Bio
July 1st, 2006
I am a second generation Swedish American born and raised in Southern California. I run a software consultancy that helps Internet Start-ups go big. By that I mean we help them adopt cloud-computing technologies such as Amazon’s Elastic Cloud (EC2) and RightScale’s scaling platform. Before founding the consultancy, co-founded several technology startups such as Interactive Path, Inc., Launch 10 Labs, LLC, and Player Axis, Inc. with some brilliant people such as Chad Boyda, Joel Thoms, and Jamie Hiyama.
My parents are both from Sweden, but have spent the better part of their lives enjoying the American Dream. My alma-mater is UCLA’s Applied Mathematics program where I specialized in computation. The experience is something I’ll never forget. Being around so many gifted people is humbling, but also helped me realize that smarts aren’t the only thing important in life—compassion and creativity are equally important. So many people in the Math department were brilliant, but at the same time lacked emotional intelligence and were otherwise inept at personal relations.
Being well-rounded is a virtue I strive for daily. While trying to divorce myself from technology will always be a lost cause, I’ve always enjoyed roughing it in the great outdoors. Ever since I was a kid I’ve been fascinated by the ocean and the thrill of sailing. In general, I’ve always been more for one-on-one challenging sports, such as skiing. Trying to perfect form and master the bumps and powder has taken me to all parts of the world — from heli-skiing in Verbier to good old backcountry skiing up at Mammoth Lakes. I guess I like the idea of challenging oneself and ultimately only oneself to blame when hitting a tree.
Scouting shaped my life and made me who I am today. For the 9 years until I reached Eagle Scout, I was given a world full of experiences and profound appreciation for sleeping under the stars. Nature is something I don’t think anyone could fully appreciate with out experiencing it first-hand, deep into the wild.
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All the best,
Erik Osterman
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January 10th, 2009 at 9:45 pm
I was doing a curiosity search in “whois” to see who had the other Osterman domains. I am also Swedish ancestry, 3rd generation. My understanding is that even in Sweden, Osterman is an unusual surname.
My grandparents Nils Arvid Nilsson and Lina Pehrsson left Fide on Gotland in the late 1800’s. After my grandfather came to America he worked on his uncle’s, Charles Osterman, ranch in Laramie. WY and changed his name to Osterman. “Everybody around Laramie knew the Ostermans and nobody had ever heard of a guy named Nilsson. There are still a bunch of Ostermans around Laramie.
Any chance we are distant relatives? I and most of my generation are in the Seattle area. Lot’s of engineers and other techno geeks.
Dale Osterman