our TEAM

Q: Who are you? Where are you from?

A: I’m Mike Pappas (he/him/his), the CEO and Cofounder of Modulate. I grew up in the greater Boston area and have lived here most of my life - furthest I’ve managed to get was a year and a half spent living in Connecticut. As of today, I’m based out of Kendall Square, not far from Modulate’s office.


Q: What’s your background? What did you do before Modulate?

A: In undergrad, I studied Physics and Applied Mathematics at MIT - my favorite project involved working with an Applied Math professor to try to recast the equations of quantum mechanics into something that can give us classical intuition for quantum weirdness. After MIT, I spent some time working on cloud infrastructure at Bridgewater Associates, then joined a travel startup (Lola Travel) as a jack-of-all-trades-but-mostly-technologist in order to learn how experienced entrepreneurs (in particular, Paul English, a co-founder of Kayak, who was at the helm) built a successful company from scratch. I was at Lola until I finally left to go full-time on Modulate.


Q: What’s something a potential Modulate employee should know about you?

A: I’d recommend they read my User Guide! This document - one of which each Modulate employee builds and shares with their coworkers when they join the team - describes my preferred communication style and how to interact with me most effectively. Probably the most important component I mention there is that I want, need, and strive to hear as much feedback as possible. If someone disagrees with me, I can handle that, but I can’t fix problems I’m not even aware of.


Q: How did you become passionate about building a company culture? Any thoughts on how an individual can help shape the culture?

A: I’ve thought a lot about social dynamics ever since high school, but it wasn’t until I went to work at Bridgewater Associates that I really started thinking deeply about company culture in particular. Bridgewater has a thorough and robust set of “principles” as well as a large software toolset, all built around realizing their desired culture - and I spent a lot of time there trying to digest what exact goals they were trying to achieve, why the solutions they chose made sense at the time, and whether they still did. I found a lot to love about Bridgewater’s emphasis on personal growth and respect, but had different ideas about how to realize such a culture, so I’ve been excited to have the opportunity to put all my thinking to work at Modulate.

In terms of how someone can help shape culture, the most important part of culture is that it’s clear and consistent. So the best thing anyone can do is ask questions - loudly! - when they are confused, upset, or otherwise uncertain about something relating to the culture. Either they’ll learn something new, or they’ll help the company refine its culture for the future.


Q: When did you realize that Modulate was going to be an ethics-first company?

A: That’s a tough question to answer. I probably never would have said something like “ethics-first” until we’d been working full-time on Modulate for a few months. This isn’t because we hadn’t considered any ethical questions until then - rather, it was because we’d kind of taken for granted “we’re good people with ethical standards, so of course we won’t be evil.” Once we started talking to more people about Modulate, we found ourselves confronted by genuinely difficult ethical questions with no clear right answer, and that pushed us to spend much more time really focused on fleshing out the way we thought through ethical concerns, rather than trusting our moral intuitions to work perfectly in every scenario.


Q: What’s the voice skin you’re most excited to use, and how do you plan to use it?

A: I’m hugely interested in understanding how changes in underlying perspectives, values, biases, and fears can lead to really important differences in how we make decisions. So I’m really interested in trying out voice skins from other demographics, both personally and hopefully in actual studies, to see how this impacts how people interact with me and what I can learn about equitable communication through the experience. It’s certainly not the same to be judged on a voice I’ve chosen compared to something I had no control over, but I hope it helps me on the path to understanding the kinds of circumstances that different people face.


Q: What’s your ideal work environment? Any special strategies you use to stay effective?

A: My life is a tightrope walk between avoiding monotony (and therefore aiming to have a couple different tasks each given day) and not being especially organized (and therefore terrified of letting something important fall through the cracks.) I tend to manage this through a combination of spreadsheets (for the more regular stuff) and unread emails (for the more one-off tasks). I wouldn’t necessarily advocate for my strategy being particularly clever or effective, but it’s worked for me this far.


Q: Who are you outside of work?

A: At my core, I’m someone who loves theorizing about, or trying to understand or break, systems. So I’m excited about anything that lets me flex that muscle - whether it’s playing games or consuming media built around well-thought-out worlds; speculating about politics or the economy; or trying to discover new techniques for cooking or bartending through controlled trial-and-error. That said, I’m also kind of an introvert, so you might also find me running, playing piano, or watching “Let’s Play”s to recenter myself.


Q: What’s something you’re great at that few people realize?

A: I think I’m a decent writer, and pretty great at conceiving of stories or settings. This definitely wasn’t a natural talent, but starting in early high school I found that I enjoyed writing fiction in my free time, and ever since have kept to a habit of writing at least a couple pages of something - whether fiction, blog posts, half-baked treatises that will never see the light of day - each week, both to keep myself always looking for fresh ideas and to polish my communication skills.


Q: Leave us with a fun tidbit - a favorite joke, a story from your past, an obscure riddle, whatever you like!

A: In the vein of riddles, I’m a huge fan of MIT’s Mystery Hunt, which is a yearly puzzle hunt at a massive scale. There are keyword-based archives here, but some of my favorites include N-tris (a special variation on Tetris) and Shift (a puzzle using the board game Codenames). Believe it or not, these are both comparatively straightforward puzzles - often the most fun at Mystery Hunt comes not knowing what to do next, and then all getting to share in the burst of joy and adrenaline when someone finally realizes the trick.

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Q: Who are you? Where are you from?

A: I'm Carter Huffman (he/him/his) - I'm Modulate's CTO and one of the two cofounders! I was born and raised in northern Virginia, before I moved up to Boston for school.


Q: What’s your background? What did you do before Modulate?

A: I spent part of my undergrad at MIT working on early universe cosmology - asking questions like "If the universe started out with such and such properties, how would it evolve? And what traces would that leave on the visible universe today that we can observe?" A lot of that time was working out some basic equations, writing physics simulations to test them out, and then checking the results to make sure that they were actually consistent with physics!

After undergrad I went to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, working on ways to make spacecraft more capable and intelligent, as part of the Machine Learning and Instrument Autonomy group! Doing machine learning for spacecraft is pretty different from the kinds of deep neural network research that I do today - they use much older, radiation-hardened CPUs and have a tight time and power budget, so simpler and faster algorithms are preferred. Also, the stakes can be pretty high: in a flyby mission, there's only one shot at taking measurements and gathering as much science as possible, so any ML/AI algorithms onboard absolutely have to work the first time in an unknown environment!


Q: What inspired you to work on developing voice skins? In particular, what gave you the passion to cofound a company for this technology?

A: For me, it's always been the understanding that this technology is "part of the future": in the year 2100, of course you can sound like anyone you want to, just like you can look however you want to with VR and body tracking! This is all pretty much taken for granted in fiction (e.g. Ready Player One) - and actually, when I first started working on voice skins, I discovered that many people just assumed that this technology already existed. After I started working on voice manipulation with deep learning, I became convinced that this was a piece of the future that I could help build, which has remained my motivation for the past three and a half years!


Q: How did you first discover how to make working voice skins? How long did it take?

A: I knew the basic idea pretty much from the outset: take a clip of speech, force a neural network to separate out the "content" from the "voice", change the voice part, then recombine them. The tricky bit is how to force the network to separate those components. I spent several months trying to just build a meaningful "latent space" and manipulate it manually (if you've seen demos where people morph one face into another, it's that kind of tech), but relying on the neural network to just happen to learn a good space doesn't give you any control over the fidelity of the results, so I had to abandon that.

At that point, I had the thought that adversarial training could help solve the problem by explicitly forcing the network to mimic a particular voice - and after some time I became convinced that this was the "right way" to build a voice skin. All told it was about a year from starting the project to getting anything sounded even vaguely human, and then another year and a half from that before I started getting really high quality results!


