Joel Kim

I'm a software developer and consultant at Atomic Object's Grand Rapids office. I was born in Los Angeles and grew up across several places, including Kazakhstan, Singapore, Maryland, and California. After earning my B.S. in Computer Science from the University of Maryland, College Park, I moved to Grand Rapids and joined Atomic.

My interest in software grew out of a lifelong fascination with games and strategy. I was the kind of person who watched high-level tournaments, searched for detailed guides, and annoyed friends and family by trying to find the most efficient way to play. One of my first personal programming projects was a solver for 2048 that used a minimax algorithm. Projects like that showed me how software could solve complex problems, and I became especially interested in data structures and algorithms. I was drawn to Atomic because of the opportunity to work with clients across different industries and because of the company's investment in learning and professional growth.

Outside of work, I play and make music, tutor students for the SAT, and spend plenty of time playing board and card games. In college, I served as president of both the breakdancing club and the poker club. I also enjoy traveling, trying new foods, and exploring new places, and I've visited more than 25 countries.