Even though Robert Navarro was born in Venezuela, he really considers himself a Raleigh native, since he moved here when he was only 9 months old. As a kid, Robert thought he might grow up to be a chef. “I’ve always liked cooking a lot. I get inspired when I watch cooking TV shows, especially anything with Gordon Ramsay, and even though I didn’t become a chef, I still do most of the cooking at home.”
Robert started taking software programming courses in middle school at the urging of a good friend, which set his course towards an engineering degree at NC State. “I like software development because being able to solve problems in ways others can’t is compelling. I like that unique aspect of it.”
In order to fulfill his college requirements, Robert worked with a small group on a design project during his senior year. “Companies participated by assigning these student groups software development projects. My group chose to work with Crispin. The CTO at the time acted as our project liaison, and eventually he offered me a job. So, I was hired before I even graduated, which was really nice!” Robert says he knew right away he wanted to work at Crispin because of the impressive communication between co-workers and knowing that everyone was so easy to work with. “I never wanted to work for a large company; I liked the small, family feel. To find a place like that right out of college was great.”
In his free time, Robert likes to play video games. But mostly, he is just trying to keep up with his daughter, Alex. His favorite activities now include playground time with his family, watching Sofia the First and exploring the world with Alex, as well as trying to keep her out of trouble in the process. He still always finds time to cheer on Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers.
Robert says there’s a lot to like about working at Crispin. “I like the team I work on, it’s small, but very efficient. The complexity of the projects keeps it interesting. I can make a piece of software that runs a television station – that’s very unusual compared to other, larger companies.” He also cites Fridays as a big plus, both Fridays off in the summer and the occasional beer Fridays the company sponsors, saying it’s a nice way to relax and catch up with friends at work. “The people are the best reason to work at Crispin. I like that we can talk about things besides work. It really feels like family, we’re always making jokes with each other, it’s a good thing.”