React / Next.js
TypeScript
Node.js / Express
PostgreSQL
AWS / Cloud
Figma
GraphQL
Docker
Redis
Framer Motion
Tailwind CSS
Python
Folio — Design System
Open-source component library with 90+ accessible components, dark mode, and Figma tokens sync. 3.5k GitHub stars.
2024
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Pulse — Health Tech App
Patient-facing mobile web app for chronic condition tracking. Reduced care team response time by 38%.
2023
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Compass — Navigation SDK
JavaScript SDK for indoor navigation — event-driven API, TypeScript-first, used in 200+ enterprise deployments.
2023
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L
Senior Engineer
Contentful
Berlin, Germany
Built the new React-based content editor and the first version of the Compose app. Established testing culture that cut production incidents by 60%.
Frontend Engineer
SoundCloud
Berlin, Germany
Developed creator-facing features for the SoundCloud for Artists platform. Shipped the analytics dashboard used by 2M+ artists.
Junior Developer
N26
Berlin, Germany
Built UI components for the N26 onboarding flow and internal design system. Contributed to accessibility improvements that passed EBA guidelines.
Education
Academic Background
2012 — 2016
B.Sc. Computer Science
Technische Universität Berlin
Majored in distributed systems and human-computer interaction. Thesis on reactive UI architecture received distinction.
2019
Design for Developers
Figma Academy
Intensive programme covering visual design fundamentals, typography, and interaction design for engineers.
Open Source
Open Source
Libraries and tools I maintain.
hyperq
Zero-dependency, type-safe job queue for Node.js with Redis and PostgreSQL drivers.
View repo →
Certifications
Certifications
Recognition
Awards & Recognition
2024
Best Developer Portfolio
Dev Awards
Recognised for exceptional portfolio design and technical depth.
2023
Open Source Contributor of the Year
GitHub Stars
Awarded for sustained contributions to the TypeScript ecosystem.
2022
Hackathon Winner — FinTech Track
TechCrunch Disrupt
First place for building a real-time fraud detection system in 48 hours.
2022
Rising Engineer Award
Engineering Blog
Featured for technical writing and open source contributions.
Testimonials
What People Say
Elara is the rarest kind of engineer — someone who writes beautiful code AND ships beautiful products. The codebase she handed over reads like a design system.
She diagnosed a gnarly performance problem in our rendering pipeline in under an hour. Then delivered a 50% speed improvement over two weeks. Just exceptional.
Elara shipped our design system in half the estimated time and the documentation was better than anything our full-time writers had produced. Hire her.
Writing
Articles & Essays
I write about the craft of building software — systems, design, and the space between.
Why Great Software Feels Inevitable
The best products don't feel designed — they feel discovered. A reflection on craft, restraint, and why the hardest thing in engineering is knowing what not to build.
The Hidden Cost of UI Complexity
Every new component is a debt you take on. Here's a framework I use to decide when abstraction creates value and when it just creates maintenance.
Type-Safe Backend APIs Without the Boilerplate
How I wire Zod, tRPC, and Prisma into a single type-safe stack — end to end, no codegen, no surprises.
Get in Touch
Let's Work Together
Open to senior engineering roles, technical consulting, and long-term product partnerships.