Joel Perez
Co-Founder & CTO
Software, Entrepreneur
Longmont, Colorado, USA
Listen to Joel’s Podcast!
Joel Perez is a full-stack software engineer, technology leader, CTO, and Co-Founder of Mindful Software, where he focuses on building human-centered technology that helps people create meaningful change in their lives.
His career spans software engineering, IT leadership, infrastructure, and product development. In his previous role with Rocket Communications, Joel created and led a team of engineers building a 3D-rendered satellite visualization tool used to train space operations teams. The platform combined real and user-generated satellite data to create realistic scenarios for testing space domain awareness.
Before moving fully into software development, Joel built a deep technical foundation in systems, networking, and IT leadership. His background includes system administration and IT management roles at organizations including Apergy, PCS Ferguson, Transwest, and Northrop Grumman. As IT Manager at PCS Ferguson, he oversaw infrastructure supporting servers, networks, and hundreds of employees.
Joel’s path into software engineering was anything but conventional. In 2017, after accepting a role running server infrastructure for Apergy, a $2 billion enterprise, his wife Amy encouraged him to step away and spend a year traveling. During that trip, Joel revisited an old curiosity: software engineering. He had always been drawn to the creative freedom of being able to build almost anything, but had never believed it was the right fit for him. With the space to explore it again, he realized he didn’t just enjoy development—he wanted to reshape his career around it.
In 2023, Joel felt another pull he couldn’t ignore: it was time to build his own product. He and Amy had both experienced the value of dream interpretation as a tool for reflection, clarity, and personal guidance. But the process was often slow, scattered, and difficult to sustain. Amy suggested turning that experience into an app, and myDream was born.
Across his career, Joel has combined technical depth, leadership, and a builder’s curiosity with a desire to create tools that feel useful, personal, and deeply human.
Outside of work, Joel competes in state and national golf tournaments and qualified for the 2025 U.S. Mid-Amateur. He is also an avid outdoorsman who enjoys spending time in the mountains skiing and has recently taken up bow hunting.
Joel Perez is also featured on our premiere Features Page, and you can read the Podcast Interview Transcript.
