow strict security and confidentiality requirements throughout development.
Passage
September 2019
Built with React and Next.js, this single-page web application functions as an offline password generator with extensive customization options. Passage features a visual feedback system that changes the color scheme of the interface based on user selections, giving users a quick read on password strength and complexity. Users can also generate multiple passwords simultaneously and save them directly to a text file for enhanced privacy, eliminating the need for visual or clipboard transmission of sensitive information.
Whoisit
July 2018 - August 2018
A mobile WHOIS client for Android. Whoisit sends domain lookups directly to the appropriate WHOIS server instead of routing them through an intermediary, which helps keep searches private and reduces the risk of registrar domain scalping. I built it with Flutter as a small, focused utility for checking domain information from a phone.
Unibrowse
April 2018
A single-page web application for browsing Unicode characters. Users can explore allocated Unicode blocks, search by character name, literal value, or code point, and view details about each character. I built it with React and Next.js because I wanted a quick way to look up Unicode data without digging through dense reference tables.
Reviso
January 2018
A file-renaming tool available as both a command line utility and desktop application. Reviso can rename large groups of files using text replacements, regular expressions, or common case conversions. I built it with Kotlin and JavaFX after a similar tool I liked was discontinued, with both a graphical interface and command line workflow for different use cases.
Rchmod
August 2017
A command line utility that recursively changes file and directory permissions throughout a directory tree. Rchmod extends the standard chmod workflow with recursive and type-specific options, which made it useful for permission cleanup across larger file structures. It was also an early Rust project and a practical exercise in systems programming.
Zero
February 2017
A security-focused command line utility that overwrites file contents with zeros before removing them, reducing the chance of data recovery. Written in Rust, Zero was my introduction to the language and one of my first steps into systems programming and security tooling.
Projectile Motion Simulator
October 2015 - November 2015
A simple physics-based 2D sandbox game built with Java and LibGDX. As my first software project created during school, Projectile Motion Simulator allows users to spawn thousands of objects with different physical properties and create spectacular chain reactions. The highlight feature is an all-powerful cannonball that can wreak havoc throughout the play space. This project let me explore fundamental programming concepts while building something playful and interactive.
Academics
JSON Ingest
The University of Texas at San Antonio
September 2017 - November 2017
Using Java, I developed a high-performance in-memory JSON document store and devised a variety of tests that pushed the JVM to its absolute limits. This component was successfully integrated into a fork of Apache Geode with SQL-like querying capabilities in development at the University of Texas at San Antonio. This project received recognition as a Best Technology award winner and resulted in a publication that was accepted at the 2017 IEEE International Conference on Big Data.
B.S. Computer Science
The University of Texas at San Antonio
August 2012 - December 2016
I earned my undergraduate degree from the University of Texas at San Antonio with a focus on Software Engineering. The program combined computer science theory with practical software development, and I graduated magna cum laude with honors and earned a membership in the National Society of Collegiate Scholars.
Testimonials
If Steven ripped off his face and revealed he was actually a cyborg from the future, it honestly wouldn't shock me. His superhuman ability to absorb massive amounts of information, instantly upgrade codebases, and effortlessly debug the most perplexing production issues definitely suggests robotic origins. Except I've never seen him murder anyone. He's quite pleasant to work with and has greatly improved my abilities as an Angular developer. So, if he's an early glimpse of our future robot overlords, I think I'm actually okay with it.
Elio MagginiSenior Software Developer
Steven is an exceptional full stack developer with a deep understanding of user experience, making him a valuable asset. His ability to bridge the gap between development and design ensures seamless and user-friendly digital experiences. As a UI/UX professional myself, I've seen firsthand how his thoughtful approach and attention to detail enhance both functionality and usability. You need this giant Puerto Rican behemoth on your team.
Matthew OliverUI/UX Designer
Steven is an attentive teacher capable of connecting the theme of the subject to real-world applications. He clearly explains and follows through on complex topics, connecting key points along the way, and provides various examples that allow for multiple pathways of understanding. Steven demonstrates patience and reassures his students that all questions are welcome. He always maintains transparency when a new development in software engineering is released and is able to work through problems in a real-time classroom setting.
Elizabeth MachadoStudent
Thanks
I'm grateful for the opportunities that have shaped my work as a developer. Each project has taught me something, challenged me in a new way, and helped me better understand how thoughtful software can make people's lives a little easier. None of this work happens in isolation. I've been lucky to work with colleagues and mentors who have challenged me, supported me, and shared what they know. Their perspectives have made my work better and reminded me that good software is rarely built alone. Thank you for taking the time to explore my portfolio. I hope it gives you a good sense of how I think, what I care about, and the kind of work I like to do. If something here resonates with you, I'd be happy to connect.