Trailblazers Judges

Meet Erik. Programmer turned CTO of GoodHabitz. With over 24 years of experience within the tech industry, he’s developed a knack for seeing and supporting tech talent across a plethora of programmes.

During his time in tech, Erik has worked on huge projects across the globe including building the first PlayStation 4 game and helping Uber to become one of the transportation sector's leading figures, all the while also inspiring the next generation of tech trailblazers.

On this rollercoaster ride, Erik has developed a soft spot for finding and nurturing tech talent. Working alongside engineers and programmers, he realised just how important developing young prospects is for the industry and those working within it.

With a passion for spotting and working alongside some of the most talented people in the sector, Erik joined the Trailblazers programme with the goal of giving unsung tech heroes the recognition they deserve. As the tech world continues to evolve rapidly, Erik is keen to separate the wheat from the chaff and wants to find people who have that extra ‘sparkle’, that glint when someone is passionate and devoted to everything that comes with their role.

Judge's Insight

What trends or innovations in the tech industry are you particularly excited about?

For many, the obvious answer is AI, such as Chat GPT. Erik thinks its application in the educational tech space and within content creation roles could have huge implications for him and the team at GoodHabitz. They write in over 20 languages, and Chat GPT is poised to play a massive role in the translation industry. Erik is interested to see how his team and others can leverage it within the tech space.

Erik’s expectation is that two groups of engineers will form in the next year. One group will embrace AI and utilise it across their workflows, while the other group is going to resist AI and its implications.