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Employee Spotlight: Austen Frostad

A Jack of All Trades Ignited by Invention

IntelliTect Software Engineer Austen Frostad is an inventor by nature, known around the IntelliTect office and the Spokane community as the developer who never stops imagining ways to turn dreams into software and hardware that users love.

From revamping the ring toss game at the Looff Carrousel to creating long-range radio-controlled interfaces to measure the impact of solar panels, Austen brings innovative excellence to every project.

Austen worked with a team of IntelliTect developers to reimagine the ring toss game featured at the Looff Carrousel, one of Spokane’s historic landmarks. The new ring toss, complete with an LED light display, is now available to play!

Getting to Know Austen Frostad

Quickly transitioning from a software intern to a software engineer, Austen’s knack for finding robust solutions to complex problems immediately integrated into IntelliTect’s numerous projects. His expertise in front-end and back-end web development using .NET, C#, ASP.NET, Vue.js, Node, and TypeScript, among other modern technologies, makes Austen the ideal engineer for application and interface development.

“I get to work on a whole hodge-podge of projects,” Austen said. “A lot of the projects I work on are short-term and involve adding a feature here or there. I enjoy all the technology, languages, and clients I work and interact with.”

“Few people have worked on as many projects as Austen. Not only does he have an incredible ability to learn new things quickly, but he is also passionate and positive during the development process. His work from OpenHab  [the software used for automation and security] at our building to a complex 2030.5-meter simulation has been excellent.”
Grant Erickson, IntelliTect CTO

Austen’s unique ability to adapt and mold himself to the need of the project at hand only increases the impact of his positive attitude and friendly disposition.

“Austen continues to amaze me with his programming and MacGyver-like hardware skills,” said Reese Hodge, an IntelliTect software engineer. “He always has a smile, even when working on mind-numbing IT projects. His creativity is outstanding. I’ve even seen him using ChatGPT to write Powershell code!”

Embodying Einstein

When he’s not finding the perfect tool to transition a client’s legacy system to a lightweight modern solution, mentoring IntelliTect IT interns, or playing ping-pong against IntelliTect CEO Mark Michaelis, Austen turns his talents toward more tangible projects.  

“I enjoy working with IoT-type or robotic devices – I like making things like the RC airplane that flies in the sky with RaspberriPi or the web service and companion mobile app that allows employees to open the parking lot gate at IntelliTect.”

Austen’s expertise in configuring ASP.NET, security, and web browser particularities, coupled with his experience in client interactions, provides him with a more comprehensive view of the development process.

“When I’m asked to implement a feature, I’m very excited to implement that feature for a client,” Austen said. “You’re not only developing software but also interacting with clients; you’re getting feedback from them. Sometimes it’s negative, but often you get to be right there and hear, ‘hey, this was awesome.’ It’s fulfilling to have those opportunities to have relationships with clients, and I think that really goes to create a more open vision of software development for me.”

Every great inventor needs a mentor, and luckily for Austen, IntelliTect has a plethora of great minds to turn to for guidance.

“I love the openness and the opportunity to horizontally grow by developing new skills and vertically grow by taking on new roles and positions as part of client interactions,” Austen said. “It means a lot to me that I get mentorship from the likes of Phil and Grant and everyone else, but especially those two.”

A World of Imagination

Want to step into the world of Austen’s imagination? Explore his knowledge and skillset by reading one of the many informative blogs he’s written!

Want to Learn About Other IntelliTeam Members?

Check out previous Employee Spotlights on:
Andrew Scott and Mike Curn, Innovative Excellence and Leading-Up
Georgia Gillie, Our HR Liaison with Strong Communication
Clayton Gravatt, A Solution-oriented Data Analyst
Meg Woodford, A Plant-tastic Software Engineer
Kevin Bost, A Biker with an Affinity for Mentoring
Mike Curn, An Enterprising SDET with a Passion for Improving
Grant Erickson, A Puzzler Who Uses Software to Maximize Relationships
Andrew Scott, An Analytical Thinker Who Crafts Innovative Solutions
Kelly Adams, An Engineer with a Fanatical Devotion to Quality
Brian Jones, An employee who’s been with IntelliTect long enough to call it accidentally “IntelliTechture”

Written by Nicole Glidden.