Thomas Harrison
Thomas Harrison
Leadership · Infrastructure · AI · Human Systems
Available for mission-driven leadership roles

I build environments where people do their best work.

Twenty years leading infrastructure, engineering teams, and technical communities. I bring clarity, steady execution, and the systems that keep organizations aligned.

Summary

I design and operate reliable systems — data centers, networks, hybrid cloud platforms, and global IT operations. I lead teams through scale, outages, reorganizations, and modernization work. I keep complex systems steady when decisions move fast.

I bring the same systems thinking to leadership and culture. The teams I lead operate with clarity and stay focused on what matters.

Approach

Here's how I work: steady direction, clear priorities, and teams that ship durable work.

  • Clear direction and steady execution
  • Operations built to last, not just to launch
  • Decisions grounded in constraints and priorities
  • Teams that trust each other and perform over time

Operating Themes

Systems shape behavior
Focus is rare and valuable
Sustainable pace wins
Leadership is service
Generalists thrive in ambiguity
Stillness drives clarity

Community Work

I build community infrastructure. LAN events in the early days, SuperHappyDevHouse, Hacker Dojo. The systems that keep these spaces running and the environments where people show up and build together.

Watch the Hacker Dojo documentary

Writing

I write about identity, drift, and what it costs to remain intact.

Recent:

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    Experience Snapshot

    Common Nexus LLC
    Founder · 2025–Present
    Building privacy-conscious software and media. iOS applications that respect user data and time, with media content in development.
    Madrone Technology Group
    President; COO & Founder · 2019–2025
    Built a dependable infrastructure and cybersecurity firm from the ground up. Led data center strategy, hybrid-cloud modernization, and long-term reliability planning for organizations that rely on stable systems.
    Together Labs (IMVU)
    Sr. Engineering Manager · 2009–2022
    Ran IT and Operations for a platform serving millions of users. Directed on-prem, cloud, and edge environments. Reduced downtime, hardened security, and kept the organization moving through rapid change.
    Hacker Dojo
    Contributor · Board Member · Partner
    Helped one of Silicon Valley’s longest-running hacker communities grow from early setup through board leadership and ongoing infrastructure support.
    SuperHappyDevHouse
    Co-Organizer · 2005–2011
    Scaled a grassroots hackathon movement. Hosted events, led operations, and built the infrastructure that kept hundreds of participants online.
    Rwanda National ISP Deployment
    IT Consultant · 2004
    Led a six-person U.S. team deploying early national internet infrastructure for Terracom SARL, delivering fiber, wireless, and WAN acceleration projects under constrained conditions.

    Resume

    Full resume available on request or via LinkedIn. This page is the high-signal version.