Meet Joey

One of Us - For All of Us

These are not empty words. I grew up in this district and now I'm running to represent my neighbors.

I comes from a working family where I helped my dad clean carpets & repair flood damage as part of his small business. I know that the people who work the hardest in our society are never the ones rewarded the most. Because of this reality, my parents encouraged me to get a Computer Science degree & pursue a career in technology. I was able to become a Machine Learning researcher for the Department of Defense out of college. Then, I became a mobile app engineer for a Silicon Valley tech company and now operate my own small business developing mobile applications.

I am 1 of 5 siblings and I'm the only boy of the bunch. All of my sisters and I played basketball throughout high school and college. Growing up, our parents were incredible examples of pursuing greater academic & athletic success. My mom was top of her class at UIC in the Education department and received a Glass Apple award at graduation before becoming an educator. My dad was a scholarship basketball player at St. Joseph's College in Indiana before becoming a Federal Agent & then a small business owner. There was a saying always repeated at home that encouraged excellence & independence: "whatever you do, be the best you can be at it".

Because I spend so much time in front of a screen with my profession as a software engineer, I like to disconnect and spend time in nature as much as possible. I am an avid mountain biker, trail runner, hiker, camper, snowboarder and all around outdoors enthusiast. I was lucky enough to see the Total Solar Eclipse in Southern Illinois during a backpacking trip with friends and it was one of the most awe inspiring events of my life.

Being placed in nature for extended periods of time allows me to feel humbled in a way that is difficult to experience with all of the cushy living of modern society. The sheer power of the natural world: the currents under the water of Lake Michigan, the unforgiving cold of a winter exploration, the requirement of being able to repair every part of your bike when something breaks miles deep in the woods and the sun is starting to set. All of these remind me of how fragile life is, how much we are at the mercy of nature and how we must offer help & assistance to other human beings in times of need.

One thing I've learned during my life is that regardless of how well people are doing financially, if you scratch below the surface of any human being you will inevitably find deep suffering and tragedy. I think this is an inescapable experience of life. This is one of my motivating factors in running for Congress. I want to minimize the suffering of other human beings and a lot of the suffering in todays world is intentional. It is inflicted in order to pursue greater profit margins. This can not be how we structure our society.

The beginning of my political awakening was the 2008 housing market crash. What stuck with me the most wasn't the crash itself. What woke me up was watching the government freeze all government employees salaries (including my dad's) for 3yrs to save money while at the same time giving multi-million dollar "golden parachutes" to the same bankers who caused the crash in the first place. I saw our country spend 20 years and $1 trillion in Afghanistan for nothing. I saw the middle class continue to disappear as the people at the very top gained more money & power than ever seen in human history.

Today, the basics of life are becoming unaffordable for everyone: housing, groceries, utilities, and healthcare. Trying to survive has quickly become the norm. My entire generation has seen the American dream slip away from us. This is largely driven by the mass consolidation of wealth and power by large corporations and Wall Street.

Add to all of that the anxiety AI is invoking. We can see the impending irreparable damage this technology will do to us socially and economically. We need someone capable to step up and do something immediately.

Unfortunately, the very representatives that should protect us by regulating these monopolies & technologies, are being funded by them. The only way we can end this corruption, is by electing leaders who vow to be free of corporate influence. We need leaders who promise to wield their power to break up these monopolies & prevent them from pouring billions into our elections. I can and will be that leader. I am one of us, for all of us.

I am running for office because our country is being destroyed by corrupt leaders on both sides of the political aisle. I am running for office because we all want the same things: affordable living, security and a government that takes care of it's people. Not a government that sells its people out to the highest bidder.

We need a leader from the working class with an understanding of technology and a business mindset to revitalize the American Dream. With your help, I can be that voice for you and all Americans in DC.