Q: What’s something a potential Modulate employee should know about you?

A: I love talking to people about their interests and passions! Anything that has enough depth and complexity for someone to be interested in it is fascinating - from sports, to fiction, to reality TV, to AI, to cars, to microscopic sea creatures (my brother's PhD topic). If you're ever wondering how to start a conversation with me, just bring up something you're interested in!


Q: What’s the voice skin you’re most excited to use, and how do you plan to use it?

A: As far as celebrity voices go, I'd love if we could make a voice skin of Jennifer Hale! She's a legend in video game voice acting - I loved the Role Playing Game genre growing up, where there's an emphasis on characters and story, and Jennifer was the voice of so many of the characters that I grew up with.

Although, I'm even more excited to build my own custom voices - I've always like creating my own unique character in games, but I've never been able to give them their own voice - they've always just sounded like Carter. It's a bit awkward for me when I'm trying to play a different character and I can't get their voice right - it feels too much like I'm faking something; and it's a constant reminder that there's "someone behind the curtain". I'm looking forward to not having to worry about that.


Q: What’s your ideal work environment? Any special strategies you use to stay effective?

A: I love being surrounded by people working and chatting, while I can wear headphones and focus down into what I'm doing. Working at home can get pretty lonely, while being in an open office where people can ask me for things at any time can get distracting if I want to focus. I like being around noise and commotion, but not a part of it!


Q: Who are you outside of work?

A: I like to think that I'm pretty cheerful and easy to get along with! I like meeting people and learning about them, but I'm a bit of an introvert so I need to intersperse that with quiet evenings and weekends sometime!


Q: What’s something you’re great at that few people realize?

A: I'm pretty good at breaking game systems - video games, pen and paper RPGs, boardgames - by coming up with edge cases that the designers didn't think of! I love trying to combine elements of games in ways that don't initially make sense but still kind of work, and usually those combinations aren't well tested and lead to unexpected consequences. Mike likes to tell a story about a video game he tried to make, where the first thing I did was run into a wall for a minute before I clipped through and broke the game - so that's something that I find fun!


Q: Leave us with a fun tidbit - a favorite joke, a story from your past, an obscure riddle, whatever you like!

A: Did you know that ants can count? If you put stilts on an ant that's trying to go somewhere, it will end up going too far and get lost, because it's counting its steps to measure distance!

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Q: Who are you? Where are you from?

A: Boston born and raised, I am Terry, our Chief Operating Officer.

Q: Go on...

A: That means I oversee Operations, Audio data, and Internal Tooling at Modulate. On a day-to-day basis, I’m working on making sure all Modulate processes are running smoothly. Having grown up in the Greater Boston area, I love the vibrant culture and history of the East Coast. Today, I love leveraging technology's ability to improve our quality of life. I’m really passionate about building ethical safeguards into AI technology.

Q: What’s your background? What did you do before Modulate?

A: I was trained as a scientist at UCLA, and have worked as a Corporate Strategy Associate, Renewable Energy Analyst, Senior Audio Engineer, and at Harvard University, served as a Teaching Fellow. Through these experiences, I’ve gained a passion for teaching, quantitative data analysis, and public speaking.

But background? Behind me in my original company headshot (circa Dec 2018), my microphone isolation stand was blurred but visible. Fun fact- that very isolation shield was one of the original pieces of equipment for the recording studio I built and manage. Now, you see me with my beloved pup!

Q: How did you first get into audio? When did you know this was something you wanted to learn about professionally?

A: In my youth, when I was preparing for the All State Orchestra, I became engrossed in recording myself playing the classical piece I was auditioning with. Instead of practicing the piece I was supposed to perfect, I began to focus on microphone placement, noise reduction, altering the reverberation, and the effect of room on the resulting music. I barely got any practice in!

Thankfully I was able to make it into the orchestra, but I discovered my passion for audio engineering that night. In addition to stringed instruments, my recording studio specializes in voiceovers and vocals, which is where I gained my vocal processing expertise.

Q: Why did you join Modulate? When did you know you wanted to join the team?

A: In 2017, I joined forces with Carter, Mike, and Philip (one of our Recording Engineer alumni) on a machine learning project called Aspect News. Our project was aimed at allowing users to really recognize their personal filter bubbles when consuming online media. We were an effective team working on a shared mission. From this experience, I learned that I work well with this group of fun and passionate builders.

I knew that I would join Modulate as soon as Carter and Mike showed me an early ‘Timbre Transfer’ prototype. I recognized that my passion for audio, ethical systems design, and bleeding edge technology were the right fit for the mission.

As the team has grown, my excitement has been reinforced. Working on a team blessed with Carter’s engineering expertise, Mike’s ability to build intricate and effective frameworks, and JD’s ML intuition is a breath of fresh air.

The fact that Modulate voice skins allow you to simultaneously protect and express yourself freely gives me hope that people will have more fun, meaningful experiences online, while easily avoiding harassment. I’m humbled to be on the team that will define the universe of real-time voice synthesis.

Q: What’s your ideal work environment? Any special strategies you use to stay effective?

A: I’m quite partial to an easygoing and humorous work environment where each teammate is passionate about what we’re building. There’s this patently millennial concept of “hustle”, and while I deeply admire my generation’s ability to persevere, I’m very pleased that Modulate is not about conspicuous hustle. Our team’s autonomy and deep trust in each other allows us to proceed with minimal bureaucratic overhead. Hard work is its own reward.

To stay effective, I enjoy listening to music that complements the type of work I’m doing, whether its engineering, legal, finance, or even graphic design.

Q: Who are you outside of work?

A: I’m happiest in the middle of the hike, near the end of a book that really transports you, and most satisfied when I’m so preoccupied laughing that I'm truly living in the moment. I’m deeply fond of meaningful conversation.

I stay open-minded and enjoy learning about everybody’s perspectives and approaches to problems.

Q: What’s something you’re great at that few people realize?

A: Photography.

Q: Leave us with a fun tidbit - a favorite joke, a story from your past, an obscure riddle, whatever you like!

A: I’ve got a tricky one for you.

What did the kiwi say to the passionfruit?

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Q: Who are you? Where are you from?

A: Hello, I am Chinmay and I work at Modulate as an Internal Tools Engineer. I was born and raised in Mumbai, India. I spent almost 21 years of my life in Mumbai and have all my family over there! Right now I am based in Cambridge.

Q: What’s your background? What did you do before Modulate?

A: I was always interested in art and math as a kid. I used to sketch a lot as well as loved algebra. My passion for music was ignited when I first listened to this song called ‘Hey Jude’ by The Beatles. I immediately started learning to play the guitar and the piano by watching Youtube tutorials and mainly self learning. Never had a music teacher or knew any theory ( know a lil bit now though ) haha. I eventually started writing songs and learnt the basics of music production/mixing. Meanwhile, I started pursuing my undergraduate degree in Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering wherein I learnt about DSP! This was a big turning point, as this is when I realized that most of the audio in today's world is basically numbers, i.e math. Therefore, it was clear in my mind that I want to study and learn more about this audio math. I was admitted to NYU’s Music Technology program after completing my undergraduate where I had the opportunity to hone my audio math skills further and learn from the best in the business.

Q: Why are you joining Modulate?

A: I wrote my thesis on how machine learning and classical DSP can be used to recreate a studio recording technique called 'The Wall Of Sound'. I am really fascinated by how machine learning can be used to optimize and enhance human experiences. The products developed at Modulate definitely inspired me and aligned with my interests! But I also really connected with the culture at Modulate and the fact that it was mentioned in such great detail on the website. I genuinely feel this is the right place for me!

Q: What’s the voice skin you’re most excited to use, and how do you plan to use it?

