Today, we’re excited to shine a spotlight on one of Leap’s many brilliant minds: Andrew Thomas! As the lead engineer for our convention management platform, Andrew ensures our technology runs smoothly and continues to level up with the latest innovations. Let’s check out his experience at Leap and discover what makes his work so important.
Our Interview with Andrew
We got to chat with Andrew about his experience on Leap’s engineering team to learn more about what he does for our suite of solutions and what he loves about his job.
How did you first get connected with Leap? What drew you to want to work here?
Initially, a friend recommended me to Leap’s recruitment team. From there, I joined Leap at the start of 2025 as the Lead Software Engineer for Leap’s convention management platform! After a decade of experience in various projects from flight simulators at Boeing to cloud infrastructure for Northwestern University, I hadn’t really found something for which I had a personal passion until Leap.
I was immediately attracted to the company after growing up on comics and music. A lot of the big shows I’d attended previously had been run through the technology here, and I really loved the idea of being a part of that!
What has your experience been like working at one of Leap’s live events? Any favorite memories?
Working onsite my first week was incredible! I got involved in everything from checking in attendees and distributing badges to managing lines of fans. Seeing the excitement on everyone’s faces as they got their wristbands was so energizing!
My biggest moment though was meeting two injured veterans who were in line for a photo op with Ernie Hudson. They had costumes on and were so excited. It turned out that meeting a Ghostbuster was a life dream of theirs. I could see their eyes glisten as they went in for their picture with him. I just felt it at my core that what we were doing at Leap was powerful on a level I couldn’t have imagined previously.
What are your primary responsibilities in your current role as Lead Software Engineer?
As the Lead Software Engineer, I’m typically responsible for high output and quality control of the code that goes into our conventions management platform. I work directly with the VP of Engineering to plan upcoming projects, evaluate practices, and help with other important tasks as needed.
I’m also a part of various groups in the company to focus on customer satisfaction. My favorite is the accessibility team where we focus on making everyone, regardless of disability, able to enjoy their experience. I also participate in establishing the design standards on the engineering side, run lunch and learning sessions, as well as mentor my peers!
What’s a project you’ve worked on at Leap that you’re particularly proud of?
Since I started, I wanted to get involved more in the frontend work and making an impact on what our customers see. I had an opportunity to rebuild the check-in and scheduling experience for an event early on and poured everything I had into it. The reception for it was very positive – we even had requests to use it again immediately!
What do you like most about working at Leap Event Technology?
My team! We laugh during almost every standup meeting, hear old war stories of conventions in the early 2000’s, but also hold each other accountable and make sure we’re always at our best. Since I share some personal similarities with each member on my team as well, it felt like joining a group of friends I’d already met.
If you could organize your dream live event, what would it be and why?
Wow, what a great question! It’s almost impossible to answer this, but I think I’d go for the cliche “all my favorite bands that weren’t around at the same time” show featuring headliners like Nirvana, Rage Against the Machine, and Queens of the Stone Age. These would have modern bands opening for them, like Dead Poet Society, The Blue Stones, and Friday Pilots Club.
What are some additional things about yourself outside of work that you’d like to share?
I was born in Massachusetts, raised in California, but have lived in Illinois since I met my wife 15 years ago. I’ve been playing guitar for about 25 years and have four electric guitars, three acoustic guitars, and one bass. I’d play them a lot more if it didn’t bother my four dogs and two cats. We live a cozy life with our backyard connected to a farm so the dogs can have a lot of freedom to run around!
Also, fun fact, I’m extremely tall. So tall that LeBron James is shorter than me. I’m used to tilting my head through any door at this point because I hit my head too much. However, I did find a house with eight-foot minimum ceilings, even in the basement!
