Torrin Leonard
Full Stack Software Developer, living in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
8 years professional experience.
About Me
Hi there, I'm Torrin Leonard, my love for coding began in high school building Python calculators and Django servers, eventually leading me to the creation of a Blender plugin with my brothers. Outside of coding, you'll catch me doing some digital photography, long bike rides, and indulging in a great cappuccino. Passionate about open source projects, my goal has always been to create clean, user/developer friendly software. Checkout the rest of my profile below to learn more about my work and journey!
At A Glance
💻 JavaScript / TypeScript / Python
⚛️ React, Express.js, FastAPI, Node.js
🎨 Custom UI Libraries (destamatic-ui, destam-dom)
🌐 Three.js / WebGL / Responsive Design
♿ Accessibility (WCAG Compliance)
🗄️ MongoDB, Redis, Docker, NGINX
☁️ GitLab CI/CD, Linux Servers, DigitalOcean, AWS
🤖 OpenAI API / ChatGPT, Qdrant, LangChain
🎶 Whisper Speech-to-Text, Image & Segmentation Models
🔗 Ethereum, Polygon, Cardano
🖼️ NFT Smart Contracts & 3D NFT Pipelines (Blender API, Arweave)
🧪 Automated Testing (TestCafe), Manual QA, Accessibility Testing
👥 Leadership, Mentorship, Entrepreneurship
Work Experience
Full Stack Software Developer
March 1st, 2023 to Present
As a Full Stack Software Developer at Equator Studios, I led the development of innovative mapping and AI-driven tools that streamline workflows for professionals worldwide. I built our flagship AI proposal creation tool from the ground up, designed and deployed internal and production servers, and created a custom UI framework that powers both our GIS mapping and AI applications. My work involved building functional and accessible interfaces, integrating AI technologies such as ChatGPT, Qdrant, image generation, and geospatial models, as well as implementing Stripe payment systems. I also gained hands-on experience with deployment pipelines, Docker, Linux/Ubuntu, GitLab CI/CD, and server/domain setup. In addition to deepening my expertise in JavaScript, React, Express.js, FastAPI, and MongoDB, I spearheaded the development of reusable UI libraries, guided other developers through onboarding, and established internal tools and processes to support efficient collaboration.
QA, Accessibility, and Automation Software Tester
June 1st, 2013 to June 1st, 2025
As a Software Assurance Engineer contractor at worX4you, I worked on projects for clients including THRILLWORKS, League, TunnelBear, Hubba, and Hopscotch, where I focused on both manual and automated testing. Using tools such as JavaScript, TypeScript, TestCafe, Jira, Slack, GitHub, and VS Code, I developed and executed test plans to ensure product quality and reliability. A key part of my role was researching and applying WCAG accessibility standards, helping teams improve inclusivity and compliance across their applications. This experience allowed me to strengthen my expertise in software testing, accessibility, and cross-team collaboration across diverse projects and industries.
This Cozy Studio
Co-Founder, CEO, Lead Software Developer
October 1st, 2021 to January 1st, 2025
As the Co-Founder, CEO, and Lead Software Engineer of This Cozy Studio Inc., I combined technical expertise with leadership to grow the company and deliver innovative Web3 and 3D solutions. I developed Blend_My_NFTs, a widely adopted Blender add-on for generating 3D NFT models, which has earned nearly 1,000 stars on GitHub and been customized for client needs. My work also included building and deploying multiple NFT collections—such as Cozy Place, Vox Coodles, Omni Coin, Metapanda, and AKidCalledBeast—as well as designing our company website and creating a cloud rendering, storage, and NFT minting platform for 3D artists. Beyond engineering, I managed a small creative team, oversaw finances and client relationships, and streamlined workflows with Python-based automation systems. My experience spans blockchain ecosystems like Ethereum, Cardano, and Polygon, as well as decentralized storage solutions such as Arweave, giving me a unique mix of technical, creative, and managerial skills.
QA, Accessibility, and Automation Software Tester
March 1st, 2021 to May 1st, 2022
As a Quality Assurance Engineer at League, I contributed to the development of President’s Choice’s PC Health app and League’s Health OS platform by ensuring functionality, usability, and accessibility across web and mobile. I built and maintained automated tests in TypeScript/JavaScript using TestCafe, conducted manual and accessibility testing in alignment with WCAG standards, and collaborated closely with developers to identify and resolve issues before release. I also leveraged tools like Jira, Slack, GitHub, and VS Code to streamline workflows and improve communication between teams. This role strengthened my skills in automated testing, accessibility compliance, and cross-team collaboration while ensuring a seamless experience for end users.
Pivot Careers
Founder and CEO
August 1st, 2020 to October 1st, 2021
As the Founder and CEO of Pivot Careers, I researched and developed an online onboarding platform designed to help companies create training courses for new hires. I conducted market research, spoke with professionals in the recruitment industry, and explored ways to improve the efficiency of employee onboarding through technology. While not heavily technical, this role highlighted my entrepreneurial drive, product design thinking, and ability to identify business opportunities.