A: Definitely would love to have all four Beatles voice skins and then obviously use them to make the greatest songs ever.  

Q: What’s your ideal work environment? Any special strategies you use to stay effective?

A: The ideal work environment would be a place where everyone is respectful, kind and approachable. I like to have a chat with people around me about varied topics and discuss problems, concerns. It’s amazing to know what people around me are working on and how passionate they are about their work.  Also I like to drink a lot of water to stay sharp and feel good! 

Q: Tell us about something you must have in any culture you join?

A: Camaraderie!

Q: Who are you outside of work?

A: A DIY musician. I treat making music similar to creating an artwork. You add and overlay layers of sound like colors on your DAW of choice. It definitely helps me to destress and stay on track. Another thing I love to do is cooking!

Q: What’s something you’re great at that few people realize?

A: Fashion sense probably.

Q: Leave us with a fun tidbit - a favorite joke, a story from your past, an obscure riddle, whatever you like!

A: "Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend" - The Beatles

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Q: Who are you? Where are you from?

A: My name is Chris (they/he/she) and I am a Boston area native from a small town called Swampscott, MA. I work at Modulate as an Audio Data Specialist, who handles data labeling and transcription. In the past for Modulate, I have also worked as a recording engineer and casting director, and have worked with music and audio since I was a teenager.

Q: What’s your background? What did you do before Modulate?

A: Though my degree is in music writing and production, I have worked as a producer, engineer, band leader, teacher, and performer of several different instruments and even vocals. I love and have performed music of all different kinds, but have primarily studied jazz in an academic setting, and rock and metal outside of school.

Q: Why are you joining Modulate?

A: I have admired the work done at this company ever since I was introduced to them in winter of 2019. The implications of what can be done with the technology here is vast and serves a very wide set of needs that can have an impact equally as large. I take pride in the idea that I, in whatever small way I can, am helping bring about a healthy and welcome change in the gaming community, while simultaneously increasing the possibilities for people to be themselves! Having the chance to do it with a team of such amazing and qualified people is truly a blessing!

Q: What’s the voice skin you’re most excited to use, and how do you plan to use it?

A: All of them! Having done some of the dataset work to assemble them, I am absolutely thrilled to see what effect that work has into the VoiceWear product final form. If I were using them, I would absolutely use them in my home table top RPG games. When you run a game like that, doing and using different voices is extremely useful and makes for an incredibly immersive experience.

Q: What’s your ideal work environment? Any special strategies you use to stay effective?

A: My ideal work environment is a focused, collaborative space with open ideas and communication. Wherever I am, whatever I’m doing, I always try my absolute best to keep the lines of communication open and the creativity flowing, whether that’s musical and artistic ideas, problem solving, or ethical stances. An open mind is an informed mind, and an informed mind is the strongest kind.

Q: Tell us about something you must have in any culture you join?

A: Two words; healthy acceptance. Being a non-binary identifying person, I have lots of experience with acceptance as an issue, and it has often been an issue with several different spaces I have joined in the past or tried to join. Healthy acceptance extends beyond identity though, and is a part of daily life, in acceptance of people’s quirks, personality, and in having a full understanding of each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Accepting each other for who they are is something that makes working together easier and bonds with each other stronger.

Q: Who are you outside of work?

A: Outside of work at Modulate, I am still a musician and producer. I perform in bands, release music, record artists work, and mix and master music and voiceover audio. I am also known, most nights, as a dungeon master, or one of two characters that I play in two dungeons and dragons campaigns. I am known to incorporate the two together as well, making elaborate one shots in table top games with music, lights and sounds!

Q: What’s something you’re great at that few people realize?

A: I was pretty good at archery last time I checked! I used to shoot bows as a teen but dropped the practice. Last I shot was a 100lb compound!  

Q: Leave us with a fun tidbit - a favorite joke, a story from your past, an obscure riddle, whatever you like!

A: Remember: stay hydrated and don’t forget to love each other!

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Q: Who are you? Where are you from?

A: Hi, I’m Cindy and I break things, which is to say I work on quality analysis. I love to experiment (with software and food). My parents immigrated to the US from Vietnam and I was raised in southern California. I’m currently based in San Diego.

Q: What’s your background? What did you do before Modulate?

A: Prior to Modulate, I was a compliance tester for PlayStation. Before working in the video game industry, I studied public health and worked in conservation trail crews. I strive to be a lifelong learner, so I’ve taken a variety of courses ranging from mental health first aid and suicide prevention to front end web development.

Q: Why are you joining Modulate?

A: I’ve been involved in the online gaming space since childhood. I consider myself lucky to say that I’ve experienced the best parts of the community, making friends for life over the years. I’ve also seen the dark side and the space has a lot of maturing to do. I want all folks to feel welcome, respected, and safe when they’re gaming.

Q: What’s the voice skin you’re most excited to use, and how do you plan to use it?

A: If I had any masculine voice skin, I would use it to compare my experiences in multiplayer games to when I’m using my normal (feminine sounding) voice. Essentially, I want my voice to be an experimental variable while holding factors such as my personality and speech patterns constant to see if my interactions with other players would change. My hypothesis is that my experience would be more positive and enjoyable.

Q: What needs to be true about a technical project in order for you to get excited to work on it?

A: There needs to be some community impact. I feel especially motivated when I know we’re doing the work for marginalized communities and can see how others benefit from our work. A Marian Wright Edelman quote comes to mind: "Be a good ancestor. Stand for something bigger than yourself. Add value to the earth during your sojourn."

Q: What’s your ideal work environment? Any special strategies you use to stay effective?

A: Natural light, fresh air, and unlimited tea. I keep an Adventure Dogs calendar to mentally organize and keep my physical space tidy too. I feel distracted if my work/brain area is messy or things are out of place.

Q: Tell us about something you must have in any culture you join?

A: Listen with curiosity and have the attitude that there is always something we can learn from each other. Be open to different perspectives and don’t dismiss them if they are not the same as one’s own understanding.

Q: Who are you outside of work?

A: I play an online first person shooter game called Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO, or CS) competitively. I lead teams in CS:GO leagues and tournaments and do my best to help my teammates grow inside and outside of the game. When I’m not playing CS, you can find me reading books, playing basketball, cooking family-sized meals, or taking photographs.

Q: What’s something you’re great at that few people realize?

A: Skating! I’ve completed two skateboard marathons and I hope to one day skate across the country. I’m also pretty fast at TypeRacer, an online typing game.

Q: Leave us with a fun tidbit - a favorite joke, a story from your past, an obscure riddle, whatever you like!

A: Whenever I travel to a new place, I visit the local libraries.

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We want to recognize our team, but we also want to respect each employee's preferences. This employee has opted out of sharing their information here.

Q: Who are you? Where are you from?

A: My name is Hank (he/him/his.) I was born in Brooklyn, NY, the oldest of five: four boys with our sister in the middle. We moved to Huntington, Long Island in 1972, where my Mom still lives. She just turned 93, and is quite healthy and mentally sharp, as was my Dad prior to his passing in 2017, which I hope bodes well for me. Even though I’ve worked in tech for most of my professional life, I grew up interested in the humanities through college. I am -- probably more like “was,” at this point -- a fair athlete as well. I have always been outgoing. I never recognized it as a potentially valuable professional feature until, well, until I became a working professional. My wife, Kathy, and I have lived together in the greater Boston area since graduating from Bates College. We have two girls: Alix, our oldest, who is currently an attorney with the Federal government’s Small Business Administration, and our youngest, Mackenzie, who is a bio-chemistry major (which she obviously gets from her mother) entering her senior year at Hobart & William Smith College. We currently live in Hull, MA.

Q: What’s your background? What did you do before Modulate?

