I was raised in a dysfunctional, middle-to-lower-class family in Tiverton, RI. I started working at twelve years old, in a coatroom and on a paper route. To escape the ordeals at home, I joined the Boy Scouts and spent almost every weekend away during my youth. Subsequently, I became an Eagle Scout at fourteen years old. 

 

        My parents sent me to Bishop Connolly High School in Fall River at the start of my ninth-grade year. However, they stopped paying the tuition after my sophomore year, so I paid for the remaining two years myself. I graduated and went to Rhode Island College, but after three semesters, I ran out of money.  

 

        I found full-time employment in a department store where I had been working part-time, and I became the Assistant store manager. I soon realized that I was not pursuing a viable career path. So, I found employment at a larger retailer, JCPenney, in hopes that the career prospects would be better. They were not. 

 

        During that time, I learned of a company that was hiring high school graduates as Computer Operators at the Newport Naval Base (1980). The work was with submarine computer systems; they paid minimum wage… but they would train you and reimburse college costs. I did everything I could to get a job there. 

 

        I was a huge pain in the ass, and I called the HR department daily for over six months asking for a job. Finally, they hired me. I accepted the pay cut and began working for Syscon Corporation. They processed me for a US Government security clearance and trained me to work on Trident Submarine computer systems. Although Syscon paid for college, I was working my primary job and two part-time jobs, so I could not take advantage of it. 

 

        After a year and a half, I used my Syscon experience to secure a Systems Analyst role with another defense contractor for higher pay. I climbed the ranks and, after a few years, found work at Raytheon (again on submarine systems), where I eventually became a manager overseeing about 40 people. That was great, until Raytheon lost a major contract. I was given a letter of commendation for my quality work, and a 'pink slip' for layoff. 

 

        General Electric (GE) in Syracuse, NY, won the contract that Raytheon lost. I got a small apartment in Syracuse and took a Systems Engineer position with GE. I put my house up for sale and prepared my wife and two sons to move to Syracuse. Due to job losses in the area, the housing market took a downturn. I could not sell my house, so for a year I commuted weekly to Syracuse. Eventually, I started looking for Jobs in Rhode Island, but not having a college degree, I was limited. After a year, I was offered a Systems Software position at UNISYS in Middletown, RI, where I worked on a range of submarine systems.  

 

        At that point in my life, my focus turned to education. I worked and went to college almost full-time. UNISYS paid my tuition. I graduated from Rhode Island College with a Bachelor's degree in computer science (BA), and began working on a master’s degree almost immediately. During that time, my wife exited our marriage, and I became a single dad to my preteen sons. I still worked and went to school. It was difficult, but wanting to be the best dad I could be, I also served as their Cub Scout leader and coached two Little League teams. 

 

        As time went on, my sons grew, and their mother became more involved in their lives, so I continued working on a master’s degree (MS) in computer information systems (I graduated in 1999). Eventually, I met an incredible woman, we got married, and we raised a daughter. My sons went off to college, and I left the defense industry to work at AMTROL. 

 

        AMTROL was great; it was private-sector software development, so everything happened quickly. I could develop software in the morning and have people using it later that day, whereas in the defense industry, it took years to roll out software. I loved working at AMTROL, but after a year of employment, the company was sold and reshaped into a new AMTROL. One year later, my position was eliminated so I reached out to a reseller of AMTROL products, David Gooding Inc. David hired me to automate and modernize his business processes. Two years later, I accomplished all the goals that were set for David Gooding Inc., so I told David I planned to resign. He suggested I start a company. 

 

        I had never run a business before, but I worked hard and grew it. I started writing software that I could sell, and I did a lot of sales and marketing. I hired a single programmer and tried to create a product. I saw that supply chain issues were a significant problem at David Gooding Inc., so I developed supply chain software that ran over the internet rather than being installed on-site. Since the software was not installed, it cost a fraction of what on-premises software would have cost. I called this software B2BGateway, and we did business as B2BGateway.net.
 

        The company grew, and by 2006, we needed support in Europe to better serve our clients in other time zones. I opened an office in Ireland to service the UK and European market. In 2012, I opened an office in Sydney, Australia, to service the Asian/Pacific market. Each of these offices went on to become independent but wholly owned subsidiaries. At that point, we had nearly 100 employees worldwide. With a programming background and limited business education, I realized I needed more business training, so I enrolled in a Master of Business Administration (MBA) program at Salve Regina University and graduated in 2015.

 

        For many years, our major competitor (a publicly traded company) wanted to acquire B2BGateway, but I always ignored their inquiries. In 2019, they inquired again but led with a financial offer. I was impressed, so we entered into an agreement and went through due diligence. At the last minute, they changed the agreement (known as a ‘re-trade' in the industry). They substantially reduced the purchase price and broke their agreement to retain staff. I walked away from the deal.  

 

        In 2020, I strategically planned to sell B2BGateway (rather than having it bought). We assembled a professional team of lawyers, accountants, and brokers, and offered to sell B2BGateway to 110 companies. We received interest from 60 companies. Of those companies, 31 sought further info, and 15 made offers. We narrowed down the field and eventually chose a buyer who retained all the employees and benefits. The sale of B2BGateway occurred during a very tumultuous time, as COVID-19 affected businesses worldwide. We worked through the challenges, and B2BGateway was eventually sold to True Commerce Inc. in October of 2020.

 

        After the sale of the company, I stopped working but due to Covid, I could not socialize, travel, or do much of anything involving friends and family. So, I decided to apply to law school. I took the LSATs, got recommendations, and was accepted to Roger Williams Law School. 

 

        I started law school full-time (and in person) in August 2023. It was great, but it was a great deal of work. My wife (who holds a master’s degree) and our recent college graduate daughter were very supportive. After my first year, I realized I did not want to become a lawyer and work every day. I also did not want to work internships during my third year of law school. As such, I switched from the Juris Doctor (JD) program to the Master of Studies in Law (MSL). I wanted to learn about law rather than work as a lawyer, so the MSL program was perfect for me. I was able to take all the doctrinal legal courses and skip the internships. I graduated on December 12, 2025. 

 

        As a lifelong Rhode Islander, I am disappointed with how the state is being run. We are overspending and overtaxing. I am ready to help; I am educated, I have business experience, I have a legal education, and I have the time. I do not want to be in politics for any reason other than to help make sensible choices. I am not liberal, but I am not hard-core right-leaning either. I disaffiliate from political parties after each primary election.
 

Most importantly, I can respectfully listen to opposing opinions and weigh their advantages and disadvantages. Further, I can be wrong and learn from my mistakes. I feel that those qualities are missing in politics today.