Team Member Spotlight: Gabe Flores

Thinking outside the box is a common theme for the Appstem team, where technological know how meets creativity. How often do you come across an engineer who also breakdances?

Gabe Flores has been with Appstem since 2021, working as a full stack engineer, designing, testing and implementing various software applications and scalable web services for clients. He came from a position as a Cloud Consultant at AWS where he worked on large scale projects on large teams with many people in the same role. At Appstem, he’s thriving in its smaller environment.

“This is a much better fit for me,” he said. “I get to work more closely with my colleagues and our clients, including the CEO, CTO and Creative Director. Everyone is accessible. I like being exposed to the other aspects of the business, not just what engineers do.”

Since high school, Flores knew he wanted to be a software engineer. The career combines the scientific side of his brain with the creative side. His work allows him to work on the back end of a project by developing the website architecture, scripting, and writing code and on the front end by making sure the user experience is both functional and visually appealing.

“Being a full stack engineer lets me think outside the box and come up with creative solutions that make the app visually attractive and appealing to interact with while also being functional,” he said.

Appstem also allows him the opportunity to take on more responsibility. Flores is the lead engineer on some current projects, engaging with both clients and the internal team. He sees himself taking on leadership roles in the future.

So back to breakdancing. Flores used to dance competitively and is starting to get back into it, spending a lot of his free time practicing different movements.  He says dancing and engineering compliment each other in ways most wouldn’t expect - bringing balance and encouraging creativity.