A: After graduating from Bates and working for a few years, I earned my MBA at the Boston College Carroll (Graduate) School of Management. I went to work at a Boston ad agency as an account executive, interfacing directly with clients. But I had always loved playing games; first board games, especially military board games from Avalon Hill and Strategy & Tactics. Then I was introduced to Dungeons & Dragons, and that was a revelation.

I was also always a great reader of fantasy. My favorite fantasy work was and remains J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings and related works. The above all came together when I took a job as product manager for Spinnaker’s LoTR’s computer game “The Riders of Rohan.” After Spinnaker, I worked in sales for Toshiba, in business development for Ziff Davis Interchange (trying to create the web. Netscape took care of that), then Restrac, Inc., an automated resume-review and database company.

In 1998, I was one of four individuals who founded Blue Fang Games, where we went on to create the Zoo Tycoon series of PC games in partnership with Microsoft, and where I functioned as its President. Blue Fang was in operation for 13 years, most of which were among the most enjoyable of my professional career. Many of us Blue Fangers are still good friends today, and we get together as often as we can. I joined Disruptor Beam (DB), Inc. in mid-2012 as its 8th employee. DB specialized in creating social/mobile games around big intellectual properties: Game of Thrones, Star Trek and others. We had a pretty good run, and I left DB in 2018, again having made many great friends who still get together.

Q: What first got you into the gaming industry? Did you always plan to be working in games?

A: It was always high on my list to work in the computer games industry. While working in advertising, I answered a Spinnaker Software job listing for a product manager position, working in their Games Division on a JRR Tolkien-based game, with a license specifically for The Riders of Rohan. I immediately joined Spinnaker and we started work. That’s where I developed a long-lasting friendship with my then boss, Phil Redmond, and my colleague, Adam Levesque. I remain great friends with both to this day, and the three of us, in addition to my brother Geoff (who lives in Reading, MA) and two of my friends from high school, comprise our role-playing group which still gets together once or twice a year, and we often play over an entire weekend.

Q: Why are you joining Modulate?

A: I was introduced to Mike and Carter by my friend, Mike Dornbrook, who is an investor and a Modulate board member. Given that Modulate was targeting multi-player online games for the first application(s) of its technology, and given my decades-long residence in the game industry with emphasis on business development, I was uniquely positioned and very much inclined to join them and help them jump start their business development efforts. I’d also add that once the technology was demo’ed to me, I was hooked. It’s so cool and fascinating that you just KNOW it’s going to be in wide use at some point.

Q: What’s the voice skin you’re most excited to use, and how do you plan to use it?

A: I’d love to play a game using a female voice. For starters, I’d like to get a sense of what women might at times have to deal with in a multi-player environment, both the good and the not-so-good.

Q: What’s your ideal work environment? Any special strategies you use to stay effective?

A: Having spent much of my initial work career in a private office, I was somewhat surprised to learn that I don’t at all mind a more open office environment. I usually have no trouble concentrating, but if for some reason I find it might be getting a little noisy or distracting, or if I’m just in the mood for music, I have no problem putting on a set of headphones and continuing to work away. I also find that I like a mix of working-from-home and coming into the office. Humans in general are social, and I am no different. I enjoy the personal interaction with my colleagues. At the same time, working from home a couple of days a week allows me to focus on specific tasks where interacting with colleagues is not required, and/or saving on commute time, or just allowing me to get those midweek appointments done and still be productive work-wise.

Q: What’s your favorite part of working with a new game or project?

A: Well, if you’d told me when I was just getting started in business that I’d end up having spent the vast majority of my career at start-ups, I’d have thought you were nuts, but lo and behold… I guess that it turns out I like helping to build things from the ground up, having at least some say in how and why things are done, seeing success build over time, and knowing that to a large degree, we as a team will have beaten the odds, since the vast majority of startups fail. None of the ones I’ve founded or participated in have met an early or untimely demise, and I personally have always ultimately been seen as a “force for good,” which I suppose is at least somewhat evident given the many friendships I have today that have stemmed from my professional work.

Q: Who are you outside of work?

A: I enjoy listening to a wide variety of music played in hi fidelity, and great wines from around the world. Otherwise, and as others have written: son, brother, father, husband, friend, and colleague. I generally like people, which no doubt helps with my professional work. I really enjoy walking and hiking, and I usually walk at least 20 miles in a given week.

Q: What’s something you’re great at that few people realize?

A: I coached girls soccer teams on the south shore of MA for over 25 years (both of my daughters played), and we enjoyed our fair share of success. We won a number of Coastal League titles, and took four of our teams to the Massachusetts State Championship tournament. In addition, my youngest daughter was the starting goalie on the Hingham High School State Champions her senior year. She was always a combination field player and goalie (it’s often the coach’s kid that has to spend at least some time in goal.) We switched her to playing goalie full time in her junior year of H.S., seeing that there would likely be a strong need for a front-line goalie the following year. We were correct! Still my greatest and most satisfying player-coaching call. While I always coached competitively, I learned relatively early on in my coaching career that the most important thing was to ensure that the players enjoy playing the game, and encouraged the camaraderie and teamwork that team sports can engender. Both of my daughters still have great friendships that were begun and solidified during their time playing the game, as do Kathy and I with both them and their parents. I still watch games whenever I can.

Q: Leave us with a fun tidbit - a favorite joke, a story from your past, an obscure riddle, whatever you like!

A: OK then, a riddle in the dark: “What have I got in my pocket?” ;-)

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Q: Who are you? Where are you from?

A: I’m Indy, born US Midwestern and raised US Northeast-Coastern.

Q: What’s your background? What did you do before Modulate?

A: I grew up roaming woods and shorelines, went to school for Textile Arts, Dye Chemistry and Environmental Biology, worked a while and ended up here. Past role titles include ‘greenhouse director,’ ‘barista,’ ‘full stack engineer,’ ‘hospitality lead,’ ‘platforms and applications engineer,’ ‘marketing lead,’ ‘localization expert,’ and ‘horse and donkey chow delivery associate.’ Those aren’t in order.

Q: Why are you joining Modulate?

A: My first thought when I heard about Modulate’s product suite was a rumination on the potential of being a trans/nonbinary kid with access to this technology. I would have ended up in a different place with a different path if I had been able to be a part of communities with a voice closer to the one I wanted. Being with Modulate might mean I can help bring that to a kid living the life I lived.

Q: What’s the voice skin you’re most excited to use, and how do you plan to use it?

A: I haven’t decided. Whatever the choice, it will be curated to best facilitate shenanigans.

Q: What’s your ideal work environment? Any special strategies you use to stay effective?

A: My work environment has to allow me to focus. I need a certain amount of structure, general accommodation of physical comfort, and the ability to choose my level of engagement with those around me. My strategies for efficacy boil down to hyper-organization and externalizing accountability so I can stay on task.  

Q: Tell us about something you must have in any culture you join?

A: Throughout my life, culture fit has not been a choice I was afforded. The ‘culture fit’ was whether I could afford to eat with the given wage or whether the apartment kept the rain out. I’m not at a place yet (and I’m not sure I ever want to be) where I consider culture an excluding factor when it comes to choice of employment, residence etc.

Q: Who are you outside of work?

A: I am privileged to say that, for the first time in my life, I am the same person inside and outside of work.

Q: What’s something you’re great at that few people realize?

A: I’m excellent at learning things rapidly with intent to apply the knowledge immediately. Once, I learned the history and intricacies of mechanical keyboards in two days, and then I bought one. This is truly my Achilles’ heel.

Q: Leave us with a fun tidbit - a favorite joke, a story from your past, an obscure riddle, whatever you like!

A: You know how the V - shaped flocks of geese have more birds on one side than the other?

Do you know why?

