Hello fellow internet user - I'm Steven! You can also call me "Burstyn" or "The Weatherman". Whichever you prefer, haha!
As a kid, I knew I wanted to be 2 things:
1) a professional soccer player
2) and a footwear designer for soccer cleats
Luckily, I had the privilege to play professional soccer for a few years in Guatemala, Sweden, and with the Philippine National Team. Now I want to accomplish #2 by becoming an Innovation Designer.
Education
I got my bachelor's degree in Landscape Architecture at UC Berkeley. Although I studied design at university, I didn't go into the profession other than a brief stint at HNTB as an architectural designer.
Tech Entrepreneur & Product Manager
Instead, I pivoted into the technology sector. Most notably, I've been a Berkeley SkyDeck founder, CEO at 2 startups, and a Product Manager at 2 YCombinator startups. My experience has given me the ability to design solutions to the most ambiguous problems that help unlock growth and operational excellence for companies.
I'm a systems thinker that designs and builds for scalability.
Leaning back into my creativity
My background in design always helped me solve problems in technology. However, it wasn't until my last job where I worked with world-renowned digital artist Seerlight and music producer Oksami that I was inspired to be creative again.
Footwear Chapter & Education
I cut and sew bespoke shoes. I've been wanting to do it since I was a kid but never knew how. I wanted to take my footwear design skills to the next level and break into the industry so in March of 2023, I graduated with my Certificate in Footwear Design from Pensole Lewis College of Business & Design in Detroit, MI.
This is me
I used to think my identity was a soccer player. But now I realize that I'm more than that: a son, brother, chef, skateboarder, runner, lifter, bespoke shoemaker, dog dad (of Mika), and footwear designer - a multi-faceted human being that enjoys a life filled with creation and camaraderie that can't be defined by one single word.