Software QA Tester
April 1st, 2017 to February 1st, 2021
As a Software QA Tester at TunnelBear, I tested and assured the quality of products such as the TunnelBear VPN, Remembear Password Manager, and MacOS VPN applications. I worked closely with the development team to identify, reproduce, and document issues, ensuring secure, reliable, and user-friendly releases. My nearly four years at TunnelBear gave me valuable experience in software testing, quality assurance, and collaborating with a dedicated team on widely used consumer applications.
Tools I Use
JavaScript
Python
TypeScript
Go
Rust
Node.js
React
Express
Django
FastAPI
Three.js
WordPress
OpenAI API
Hugging Face
Ollama
PyTorch
LangChain
Anaconda
Conda Forge
Git
GitHub
GitLab
Docker
NGINX
npm
Vite
Webpack
MongoDB
MariaDB
CockroachDB
Redis
DigitalOcean
Heroku
GoDaddy
AWS
Google App Script
Ubuntu
Arch Linux
Linux Mint
Shell/Terminal
Blender
Personal Projects
A library package that contains core abstractions and utilities of a full stack platform. destam-web-core simplifies and implements features like client/server websocket state synchronization, observer-based state syncing, MongoDB server state storage, backend websocket module routing system, user signup/login flow, and db management, user websocket authentication.
An Open Source platform passion project built for gig workers and customers. A full stack, state streaming, websocket-based reactive web application that uses JavaScript on the backend and frontend.
A music player that enhances your albums with metadata like lyrics, animated art, descriptions, and tags. MangoSync uses a locally modified Whisper audio-to-text AI model to auto transcribe lyrics, first searching online, then aligning and transcribing your songs for Apple Music-style synchronized lyrics.
A custom UI component library built on destam and destam-dom reactivity libraries. Similar in style and functionality to MaterialUI components, but snappier thanks to the speed of destam-dom's lack of a virtual DOM.
Designed and developed a fully custom interactive portfolio using my own UI library (destamatic-ui), a DOM manipulation framework built from scratch (destam-dom), and Three.js. The site features a real-time theming system that synchronizes UI and 3D WebGL scenes, with smooth color transitions and support for dark/light modes plus four accent themes. I built touch and desktop input handling, optimized object collisions and animations using spatial partitioning and frustum culling, and integrated a blog engine powered by a custom Markdown renderer.
Education
University of Waterloo
June 1st, 2021 to June 1st, 2026
Attended the University of Waterloo for Honours Co-op, Astronomy and Physics.
Laurel Heights Secondary School
September 1st, 2017 to June 1st, 2021
Graduated Laurel Heights Secondary School (previously known as Sir John A. Macdonald) in Waterloo, Ontario in June of 2021.
Recommendations
Coworker at Equator Studios
| "Torrin is an exceptionally hard working individual with a naturally curious mind and a genuine passion for learning. He approaches every new challenge with focus, determination, and creativity, consistently demonstrating both the drive and adaptability needed to excel. In our time together at Equator, I witnessed him develop skills to design AI systems purely through his capacity for self learning. Beyond his work ethic, Torrin is a thoughtful and friendly colleague. He has a warm and approachable personality that puts others at ease and fosters a collaborative, supportive environment. His ability to connect with people and build positive relationships makes him not only a reliable team member but also a pleasure to work alongside. I am confident that Torrin will bring the same energy, dedication, and collaborative spirit to any role or opportunity he pursues. He would be a valuable asset to any team."
Coworker at Equator Studios
| "During my time working with Torrin, he grew from an eager junior to an independent team member leading his own projects for the startup. He rapidly acclimated to our codebase and workflows, and always came prepared to ask the right questions to deepen his knowledge and enable him to independently take the next steps for his projects. Not only is Torrin a quick study, he is also a pleasure to work with, which made him a valuable bridge between the coding, business, and customer service parts of our company. Torrin would be an asset to any organization!"
Senior to Torrin at League
| "I had the chance to work with Torrin at League, where he supported my Marketplace team. Torrin was exceptional at handling the complexities of our multi-store platform. He was detail-oriented, proactive in identifying issues, and quick to suggest practical solutions. His ability to navigate edge cases and ensure quality across a complex product made a real difference. Torrin is a reliable and highly skilled professional who adds strong value to any team.I had the chance to work with Torrin at League, where he supported my Marketplace team. Torrin was exceptional at handling the complexities of our multi-store platform. He was detail-oriented, proactive in identifying issues, and quick to suggest practical solutions. His ability to navigate edge cases and ensure quality across a complex product made a real difference. Torrin is a reliable and highly skilled professional who adds strong value to any team."
Certificates
September 23rd, 2025
Completed the CS50x Introduction to Computer Science course provided by Harvard University.
February 9th, 2021
Completed a W3Cx Web Accessibility course provided by the World Wide Web Consortium on how to implement WCAG 2.2/3.0 web accessibility standards.
February 9th, 2021
Completed 16.00x: Introduction to Aerospace Engineering: Astronautics and Human Spaceflight, a course provided by Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
October 13th, 2020
Completed ANU-ASTRO1x: Greatest Unsolved Mysteries of the Universe, a course provided by Australian National University
Emergency First Aid - CPR A - AED
March 1st, 2019
Completed first aid training at St. John Ambulance Canada | Ambulance Saint-Jean. Credential ID EFA-A-16-SJKWA-140319-2979.
© Torrin Leonard 2025 🇨🇦