Because there’s more birds there.

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Q: Who are you? Where are you from?

A: My name is J.D. (he/him/his), and I grew up in central Maryland, in between Baltimore and D.C.


Q: What’s your background? What did you do before Modulate?

A: My background is in computer science and applied math. I went to school at Brown and developed a passion for machine learning, which I believe is the most creative quantitative discipline. While a student, I worked in a computer science research group on self-driving car algorithms.

Professionally, I have worked mostly as a software engineer - with various projects spanning self-driving taxi user experience to spacecraft software. Most recently, I worked at an automation technology company, building a document processing pipeline.


Q: Why are you joining Modulate?

A: I want to advance machine learning research, while also building a product that users can enjoy; Modulate is perfect for just that. Furthermore, my past machine learning experience has been predominantly with image data. Because music is one of my other passions, I have always wanted to explore audio data in depth. I know that at Modulate, I will hone my machine learning skills and my audio production skills - two for the price of one!


Q: What’s the voice skin you’re most excited to use, and how do you plan to use it?

A: As a songwriter with a less than stellar voice, I dream of the day that I can use voice skins to make music. Which singer would I choose? Easy pick - Ariana Grande. Regardless of your taste in music, everyone can agree that her singing voice is superior.


Q: What’s your ideal work environment? Any special strategies you use to stay effective?

A: I like being able to move around freely in my workspace, whether it’s a quick lap around the floor, or a change of setting to focus more. Breaks with physical activity or a change in physical space are an essential strategy for me to stay effective. Also, I love being able to talk to my coworkers freely about current projects, the bigger picture, personal happening, or just about anything else. I solve difficult problems most effectively when I collaborate with others.


Q: Who are you outside of work?

A: Friend, brother, son, neighbor, musician, concert-goer, cook, conversationalist, boyfriend, gym rat, hiker, learner, lover, joker, listener, adventurer, and optimist are a few words I hope that my friends and family would use to refer to me.


Q: What’s something you’re great at that few people realize?

A: At the beginning of this year, I started to learn guitar and Portuguese simultaneously. Can I shred on guitar yet? No. Can I have an intelligible conversation in Portuguese? No. BUT, I can play and sing a good number of songs in the bossa nova canon.


Q: Leave us with a fun tidbit - a favorite joke, a story from your past, an obscure riddle, whatever you like!

A: Around 230 million years ago, before dinosaurs existed, there were 9-foot-long crocodiles that roamed North America walking upright on their hind legs. Spooky!

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Q: Who are you? Where are you from?

A: I'm John (he/him/his), a Texan in Silicon Valley who strives to make the most of every opportunity.

Q: What’s your background? What did you do before Modulate?

A: After graduating from the University of Texas with a background in finance and management information systems, I moved to Chengdu, China where I taught English and started a company.

From there, I moved to Seattle where I rotated across several teams at Microsoft. In O365, I managed Microsoft's ~$1B O365 Academic P&L and supported go-to-market efforts in China. On Microsoft's Venture team, I managed the acquisition scorecards for Havok along with Minecraft while supporting the deal model and integration efforts for acquisitions including Mixer and LinkedIn. While on an FP&A team, I constructed tech industry updates and market reports for our Chief Economist around mobile gaming and mixed reality (AR/VR). While working in the Munich, Germany office, I developed relationships with our field teams and built an investment framework for deploying incremental cloud resources.    

Since moving to San Francisco, I have enjoyed enabling future technologies as an investor, adviser, and operator in segments including gaming, enterprise SaaS, travel & hospitality, and marketplaces. The voice space has kept my attention over the years- from my touch-points to Skype during my time in O365, to managing diligence on voice technology companies while in venture- and I'm excited to be supporting the vision at Modulate.

Q: What’s the most excited you’ve ever been about a startup? (Other than Modulate, of course!)

A: It would be difficult to point to a single most exciting moment. With that said, novel ideas inspire me and I find a sense of fulfillment from helping teams reach their personal goals and company milestones. The excitement in the entrepreneurship community never really ends.  

Q: Why are you joining Modulate?

A: I've been looking to build a visionary purpose-driven business in an area I'm passionate about with people and a culture I genuinely enjoy being around. To each of these points, Modulate enables freedom of expression through empowering digital identity, our beachhead market is the gaming space (I am a lifelong gamer), and the team is both well-intentioned and sharp.  

Q: What’s the voice skin you’re most excited to use, and how do you plan to use it?

A: It sure would be fun to use the "YOU SHALL NOT PASS" line in Gandalf's voice!

Q: What’s your ideal work environment? Any special strategies you use to stay effective?

A: I'm adaptable and have worked in many different types of work environments from the office, to open workspaces, at home, on an airplane, in a coffee shop, etc. I am self-motivated to get things done and this attribute has served me well in situations where I'm operating in ambiguity.

The most important parts of any work environment for me - whether remote or in-person - are the people and culture I'm surrounding myself with. A motivated mindset, willingness to collaborate, and sense of common purpose go a long way in keeping the team aligned.

Q: Who are you outside of work?

A: I'm a positive and fun-loving guy who enjoys spending time with friends and learning new things. Being a social person, activities that engage me include concerts, board games, and dinner events. Beyond that, I am building out my DJ skills and am picking up skiing along with tennis. I enjoy a good round of Super Smash Bros., a healthy dose of current events, and at least one or two audiobooks keeping my attention.

Q: What’s something you’re great at that few people realize?

A: Drumming. I played piano and was a percussionist growing up. I have remained good friends with my marching sticks and practice pad over the years.  

Q: Leave us with a fun tidbit - a favorite joke, a story from your past, an obscure riddle, whatever you like!

A: My personal motto is making the most of every opportunity and living a life without regrets.

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Q: Who are you? Where are you from?

A: I’m originally from the East Coast (Connecticut), but have significant time in Singapore, Ohio, and California, as well as Boston.

Q: What’s your background? What did you do before Modulate?

A: I have a BS in Computer Science and a MA in Economics from UCSB and have managed to tangentially apply some of those skills in the real world. I’ve done some development, sale engineering, business development, partner and account management, project management, and product management. I also helped run a small restaurant and was a chef for a bit.

Q: Why are you joining Modulate?

A: I’m super excited about technology and its possibilities, but more importantly the stance and the ethical forethought going into the application of the technology. Technology is moving at such a fast pace, it’s so important to get ahead the ethical and social ramifications that come along with it.

Q: What is your primary or favorite online community?

A: Online communities are tricky. There are so many great communities out there, but it only takes a few bad actors to make things toxic. I mostly hang out on a few smaller discord servers with some friends, but I also haunt a few of the friendlier communities on reddit.

Q: What’s the voice skin you’re most excited to use, and how do you plan to use it?

A: It’s not a specific voice per se, but a voice suitable for whatever PC I’m playing in my D&D game. I’m terrible at doing voices, so I’m super excited at the prospect of using voice skins to augment my roleplaying experience.

Q: What’s your ideal work environment? Any special strategies you use to stay effective?

A: I’m pretty flexible, but collaborative, so whatever environments facilitate my co-collaborators (in person or remote) are ideal for me.

Q: Tell us about something you must have in any culture you join?

A: Intellectual curiosity. Innovation is so key in the technology sector and that starts with the people and the culture.

Q: Who are you outside of work?

A: I love cooking (especially for groups of people). I prefer hanging out with small groups and doing low key activities - hiking, camping, hanging out with my dog.

Q: What’s something you’re great at that few people realize?

A: I’ve been home brewing beer for over 16 years and have brewed for a few friends weddings/parties.

Q: Leave us with a fun tidbit - a favorite joke, a story from your past, an obscure riddle, whatever you like!

A: Chickens are dinosaurs.

