Dan Polivy (Software Engineering)
Now a resident of Seattle, Washington (and, coincidentally, a neighbor of Eric's), I originally hail from a suburb of Boston, Massachusetts, where I attended Newton South High School. From there, I moved south to Providence, RI to earn a degree in Computer Science from Brown University in 2002. After a successful development internship at Microsoft, where I implemented a Transaction-Safe FAT File System for the Windows for Automotive team (and earned my first patent!), I came back full time to work on the "first" Tablet PC (before they were mainstream). That later evolved into a number of different roles as a developer and then Program Manager in the Windows division working on similar ahead-of-the-curve technologies for Windows Vista (Windows SideShow) and Windows 7 (Sensor and Location Platform). After the successful launch of Windows 7, I moved over to Bing, where I was ultimately responsible for the Bing Maps consumer website.
My interest in wine turned a corner in 2005, during a trip to Napa and Sonoma to celebrate my wife's birthday. I gained a new appreciation for the process from grape to bottle and how the same raw materials can evolve into completely different—but spectacular—wines. Upon returning home with our haul, I purchased our first refrigerated storage unit, and slowly began building my cellar. Today, my palate and cellar is primarily focused on Washington, California, and Oregon—much in part to the great personal relationships I've been able to build with local winemakers—though thanks to many generous friends and tasting groups I've been developing a strong appreciation for French (Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rhone, and Champagne) and other "old world" regions.
So, earlier this year, after nearly 10 years at Microsoft, I decided to try something a little smaller and went back to my developer roots to help Eric finish up the new CellarTracker site. After a few months, I'm still excited to have found the ideal opportunity to merge two of my passions—technology and wine—and help Eric take CellarTracker to the next level!