Welcome to FINE: Emmanuel Garcia

Our wonderful team of development geniuses continues to grow. Most recently, we welcomed Emmanuel Garcia aboard the FINE mothership! Eman (for short) moved to Portland from L.A. about 3 years ago. Before becoming FINE, he was working as a freelance developer, improving his front-end skills and adapting to Portland life. Eman enjoys building beautiful websites and solving complex design problems. He's a total sweetheart and we are excited to have him. Read on to learn all of his secrets.

Where are you from?
I was born Guadalajara, Mexico but grew up in Eastern Oregon (Hermiston to be specific). Before coming to Portland, I was living in sunny West LA.

How did you find/hear about FINE?
I was looking for the perfect full-time position while freelancing and somehow the stars aligned and I stumbled upon FINE.

How do you most often get your ideas and inspiration?
I get much of my ideas when I’m cruising around listening to music. A lot of my inspiration comes from reading blogs, articles or Pinterest.

Who is your idol/role model? Why?
Don’t have any real role models, but there are many artists and visionaries that inspire me everyday to become better and achieve greater things. Some of these people include Alejandro González Iñárritu, Alfonso Cuarón, Ta-Nehisi Coates, and Kanye West.

What is your special talent?
I have hyper-mobility in my thumbs (aka double jointed) :thumbs up:

If you were a super hero – what would your super power be?
Interstellar travel

If you were an animal – what would you be?
Probably a turtle, so I could just take it real slow and chill, giving myself enough time to take in the world around me.

What’s your favorite Pantone color? Why?
Probably black 3c or 6c.

How many cups of coffee do you drink each day?
1 or 2

What are your favorite treats?
Quest bars when feeling healthy, chocolate chip cookies when I'm not. Also bacon and a good IPA.

What is your ultimate vacation?
One of my goals is to travel to Madrid, Spain and attend a soccer match at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium (home to Real Madrid). My other vacation goal is to visit my roots and take a trip to the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. I would explore the Mayan ruins as well as other Mesoamerican sites, taking in the ancient history and art. Before I left, I would also visit the laid back beaches near the peninsula like Isla Mujeres.

Who is your dream client?
I think working on a soccer campaign with an ad agency would be dope. For my work to be seen on a global scale and possibly influence others or a younger generation of developers would be a great achievement.

What is your favorite type of work to create?
The type of work that pushes boundaries of web development as well as any work that challenges me and allows me to flex my skills and experiment with new languages or frameworks.

What are you doing when you’re not working?
Usually hitting up one of the great restaurants in Portland, or taking in a new indie film at Living Room theater or Cinema 21. More recently I've been improving my cooking skills and trying new dinner recipes taken from Pinterest or Yummly. I also enjoy listening to and discovering new music (mainly hip-hop) or watching a European or Mexican soccer match. Last but not least, I’ve always enjoyed working out at the gym when I have the time. The best way to cleanse my mind and body and find my inner strength.

Any Bonus info?
We recently welcomed our newborn baby boy, Kaius Joachim Garcia. He has been a such a special bundle of joy and I look forward everyday to coming home to see him. I feel such a sense of pride and purpose and will enjoy my first journey in fatherhood. He is also happy to have joined the FINE family.