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Q: Who are you? Where are you from?

A: OOOH. I love this. Who am I. A mother. Partner. Gamer. Aspiring Witch. LOL. A lover of peace and hope. And I try to spread joy in the spaces I occupy. Oh, I’m also a professor at the university of kentucky!

I am actually from Kentucky! A small town called Earlington! It might not show up on google maps! lol

Q: What’s your background?

A: I have no idea how to answer this. I’m a black girl from a small rural area in western kentucky. With a lot of luck, I managed to get a PhD, I landed a visiting gig at MIT, I met Anita Sarkeesian and she likes me! I have two super cool kids that are amazing humans. I have a beautiful partner who is my ride or die in this world. My favorite place to live ever is phoenix arizona. I love the desert landscape (and no bugs! – well scorpions but my cats kill them!)

I love gaming and found a way to turn my passion into a career. People actually care about my opinion which is weird sometimes. I wrote my books to get promoted and other people picked it up and read it! Wild!

I started gaming b/c there was nothing else to do in Earlington (walk through the cemetery maybe!)

Q: Why are you joining Modulate?

A: I’m joining because Mike is persistent! LOL. No seriously, I believe in what you all are doing. I spend time talking and researching topics that Modulate has the capacity to do something about. Which is super awesome. I get to hang at the cool kids table and they actually care about my opinion and perspective in their quest to create better tech for all users. I am honored to be a part of the team!

Q: What’s your favorite online community, and why?

A: OMG!!! I know I am going to forget some awesome community. But I’ll have to say it’s a tie between Black Girl Gamers and Brown Girl Gamer Code. These are spaces I wish I had growing up as a gamer. It was so isolating. But these spaces have created beautiful and flourishing communities to uplift Black women and other Women and femmes of Color.

Q: Tell us about something you must have in any culture you join?

A: Humor! Folks have to be able to laugh. The world is too serious to be stuffy all the time. I think that’s why I’d never make it in the corporate world (hell I am barely making it in academia). But folks think when you are light hearted and joyous that you aren’t serious. I’ve heard that a lot in my academic career. I guess some folks think you have to be hardened and tough and rough around the edges and that’s just not me. I will never let anybody or any institution take my joy.

Q: Who are you outside of work?

A: LMFAO! Yall gon’ learn! I’m the exact same everywhere I go. I refuse to modulate (no pun intended lol) or codeswitch or modify who I am in any space. So if you meet me in one space, I am the exact same in other spaces. This embarrases some people who are more on the professional side. But I am who I am. Loud. Boisterous. Curious. Engaged. A wonderer. And I hope others join me in this journey or get outta the way!

Q: What’s something you’re great at that few people realize?

A: I am actually really good at playing piano. I feel like gaming prepped my fingers for the keys (or the other way around!). I grew up playing piano in church. It’s not something I continued and am actually looking for ways to get back into that. Oh, I’m a pretty good cook too. I never say anything about it b/c people will take you up on that and ask for food all the time. lol

Q: Leave us with a fun tidbit - a favorite joke, a story from your past, an obscure riddle, whatever you like!

A: I’ll leave you with my personal mantra: There are two people in the world. Builders and destroyers. Which one are you?

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Q: Who are you? Where are you from?

A: My name is Liz (she/her/hers). I’m originally from Pennsylvania and moved to Boston for college. 

Q: What’s your background? What did you do before Modulate?

A: Before Modulate, I studied computer engineering and engineering management.

Q: Why are you joining Modulate?

A: I am joining Modulate because of the mission. Having a clear and meaningful purpose for my work motivates me. ToxMod’s purpose to reduce toxicity online and increase safety is very motivating.

Q: What’s your ideal work environment? Any special strategies you use to stay effective?

A: I enjoy a calm environment early in the day to get started and then a bit more lively and collaborative later. It’s nice to have time in the morning to get organized and make a plan for the day. 

Q: Tell us about something you must have in any culture you join?

A: Communication. I work best when I’m on a team that has clear methods of communication that allow everyone to stay on the same page, share ideas, ask questions, and generally work better together.

Q: Who are you outside of work?

A: I’ve been racing triathlons for the past few years which has been very fun. I also love anything outdoors: hiking, paddle boarding, camping, biking.

Q: What’s something you’re great at that few people realize?

A: I’m great at planning trips. I’ve been to 45 states so far and hope to have visited all 50 soon!

Q: Leave us with a fun tidbit - a favorite joke, a story from your past, an obscure riddle, whatever you like!

A: Take away its first letter and it remains the same. Take away a second letter and it remains the same. Take away all its letters and it still remains the same. What is it?

Q: Who are you? Where are you from?

A: My name is Mark. I’m a first generation American, and the oldest sibling of three. I was born in Maryland, where my parents met after leaving the former USSR. When I was young, my family moved to Massachusetts, and I’ve been around the greater Boston area ever since.

Q: What’s your background? What did you do before Modulate?

A: I graduated from Bentley University in 2017, and joined Deloitte Consulting after school. I worked with various teams to solve problems for organizations in different industries. Some cool projects I’ve been involved in include optimizing 300+ back office processes for a global company, delivering a vaccine assay data management and analysis solution for a pharmaceutical company, and leading the implementation of 8 powerful automations that made fraud and risk analysis easier for the anti-money laundering group at a large bank.

Q: Why are you joining Modulate?

A: Modulate sits at the intersection of innovative technology, interpersonal connectivity, and gaming - three areas that I am deeply interested in. Joining a mission-driven team that’s passionate about making a difference across all three of them? That’s a no-brainer for me.

Q: What’s the voice skin you’re most excited to use, and how do you plan to use it?

A: I don’t know if there’s a specific voice that I personally want to use - what I’m most excited about is the ability to take any sort of performance (comedic, dramatic, etc.) to the next level with a creative array of “personalities”, aided by VoiceWear.

Q: What’s your ideal work environment? Any special strategies you use to stay effective?

A: I like natural light, plants of all varieties, and having some space to walk around in. To stay effective I take many small breaks throughout the day, and listen to classical music when I’m trying to focus.

Q: Tell us about something you must have in any culture you join?

A: Working with people who treat others with kindness and respect is important to me. We are all living complex and varied lives outside of work, and I believe that being understanding, polite, and giving each other the benefit of the doubt makes it easier to collaborate and achieve success.

Q: Who are you outside of work?

A: I am someone who values family, critical thinking, and humor. I love telling stories and jokes. I play video games, listen to a wide variety of music, and read all kinds of books. I am an optimistic person at my core, even though I can be cynical. Animal welfare and sustainability are important to me. Current skills I am working on include rock climbing, cooking, and mindfulness. I am an avid consumer of art and media - I read very quickly and binge watching TV shows is my secret superpower. I love to travel and learn about different cultures. My #1 bucket list item is to see the Earth from space, and I’m so excited to see that becoming more and more realistic.

Q: What’s something you’re great at that few people realize?

A: I am a good party host. I do my best to make sure there are entertaining activities for everyone to get involved in, and that all feel welcome and free to have fun.

Q: Leave us with a fun tidbit - a favorite joke, a story from your past, an obscure riddle, whatever you like!

A: What has cities with no people, forests with no trees, and tracks with no trains?

Q: Who are you? Where are you from?

A: I’m Mark, Sr. Marketing Manager at Modulate. I grew up in Cambridge and have lived in the Boston area ever since (except for a few months studying abroad in college). I currently live just north of Boston in Malden.

Q: What’s your background? What did you do before Modulate?

A: After graduating from Boston University with a focus on communications, I spent a few years at a public relations agency in Boston, focusing on the games and entertainment space. I worked with gaming icons like Wizards of the Coast, WB Games, and Nintendo on titles like Magic: The Gathering, Dungeons & Dragons, Mad Max, Lord of the Rings Online, and Super Mario Maker. 

