Samuel
Open to opportunities

I build software
for the web.

I'm Samuel Nelson, a software engineer based in Minneapolis, MN. I care about thoughtful interfaces, solid architecture, and software that feels simple to use.

View my workRésumé
Currently buildingFull-stack applications & developer tools
Samuel Nelson — Software Engineer
ONLINE
Software EngineerMinneapolis, MN
samuel@portfolio ~
01 / WORK

Things I've built.

A selection of projects where I've had to think about more than just the UI.

01ENCRYPTED FULL-STACK APPLICATION
9:41
Wi-Fi
Secured Notes
Search your notes
NOTES

Weekend plans

Visit the farmers market
Pick up coffee beans
Read for an hour

Things to remember

Ship the new feature
Reply to Jordan
Book a dentist appointment

Quick thought

Great products feel effortless.
Just now

Project ideas

Personal dashboard
Notes app redesign
Explore new APIs

Design inspiration

Simple interfaces
Soft colors
Thoughtful interactions

Shopping list

Oat milk
Avocados
Fresh bread

Secured Notes Mobile App

A cross-platform note-taking app with client-side encryption, and encrypted cloud synchronization through a Go backend.

Designed and developed a cross-platform mobile note-taking application inspired by Google Keep and Protected Text, emphasizing privacy and client-side encryption. Built the React Native client with TypeScript and SQLite for local persistence, alongside a Go backend using the Chi router for REST API access and encrypted note synchronization across devices.

TypeScriptReact NativeSQLiteGo (Chi Router)AES-256 Client-side EncryptionZero-knowledge serverExpo CryptoREST API
256-bit keyAES-256
96-bit nonce12 bytes per encryption
128-bit salt16 random bytes
02FULL-STACK APPLICATION
9:41
Wi-Fi
♫Mood Music

Hello!

How are you feeling?

PICK YOUR VIBE9 moods
☀️Happy
☁️Dreamy
🌿Chill
💔Heartbroken
⚡Energetic
🌙Nostalgic
💗Romantic
🌧️Melancholy
🔥Unstoppable
🌿

Your mood, your music.

Find the perfect soundtrack.

→

OR FIND YOUR SOUND

Artist
Track
Home
Music
Playlists
Profile
Settings

Mood Music

A React Native music app that integrates with the Spotify API to support mood-based music discovery and playlist management.

Developed a React Native application using TypeScript to explore music and manage playlists through Spotify API integration. Built an Express.js backend with MongoDB persistence for user playlist data, while using Redux and Redux Saga to coordinate asynchronous requests and application state.

React NativeTypeScriptMongoDBSpotify APIREST APIExpress.js
Redux + Redux SagaMobile state
Spotify Web APIMusic integration
MongoDBPersistence
Express REST APIBackend
Source
03FULL-STACK PROGRESSIVE WEB APP
9:41
USA
DODGEBALL

Home

Play. Compete. Connect.

Tournament Hub

Find your next competition.

Search past tournaments...

Upcoming Tournaments

2 EVENTS
NATIONALEVENT 01

USA Dodgeball Nationals

NOV 14–16, 2026
Orlando, FL
REGIONALEVENT 02

Midwest Regional Open

NOV 21, 2026
Minneapolis, MN
Search tournament archive

Dodgeball Stat Tracker

A full-stack progressive web app prototype for USA Dodgeball, featuring game statistics, user authentication, and administrative tools.

Collaborated on a full-stack React progressive web app prototype for USA Dodgeball to support game-statistics tracking and administrative workflows. Implemented PostgreSQL persistence, Passport.js authentication, role-based authorization, and API integrations. Worked within an Agile development team, iterating on the interface and features in response to client feedback.

Progressive Web AppReactPosgresSQLPassport AuthenticationREST API
Role-based authorizationAccess control
Passport.jsAuthentication
Progressive Web AppApplication type
PostgreSQLDatabase
Source
02 / ENGINEERING

More than the pixels.

Exploring:Secured Notes Mobile App

I like understanding what happens underneath the interface, too.

SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE
REQUEST / DATA FLOW3 layers
COMPONENT / 01

Mobile Client

React Native · TypeScript · Local-first storage

React NativeTypeScriptExpoSQLite
API / request↓
COMPONENT / 02

Backend & API

Go · Chi Router · Encrypted synchronization

GoChi RouterREST APIEncrypted Note Synchronization
Persistence / sync↓
COMPONENT / 03

Data & Security

Local persistence · Client-side encryption

SQLite Local PersistenceAES-256-GCMPassword-Based Key DerivationRandom Salts & Nonces
↗
CLIENT → BACKEND

The mobile client encrypts note contents before sending them to the Go REST API. The API exchanges encrypted payloads for synchronization across devices.

↗
BACKEND → DATA

The backend persists or retrieves encrypted note payloads from its configured storage layer. The server does not need plaintext note contents to relay ciphertext.

An overview of the technologies and responsibilities behind Secured Notes Mobile App.

CODE / FEATURED

Small details, deliberate decisions.

noteEncryption.ts
async function encryptNote(  content: string,  password: string): Promise<string> {  const salt = Crypto.getRandomBytes(16);  const nonce = Crypto.getRandomBytes(12);   const key = await deriveKey(password, salt);  const aesKey = await Crypto.AESEncryptionKey.import(key);   const plaintext = new TextEncoder().encode(content);  const ciphertext = await Crypto.aesEncryptAsync(    plaintext,    aesKey,    { nonce, tagLength: 16 }  );   return serializeEncryptedPayload({    salt,    nonce,    ciphertext: await ciphertext.combined("base64")  });}
WHY

I implemented client-side encryption to protect note contents before they reach the server. Each encryption operation uses a cryptographically random salt and nonce, while authenticated encryption helps protect both confidentiality and data integrity. This approach supports encrypted cloud synchronization without requiring the server to handle plaintext notes or the user's encryption key.

03 / Experience

Where I've been.

2023 — Present

Software Engineer

Independent Contractor

Design and deliver end-to-end software solutions for clients, spanning customer-facing applications, backend infrastructure, and workflow automation, with an emphasis on scalable architecture, performance, and production reliability.

  • Deliver custom web solutions for clients, translating requirements into responsive, maintainable web apps
  • Work directly with stakeholders to define requirements, prioritize features, and deliver production-ready systems
  • Build performant frontend systems and backend APIs with a focus on reliability and maintainability
2024 — Present

Executive Accounts Specialist

University of Minnesota

Spearhead financial process improvements through VBA-driven Excel automation, while overseeing procurement and reimbursement workflows and serving as a subject matter expert on university financial systems and policies.

  • Automated monthly credit-card reconciliation using Excel VBA, reducing processing time by 83%
  • Reduced daily reconciliations from approximately 30 minutes to 10 minutes through VBA automation
  • Automated purchase-order expenditure and burn-rate reporting, reducing report preparation from approximately one hour to 10 minutes
  • Evaluate and streamline financial workflows, acting as a subject matter expert and key contact for purchasing and reimbursement workflows, managing purchase orders, reimbursements, and procurement processes across systems
2023

Software Engineering Student

Prime Digital Academy

Completed immersive full-stack software engineering training focused on application development, RESTful API architecture, database integration, and collaborative Agile practices to deliver functional, end-to-end software solutions.

  • Collaborated in an Agile development team for capstone project, partnering with local stakeholder to develop MVP full-stack app
  • Developed full-stack web apps with modern technologies
  • Designed and implemented RESTful APIs for data communication in full-stack applications
2018 — 2022

Account Associate

Wells Fargo

Executed mortgage document custody and loan-file administration processes, supporting the secure handling, organization, and lifecycle management of financial documentation while maintaining operational controls and service standards.

  • Managed and analyzed high-volume financial and operational data using internal systems and Excel-based tools
  • Investigated data discrepancies and resolved document issues, supporting record accuracy and compliance
2014

Bachelor of Arts in Political Science — Quantitative Analysis

University of Minnesota

Studied quantitative research methods, statistical analysis, and large-scale data analysis, utilizing Stata for statistical programming, data management, and empirical research.

  • Performed statistical analyses on national datasets to identify patterns, evaluate relationships, and test research hypotheses
  • Programmed and executed statistical procedures in Stata to support quantitative research and empirical analysis
04 / Journal

Things I'm thinking about.

Short notes on engineering decisions, experiments, and things I've learned while building.

05 / CONTACT

Let's build something
worth shipping.

I'm currently open to software engineering opportunities, and interesting projects.

Say hello
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