Dave Kong
About Dave Kong
Dave Kong serves as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Hungryroot, where he has expanded the engineering team from one to twenty members and has played a key role in developing the company's digital products. With a background that includes significant positions at companies like Microsoft and Groupon, he emphasizes team cohesion and has a strong foundation in computer science.
Work at Hungryroot
Dave Kong has served as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Hungryroot since 2017. Under his leadership, the engineering team expanded from one member to twenty, covering various domains including web, mobile, backend, and devops engineering. He played a pivotal role in developing the initial version of Hungryroot's product from start to finish and has guided the team through several iterations of the digital experience. Kong also implemented the early versions of Hungryroot's unique boxfill system, utilizing linear optimization models.
Previous Experience in Technology
Before joining Hungryroot, Dave Kong held several significant positions in the technology sector. He worked as a Senior Fullstack Engineer at Groupon from 2013 to 2014. He then served as a Senior Backend Architect at Wine n Dine from 2016 to 2017. Prior to these roles, he was a Senior Software Engineer at S&P Global Market Intelligence from 2009 to 2011 and held the position of VP of Engineering at Force Therapeutics from 2014 to 2015. His career began at Microsoft, where he worked as a Software Engineer from 2002 to 2007.
Education and Expertise
Dave Kong holds a Master's degree in Computer Science from the University of Washington, where he studied from 2003 to 2006. He also earned a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science from Carnegie Mellon University, completing his studies there from 1998 to 2002. His educational background has provided him with a solid foundation in software engineering and technology management.
Team Leadership and Culture
As CTO at Hungryroot, Dave Kong emphasizes the importance of team cohesion and morale, particularly in a remote work environment. His leadership style focuses on fostering a collaborative atmosphere among team members, which he considers essential for productivity and innovation. Kong's approach to team dynamics has contributed to the successful growth and development of the engineering team at Hungryroot.