I then transitioned to a strategy and consulting freelance role, focusing primarily on marketing and communications for technology companies looking to grow their audience and awareness. Most recently prior to Modulate, I was at York IE, a startup growth company, helping SaaS startups build, plan, and execute successful marketing campaigns.

Q: Why are you joining Modulate?

A: I’ve been a lifelong gamer, starting with games like SimCity 2000 and Doom on PC, and Zelda, Kirby, and Pokemon on Game Boy. Gaming has changed a lot since then, and it feels important to me to make the industry as inclusive and welcoming as possible to everyone, so kids and adults of all ages can have those magical first experiences and feel safe doing so. I’m excited to help Modulate champion that mission.

Q: What’s your ideal work environment? Any special strategies you use to stay effective?

A: In terms of a workplace overall, I value transparency and collaboration. I like to know what my fellow teammates are working on, why they’re doing it, and, if applicable, how we can help each other. In terms of my most effective work setting for getting things done, I usually enjoy the nice background din of an open office or a coffee shop, and I’ll often throw on headphones for my focus time.

Q: Tell us about something you must have in any culture you join?

A: Trust. It’s the most basic unit of understanding that a group can rely on, and it ladders up to so many other important facets of culture. The best things happen when you trust the people around you, and they trust you as well.

Q: Who are you outside of work?

A: I am a: dad, husband, aspiring home chef, hiker, camper, and gamer… among many other things! I like a good group hang and my happy place is gathering around a table – with coffees, beers, food, whatever – and having a lively discussion.

Q: What’s something you’re great at that few people realize?

A: Picking out when actors from the UK, Ireland, Australia, or New Zealand are trying to put on an American accent. 

Q: Leave us with a fun tidbit - a favorite joke, a story from your past, an obscure riddle, whatever you like!

A: “Don't taunt the alligator until after you've crossed the creek.” - Dan Rather

Q: Who are you? Where are you from?

A: Hi, I’m Morgan. I’m born and raised in Minnesota, but I’ve lived in a variety of different places! Some of the more interesting: Alaska, Florida, France, Ireland, and the U.K.

Q: What’s your background? What did you do before Modulate?

A: Oh boy, what DIDN’T I do? I’m an Army vet, particle astrophysicist, data scientist, software engineer, and retail hero. I spent several years helping child victims of crimes and before that in IT. I’m also a Twitch broadcaster!

Q: Why are you joining Modulate?

A: Because I am absolutely thrilled by the vision of Modulate! ToxMod is much needed, from my viewpoint as a fervent gamer since youth. VoiceWear would be phenomenal both in player comfort and in combating gender/sex-based toxicity as well!

Q: What’s the voice skin you’re most excited to use, and how do you plan to use it?

A: We’ll get a little personal here: I’m excited to find a voice that aligns more properly with my gender. I always say to folks that I love this voice, but it’s not MY voice.

Q: Can you tell us about the best community you’ve been a part of online?

A: The LGBTQIA+ streaming community that I’ve integrated into has been literally one of the best things to happen to my life. The folks are so welcoming and understanding of each individual’s quirks and needs, and I wouldn’t trade them for the world.

Q: What’s your ideal work environment? Any special strategies you use to stay effective?

A: I definitely love when a team is willing to really get together and enjoy their work day together (perish the thought, amirite?) I had a wonderful experience with my support and analyst team at a startup here in Minnesota, and I’ve wanted to work in that again ever since! Definitely take breaks to refresh and get a new perspective on difficult tasks, and some good banter + constructive help on a tricky piece of work are wonderful!

Q: Tell us about something you must have in any culture you join?

A: Please be gamers. PLEASE! I worked at one engineering gig and NOBODY else played board- or video games. I’ve grown up gaming and being able to cut loose after work or on break and get to know teammates as humans is integral to a healthy work-life balance!

Q: Who are you outside of work?

A: A very complicated individual. No, seriously! Outside of work I foster large-breed rescue dogs, skate in roller derby, and broadcast on Twitch! Someday I’ll get back into fencing, too.


Q: What’s something you’re great at that few people realize?

A: I think a lot of people don’t see the importance of exacting word choice. Say what you mean, and mean what you say and you’ll avoid a lot of headaches later!


Q: Leave us with a fun tidbit - a favorite joke, a story from your past, an obscure riddle, whatever you like!

A: I’ll leverage one of my favorite quotes (for which I still haven’t found the author): “There is no shame in not knowing. The shame lies in not finding out.”

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Q: Who are you? Where are you from?

A: I’m Rachel (she/her/hers), a research software engineer at Modulate. I grew up north of Boston, migrated about 10 miles to go to university in Boston,and... I’m still here! Right now, I live near Kenmore Square.

Q: What’s your background? What did you do before Modulate?

A: I studied computer engineering at Boston University, where I focused on machine learning. During my studies, I combined my passions for music and computing by using deep learning to generate music. After I graduated, I joined a small startup called Marlo, where I worked on developing ML infrastructure as well as novel audio methods to solve various problems in the remote coworking space.

Q: How did you get into machine learning? Can you tell us about an early project?

A: In 2016, I was beginning to learn a bit about mixing and producing music. This same year, a peer introduced me to WaveNet, a new deep learning model that could generate long samples of speech (and by extension, music). We thought it’d be really neat if that same model could produce more structured music of different styles via input sequences of musical notes, analogous to a text-to-speech algorithm. Having no idea how this model worked, we then approached a professor; we were adopted into a research lab, given a crash course on machine learning, and off we went! 2 years later, we’d published (twice), traveled around the world to present our work, and created some cool music along the way.

Q: Why are you joining Modulate?

A: The combination of machine learning and audio has always held a special place in my heart, which is something I have in common with most (if not all) of the team members at Modulate. I’m joining Modulate to not only contribute to the fascinating area of research where these two passions of mine cross, but also to help unlock the power and freedom of voice in online experiences. I’m proud to join a team so passionate about these immersive experiences as well as the ethics behind them.

Q: What’s the voice skin you’re most excited to use, and how do you plan to use it?

A: I’m definitely most excited about voice skins that sound polarly opposite from my own voice, since the wondrous complexity of voice technology really shines in those situations. Since I don’t have much experience in the gaming world (besides Animal Crossing), I’d like to try out voice skins in other spaces, such as virtual meetings and voice chat systems.

Q: What’s your ideal work environment? Any special strategies you use to stay effective?

A: I’m known for my ability to work anywhere. I used to carry my open laptop around campus, training a model or tweaking code on my way to class. With that said, if I were to choose an ideal work environment, it would be a bustling coffee shop; there’s a lot going on around me in this situation, but everyone who passes by is on a mission of their own, which minimizes interruptions. Of course, a constant source of caffeine is always a plus. When it comes to staying effective, I like to take short active breaks often, loosely following somewhat of a Pomodoro technique (https://francescocirillo.com/pages/pomodoro-technique).

Q: Tell us about something you must have in any culture you join?

A: I believe transparency, open communication, and inclusivity are must-haves in any team culture. The tradeoff between autonomy and collaboration can sometimes become tricky when it comes to productivity, but I believe it’s extremely important to always have an available touchpoint as well as the comfort and confidence to reach out to coworkers, whether it be to debug a problem or talk about what we’re having for lunch.

Q: Who are you outside of work?

A: I’m a distance runner, a dancer, and a hiker. I also attempt to DJ sometimes... but I’m better at listening to music than mixing tracks. I’m a learner; I am always attempting new hobbies and learning how to do new things. I wouldn’t call myself introverted, but I am a bit shy, so I try to step out of my comfort zone often.

