Hi, I’m Shaine O’Neal. I’m a data analytics professional and developer based in Chicago. I moved here from Anderson, South Carolina in May 2025 and I’m still pretty excited about it. I like working in the space where data, technology, and people overlap, especially when that means taking something confusing and turning it into something people can understand.

Prior to moving, I worked as a Research Data Specialist, collaborating closely with engineers, lab technicians, and developers to improve how data is collected, validated, and used. I work my best when I have ownership of a dataset or system: understanding how it works, where it breaks, and how to turn it into something clear, accurate, and useful. There’s something deeply satisfying about transforming raw data into clean, intuitive, and even beautiful visualizationss

My background is a mix of data analytics, biology, and psychology, which probably explains a lot about how I approach problems. I’m curious about how people think, how systems behave, and what happens when the two don’t line up. In a perfect world, I’d be studying computational neuropsychology, but instead I’ve built a career around learning by doing and picking up new skills as I need them.

Outside of work, I’m very much a maker. I read a lot of fanfiction, do a lot of crafting (knitting, crocheting, sewing, and whatever else I decide to try next), and love live music and concerts. There’s something about rhythm, patterns, and shared energy that feels closely connected to how I think about building things. Coding scratches the same itch as crafting for me—it’s a puzzle with a goal, and the fun part is figuring out how all the pieces fit together.

One project that really brings a lot of this together for me is my Chrome extension for Archive of Our Own (AO3). AO3 isn’t just a fandom site—it’s a huge, community-run platform that takes privacy, accessibility, and resistance to censorship seriously. Working on tools for that ecosystem has shaped how I think about open-source technology, user trust, and what it means to build software that genuinely respects the people using it.

I also care a lot about mental health, activism, and scientific communication, in part because these things are personal to me. I’m drawn to work that treats data and technology not just as technical challenges, but as tools that can support real people and real communities.

I usually have a few side projects going at any given time. I help with bookkeeping for my dad’s accounting office, my partner and I run and maintain a Home Assistant server, and I’m almost always learning something new simply because it caught my interest. I like understanding how systems work—financial, technical, or otherwise—and making them a little smoother than I found them.

If you want to talk about data, open-source projects, building tools, or learning new skills as you go, I’m always happy to connect.

I make things, I learn fast, and I tend to treat rabbit holes as invitations rather than warnings.