Fast 15: Spruce Feinstein

When Spruce Feinstein joined the digital agency RevUnit in October, he reunited with his former bosses, Moxy Ox co-founders David Baker and Joe Payne.

Feinstein was their first employee back in 2011, and the opportunities presented at the startup prompted him to quit studying computer science at the University of Arkansas — a decision he does not regret.

“I started doing web and digital work, and it turned into something that seemed a lot more promising than the classes I was taking at the time,” Feinstein said.

Feinstein’s interest in technology stems from the fourth grade, when he took apart and rebuilt old computers while visiting his father’s workplace, he said.

In between Moxy Ox and RevUnit, Feinstein took on roles at TruTrak Flight Systems, J.B. Hunt Transport Services and CaseStack.

At TruTrak, he helped design autopilot systems for airplanes. One system he worked on was used by Solar Impulse in the first solar-powered airplane to circumnavigate the globe, Feinstein said.

He considers that to be a highlight of his career so far. “It was really cool stuff,” he said.

In late 2014, he moved to J.B. Hunt, where he worked as a programmer until he was approached by CaseStack in April 2015 to help found a research and development department to revitalize the logistics industry with new technology, recognizing the tools that were available were “out of date and hard to use,” Feinstein said.

He took on the role of strategic initiatives engineer at CaseStack and worked there for about a year and a half. He moved to RevUnit after reconnecting with Payne and Baker, and he was excited to work with the two again, he said.

Feinstein likes his job because it allows him to oversee and provide guidance for a number of diverse products, “as opposed to just doing one thing at a time,” he said.

“I also get to help others develop and expand their skills. I get to teach people and learn from others, and I get to be exposed to a lot of different projects and teams,” he said.

In his spare time, Feinstein likes hiking, kayaking and fishing, and he is learning to cook, he said. He also likes using his 3D printer to design and build things.