Spencer Candland

Led a complex, multi-year advocacy and strategic initiative to dismantle an abusive organization, leveraging strategic planning and community mobilization.

• Spearheaded and successfully executed a multi-year advocacy campaign, culminating in the legal and financial dissolution of a complex organization.
• Mobilized and inspired a community of survivors, building consensus and coordinated action to achieve a shared objective over a 35-year historical context.
• Developed and implemented strategic pathways, including legal and financial pressure, resulting in the organization's bankruptcy and closure.
• Demonstrated exceptional resilience, strategic foresight, and leadership in navigating a high-stakes, long-term challenge.

Provided expert consulting services to clients within the web hosting industry, leveraging extensive technical and operational knowledge.

• Delivered specialized consulting services, guiding web hosting companies through complex technical challenges and strategic initiatives.
• Applied deep industry knowledge to advise on infrastructure optimization, system architecture, and operational best practices.
• Developed tailored solutions for clients, enhancing their web hosting capabilities and improving overall service delivery.

Directed all technical operations and strategic infrastructure development as CTO and Board Member for a web hosting company.

• Oversaw comprehensive maintenance and management of all servers, ensuring high availability and optimal performance for web hosting services.
• Led the creation and deployment of new products and server architectures, significantly expanding service offerings and market reach.
• Designed and built custom infrastructure for critical web hosting services, including DNS, Email, Optimized Wordpress, and Database systems, enhancing reliability and scalability.
• Implemented robust staff training and technical education programs, fostering career advancement and enabling employees to assume greater responsibilities.

Led day-to-day technical operations and strategic architectural development for a large web hosting company, scaling infrastructure and managing a 55+ person team.

• Scaled web hosting infrastructure from approximately 60 to over 20,000 servers, supporting 200,000+ DNS queries/second and managing all related internal services and security.
• Architected and deployed a massive OpenStack-based cloud platform comprising 18,000+ Physical Nodes, 70,000+ CPUs, and over 180 Terabytes of RAM.
• Designed and built a custom high-performance, high-reliability SAN storage system, achieving over 5 GB/s sequential read/write, 150 MB/s random read, and 1M+ IOPS for less than $0.50 per GB.
• Developed and implemented a custom SDN network and high-speed deployment services for large clusters, utilizing Puppet and custom software for efficient code and system updates.
• Managed multiple data center migrations (local and thousands of miles) and led generational upgrades of systems, including server, component, and operating system replacements.
• Grew the technical operations team from 2 to over 55 employees, overseeing all interviewing, training, performance reviews, and fostering a 70% internal promotion rate to the architect team.

Managed daily operations and a technical support team, ensuring 24/7 coverage and effective problem resolution for hosting products.

• Managed daily operations for a technical support team of under 20 individuals, transitioning them to full 24/7 staffing and improving service availability.
• Developed and delivered ongoing employee training programs for new hosting products (shared and VPS) and services, enhancing team expertise.
• Served as the primary escalation path for complex technical issues, resolving problems that frontline employees could not address.
• Administered and operated the phone system, including setting up directories and dial plans, to optimize customer communication.

Provided front-end technical support for shared hosting environments and assisted with infrastructure transitions post-acquisition.

• Provided direct front-end technical support to customers via phone and email/tickets for shared hosting environments.
• Contributed to the building of servers and desktops for 50Megs prior to its acquisition.
• Assisted in the seamless transition from the original 50Megs platform to a new pool-based architecture following the acquisition.

Managed PC system building, repair, and online store operations, ensuring quality and customer satisfaction.

• Performed daily building and repair of PC computer systems, ensuring high functionality and reliability.
• Researched compatibility issues and designed stable models for production, optimizing system performance and longevity.
• Managed limited sales duties and assisted with the operation of the online store, supporting business growth.
• Provided troubleshooting for end-user problems and managed returns and RMAs, ensuring efficient customer service.

Handled daily PC system building, repair, and managed online store operations, including inventory and vendor relations.

• Performed daily building and repair of PC computer systems, maintaining high standards for hardware functionality.
• Managed and updated the online store, ensuring accurate product listings and smooth e-commerce operations.
• Assisted with shipping, receiving, and order fulfillment, contributing to efficient inventory management.
• Ordered equipment from vendors, ensuring timely stocking of inventory to meet customer demand.