About Me · The personal side
About Me
Howdy! I'm Michael Riley Jr., a cloud engineer and developer who grew up in Munster, Indiana. After spending years working throughout Northwest Indiana and Chicago's southern suburbs, I'm preparing for my next adventure—relocating to Buffalo, New York.
For the work-side of things, see → work
§ 01 — How I got here
I was born and raised in Munster, Indiana, a small town in Northwest Indiana just outside Chicago. Growing up in this region shaped my approach to technology—practical, community-focused, and rooted in Midwestern values.
My tech journey started early, leading me to study Computer Science at Purdue University Northwest before completing my Bachelor's degree at Western Governors University in 2026. Along the way, I've worked everywhere from Valparaiso to Olympia Fields, Illinois, experiencing the diverse tech landscapes of Northwest Indiana and Chicagoland's southern suburbs.
Beyond my day job in cloud engineering, I run two ventures: Errite Games LLC, where I develop open-source projects like a Discord bot and tinker with Unity game development, and Errite Softworks LLC, providing software and IT consulting to local Northwest Indiana businesses.
I'm active in the tech community as a conference speaker, having presented at DjangoCon US in Durham and Chicago, with an upcoming talk at Drupal Developer Days Athens 2026. I love connecting with developers across different communities—whether it's Python, Django, Drupal, or infrastructure circles.
After years building my career while staying rooted in Munster, I'm ready for a new chapter. I'm planning to relocate to Buffalo, New York—excited for new experiences while carrying forward everything I've learned in Northwest Indiana.