Q: What’s something you’re great at that few people realize?

A: Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, so I’ve had lots of practice making perfectly-cooked eggs. Over-easy? Poached? Soft boiled? I got you.

Q: Leave us with a fun tidbit - a favorite joke, a story from your past, an obscure riddle, whatever you like!

A: Happy hour is illegal in Massachusetts. If you’re from here, you probably know that one, so here’s another: in 1919, a huge storage tank containing 2.3 million gallons of molasses burst and flooded the North End in Boston.

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Q: Who are you? Where are you from?

A: I’m Sandrine, I come from France and I’m passionate about people! 10 years ago I decided to leave abroad, I quit my job and my native country to live a new experience in Boston! By pushing myself out of my comfort zone, I learned a lot about myself and was able to build my resilience! I’m someone who is inclusive and this experience taught me how to be strong no matter what happened, I have enough energy and determination to go through everything now!  I know how it feels when you are different, when you feel not capable because of the culture barrier or just language barrier, I personally understand the challenges that many employees face, because 10 years ago (and still now!) I felt like a new employee who was showing up in a company, which made me even more effective when it comes to including people and keeping them engaged. I truly value the power of diversity, different perspectives, different backgrounds, being among a team that represents the world we are living in is a source of energy and I’m proud to be part of Modulate’s team.

Q: What’s your background? What did you do before Modulate?

A: I started my career as a talent acquisition manager. I was in charge of sourcing, screening, and interviewing candidates for my clients. My scope of actions was defined like this. 

Once the selection was completed and the offer accepted, I was no longer responsible for the candidate. However, I kept the connection because I felt responsible for the placement and I witnessed toxic work situations, failures, inequity and suffering due to the fact that employers did not care for people, did not listen to them nor anser their expectations and their needs. Mostly, they did not consider their well-being or their career path. Only the profits motivated the managers. At this time, I felt so useless, I realized the crucial importance of the role of human resources at the workplace and how impactful you could be to work as an HR because you support your people beyond the interview process. I wanted to have an impact and wanted to offer to my colleagues an enriching work experience. So, I went back to college in 2011, to get my master degree in Human Resources Organization and Management (I had a master degree in law!). And then I started out at Efgb as an HR Director. At Efgb, we just began with less than 5 people and our energy! I felt connected with the mission because I come from a country where education is free and accessible to all, where we believe everyone deserves access to a great education. The lack of education divides the society and the Education system is the backbone of any happy and healthy society. But I digress! Even if the challenge was important, I put my head down every day and I’ve created the foundation of the HRD role. Over the years I was able to build a strong and diverse team and to support the exceptional growth of Efgb. This is a testament to how impactful and effective you can be when you grow with intention.

Q: Why are you joining Modulate?

A: First, because I admire the work that has been done so far. I wanted to join a diverse team and a mission-driven work environment.

Then, because of the mission! Modulate is committed to solve toxicity in the gaming community and to create a safer space in the gaming world. The mission deeply resonates with me because as an HR professional my main mission is to offer a great place to work. That means implicitly that I’m committed to solving toxicity in the workspace. I’m a mother to a 15 year old gamer. I get my knowledge from him, essentially. He told me about the toxicity in the digital space and this is not acceptable. As a mother, I’ve been as concerned as many families. Modulate has the power to help families, I’m very grateful for that and I want to contribute, to help whatever small way I can.

Another point: because of the innovation. ToxMod is very innovative and cutting-edge, and I wanted to join a team that will value experimentation. I like to explore and experiment as the HR field is constantly growing and changing!

In addition, because of the culture. Modulate’s culture is very unique and very different from any other company and I was very impressed with the transparency value for instance. For me, being transparent shows how Modulate care about their people and fully embody its value. 

Last but not least, because of the work itself, I’m impressed with how Modulate put people first in creating this new role fully dedicated to people and I’m honored to take over that role and I’ll do my best to help each team member to be happy at work and Modulate to grow smoothly.

There are so many reasons I’m joining Modulate but I’m talking too much! 

Q: What’s your ideal work environment? Any special strategies you use to stay effective?

A: I’m comfortable in different kinds of places! I was lucky enough to enjoy living through different cultures and moving across the world. Going through different cultures and different people gives me the ability of binding people, bringing out the strengths of the group by empowering my colleagues to be their best. But because you ask me this: working in a bright open space with green plants, alternate standing and sitting positions, going outside to breathe fresh air and refocus. I always put an orchid flower on my desk, it brings me prosperity!

Q: Tell us about something you must have in any culture you join?

A:  Positivity, Diversity, Trust, Respect and Humor! I’m known for my proactive positive attitude and I love to create the vertueux cycle of positivity. The world is stressful and as a HR professional this is one of my main focuses to offer a happy and healthy workplace to my colleagues! For the same reasons, I love jokes and laughter. I need fun at my workplace!

Q: Who are you outside of work?

A: I’m the same person wherever I am! I’m a mom of 3 lovely children, I’m a student: in september 2022 I’m back to college to study philosophy, I’m a literature person, willing to have an impact, I care about others and I dedicate a lot of my free time to help and support others, particularly in the The Woods-Mullen Shelter.

Q: What’s something you’re great at that few people realize?

A: I have a very good eye and a developed sense of observation of people and things. I feel the moods, feelings and emotions of others. Sometimes I think I should have been a detective!

Q: Leave us with a fun tidbit - a favorite joke, a story from your past, an obscure riddle, whatever you like!

A: I like this quote “My goal is to create a life I don’t need a vacation from!” - Rob Hill Sr

Q: Who are you? Where are you from?

A: I’m Zach (he/him/his). I work on core engineering at Modulate. I’m from Maine, but I’ve lived in Boston for the past five years.

Q: What’s your background? What did you do before Modulate?

A: I studied computer engineering at Northeastern University with a focus on machine learning and signal processing. I’m a DJ and I play cello, so I also completed a minor in music recording.

Q: How did you first discover Modulate?

A: I met Mike and Carter at an Audio Engineering Society meeting well before Modulate was formalized. At the time, I knew nothing about machine learning, and they were still figuring out the audio bit, but over time it’s all come together!

Q: Why did you choose to join Modulate?

A: Deep learning paired with audio makes for a powerful and underexplored combination. Modulate’s voice skins solve a fun and useful problem that is uniquely tractable using deep learning. When I first heard a voice skin on the website I knew I had to be a part of this!

Q: What’s the voice skin you’re most excited to use, and how do you plan to use it?

A: I can’t wait for a Justin Roiland voice skin that can choose between Rick, Morty, and all of the other characters he voices. It would be so entertaining to be able to drop spot-on impressions in normal online conversations.

Q: What’s your ideal work environment? Any special strategies you use to stay effective?

A: Anywhere with quiet mornings, a sunny window, and good coffee is a good place for me to work. I try to set aside an hour or two every day to work on a hard task with no distractions. Structured deadlines help me work, but I appreciate a little free time to explore new ideas.

Q: Tell us about something you must have in any culture you join?

A: Transparency is a must for me. After doing a 7 month co-op at a large audio company, I can really appreciate how wonderful it is to be able to explore ideas and parts of the company that don’t apply to my day-to-day work in order to gain inspiration or just for fun.

Q: Who are you outside of work?

A: Outside of work, you’re likely to find me somewhere in nature. I ski, mountain bike, and climb so check anywhere with altitude. I also produce music and DJ for friends’ parties.

Q: What’s something you’re great at that few people realize?

A: I have 17 years experience knitting sweaters, hats, and socks.

Q: Leave us with a fun tidbit - a favorite joke, a story from your past, an obscure riddle, whatever you like!

A: As a small child I learned to communicate with signs long before I could talk. I made up signs for everything from a bell pepper to a yak!"

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