The WTIA member community is a diverse one, to say the least! And we want to highlight some of the fun and interesting facts about our new and renewing members in this weekly series. We hope you take this opportunity to get to know your fellow WTIA members and peek behind the curtains of their (sometimes) wacky spaces.

This week’s feature company is Castle! Here are Ray responses on behalf of his company:

What is your role at your company?

Ray: I am the Director of Product Management at Castle. In my role, I help to define the blueprint and drive the direction of our data storage products in terms of what problems that our customers face and what unique solutions we should create to help them overcome those problems and become successful.

What is your company known for?

Ray: Castle is a new outfit within a larger company. Castle is working on a new software-defined data storage solution for enterprises. We have strong pedigree in that domain. Our parent company has been a leader in the data storage world for the last 30 years.

What do you hope to gain from your membership with WTIA?

Ray: Seattle is the cloud computing capital of the world. Through our WTIA membership, we hope to be standing should-to-shoulder with the giants of the tech world to help solve many of the technological challenges that organizations are faced with.

What’s your favorite part about working in Seattle?

Ray: I’ve lived and worked on the East Coast and in the San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle definitely has a lot to offer – great people, companies, food, and many outdoor things to do! Also, Seattle is the cloud computing capital of the world. It’s cool to be in Seattle during this period.

What new technological advancement interests you the most and why?

Ray: Data storage and cloud computing have evolved to affect many aspects of human civilization. Both technological advancement are integral to people’s lives and the economies of the world. Both have changed how people and organizations work as well as play – and the impact has been unprecedented.

What’s one unique aspect of your company’s culture?

Ray: A unique aspect of our company culture is our relentless focus on the User – from end-to-end. We focus on key customer problems and challenges when we define the product that we are building, we leverage user design-driven product development processes to integrate customers interactions with the product, and we focus on the overall UX when the customer consider, evaluates, acquires, and use the product. It is in our DNA, so to speak.

What’s a goal for your company this year?

Ray: A key goal this year is to staff the company with a core team of smart people who will lead the technological charge to build the core product and are a good fit with our team culture.

What’s been your favorite experience with the WTIA so far?

Ray: The initial interactions with a few of the WTIA has been pleasant. Nick and Toni have been in touch constantly to roll out the welcome mat to us. We look forward to doing more things with WTIA community to share our knowledge and passion for technology and all things Seattle.

Which WTIA event has been your favorite to attend? Why?

Ray: Haven’t attended any yet but looking forward to the many networking events that WTIA hosts.

If you were to explain your company to a room full of 6^th graders, how would you go about doing so?

Ray: I will ask the 6^th graders if they ever save their favorite photos, music or family videos? If they did, my company probably makes the products that help them safely keep their photos, music, videos and everything else!

What’s your favorite work perk?

Ray: My favorite work perk in the office is my Friant adjustable desk and computer with 3-monitors setup (ignore the laptop running Linux on the right :-)). I get to stretch and do my Tai Chi workouts while I am burning calories thinking! Everyone in the team gets this setup and their choice of computer.

What TV show’s office most resembles your workplace dynamic?

Ray: Silicon Valley, but in an office setting rather than a house

What was your result from the Tech Animal Quiz?

Ray: Mountain Goat!??! (Incidentally, I was born in the Year of the Ram/Goat (Zodiac))

In your opinion, what’s the best thing we’ve probably never heard about in your city?

Ray: Which neighborhood that offers affordable housing that no one else know about! Come on, really!

Is there a unique story behind your company name or logo?

Ray: Castle, the company name and logo, signifies a safe and secure place to store your company’s data so that it is always available and accessible.

Thank you to everyone who participated! We will be posting the responses from the rest of our winners each Monday for the rest of the month!