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Laura Darlak
Web Developer
Mentor
Fly Fisher

Laura Darlak

Hi there! I am a WordPress Developer and practitioner of simple living. I started developing custom WordPress themes in 2017 after leaving a career in applied gerontological research. I have since graduated from the Flatiron School’s Full Stack Web Developer Program and work at a fast-paced web development agency.

I am interested in creating organizational culture that supports team members in actualizing their most fulfilling work and personal life. What I enjoy most about Web Development is the opportunity to use my technical knowledge in service to those who are committed to creating the greatest good for all.

How I Work

Client Facing Web Developer

I work as a bridge between Project Managers and clients by communicating technical approaches and solutions in a way that ensures everyone is on the same page.

Mentorship

I enjoy working with new developers to help craft their troubleshooting skills and support their professional development.

Strategic Perspective

I'm interested in the long game. As a strategic thinker, I anticipate future outcomes and am always on the lookout for ways to reduce process gaps.


Honesty and Transparency

I believe in radical candor and creating organizational cultures of feedback.

Resume

Education

2019
Flatiron School

Full Stack Web Developer Program

Facebook Breakthrough Finalist Scholarship Recipient

Key Project: earlybird.io | Heroku Demo | GitHub

A shopping cart feature for a farmers market ecommerce platform that persists data to a Rails API backend and responds to and modifies state change on the frontend with React and Redux. Dynamic RESTful routing achieved with React Router.

2010
Ithaca College

BA Aging Studies and Journalism

Graduated Cum Laude

Ithaca College Gerontology Academic Achievement Award Recipient

Experience

Kanopi Studios

March 2021 - Present
Remote

WordPress Engineer

I work closely with clients, project managers, and developers to build and support custom WordPress sites for mission-led organizations.

StudioLabs

Aug 2020 – Feb 2021
Buffalo, NY

Web Developer II/Organizational Development Coordinator

My dual roles allow me to maintain my technical chops while improving the well-being and training of our team as we grow.

June 2019 - August 2020

Web Developer I

  • Translate comprehensive PSDs into responsive custom WordPress themes and templates.

  • Provide maintainence and ongoing support for custom WordPress themes, including legacy codebases.

  • Generate timing estimates necessary for pitching new business and project scoping.

Polypore Design LLC

2017 - Present
Buffalo, NY

Freelance Web Developer

I provide web development services to a portfolio of socially and ecologically responsible small businesses and solo-prenuers, including custom WordPress development, ongoing maintenance and support, hosting and security monitoring.

A Great Adventure

2015 - 2019
Ithaca, NY | SE Ohio | Southern KY

My journey from gerontology to web development was filled with many exciting adventures, including: Traveling in a vintage Toyota motorhome, working on a pastured turkey farm, caregiving for older adults, leading brewery tours, and living on a goat farm.

Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging

2011 - 2014
Cleveland, OH

Research Assistant

  • Recruited participants to the evidence-based intervention BRI Care Consultation, and collected study data through structured telephone interviews with veterans with cognitive impairments and their family caregivers.

  • Disseminated research findings at conferences and through a peer-reviewed journal publication.

CliftonStrengths Profile

Signature Theme Report

Empathy

People exceptionally talented in the Empathy theme can sense other people’s feelings by imagining themselves in others’ lives or situations.

Connectedness

People exceptionally talented in the Connectedness theme have faith in the links among all things. They believe there are few coincidences and that almost every event has meaning.

Intellection

People exceptionally talented in the Intellection theme are characterized by their intellectual activity. They are introspective and appreciate intellectual discussions.

Strategic

People exceptionally talented in the Strategic theme create alternative ways to proceed. Faced with any given scenario, they can quickly spot the relevant patterns and issues.

Relator

People exceptionally talented in the Relator theme enjoy close relationships with others. They find deep satisfaction in working hard with friends to achieve a goal.

Technical Skills

WordPress

PHP

JavaScript

JQuery

CSS

Git

MySQL

Ruby on Rails

Documentation

HTML Banner Ads

Atlassian Tools

WP Managed Hosting: WP Engine and Pantheon

Portfolio

My Works
Anomalous Encounters JS Project

Anomalous Encounters

JAVASCRIPT // RAILS
Earlybird.io

earlybird.io

REACT // REDUX // RAILS API
Dream Catcher signup

Dream Catcher

SINATRA // NOKOGIRI // SQLITE
On Tap IBC CLI

On Tap at Ithaca Beer Company

RUBY // NOKOGIRI
Elevate Healing Arts homepage

Elevate Healing Arts

WP Theme Development // Maintenance & Support
The Mentoring Alliance homepage

The Mentoring Alliance

WP Theme Development // Support
Everyday Sacredness About

Everyday Sacredness

WP Theme Development // Acuity Scheduling Integration
Everybody Knows Ron home

Everybody Knows Ron

WordPress & WooCommerce Integration

Contact

Get in Touch

Buffalo, NY

lauradarlak@gmail.com

Available for WordPress Consulting