About Us
LightStanza is a Boulder, Colorado based software company serving the architectural lighting and sustainability communities.
The company’s relentless focus has been in creating the easiest and most-accurate tools for lighting analysis.
We recognize that light is fundamental to human health and wellness. Therefore we have made a deep commitment to developing software which helps people understand the whole 24-hour cycle of light, which includes both artificial and natural sources.
our team
Daniel Glaser, PhD
Founder & PRINCIPAL
Glaser is passionate about building tools for lighting design. He has interests in lighting science, technology, application; as well as in cognition, math at work, human-factors, and computer science.
After getting engineering degrees in Computer Science (BS Columbia, MEng Cornell), Glaser studied architectural lighting at UC Berkeley receiving a MS in Architecture and interdisciplinary PhD. Glaser’s research was funded by the California Institute of Energy Efficiency, University of California Energy Institute, and the IES Lucas Memorial Scholarship. He published in leading building science and computer science journals Building and Environment and ACM Human Computer Interaction, and others. While at Berkeley, Glaser’s personal path through the lighting industry started as a member of the IES in 2003, participating in the IES Golden Gate (San Francisco) Chapter. In addition, he learned advanced lighting simulation through collaborating with Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (LBNL) and their Radiance efforts.
Dan leads LightStanza’s R+D efforts, recognized by Innovation Grants by the Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Science Foundation (NSF). Glaser is a frequent speaker at major industry venues including LightFair International, Greenbuild, and the DOE Radiance Workshop. Glaser has also taught classes at the University of Colorado, Boulder, Pacific Energy Center, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and others. For over a decade, Glaser has been an active member of different IES technical committees.
Glaser is a vegetarian, and doesn’t own a car because he has to save all his money to support his summer watermelon habit. He enjoys riding his fold-up bike between meetings and to and from airports.
Mike DiPompeo, PhD
Product Lead / Software engineer
Mike received his PhD in astrophysics from the University of Wyoming and has observed supermassive black holes with some of the largest telescopes in the world. But his favorite part of research was writing code, so he decided to take his problem solving, computing and physics skills to LightStanza where environmentalism plays a central role in design. He enjoys hiking, playing guitar, and spending time with his wife, daughter, and their dog Moose.
Sean Flood
software engineer
Sean received his BS in Computer Science from the University of Colorado Boulder where he discovered his passion for datacenter scale computing and software development. While he decided to choose computer science as a degree, the fields of mathematics and physics were always of great interest. Faced with the opportunity to weave together the three domains, he hopped on his bike and pedaled straight to LightStanza. He is an avid analog audiophile, espresso enthusiast, biker, and patron of all thrift stores great and small.
Kyle Codon
Software developer
Kyle received his BFA in Lighting Design and Technology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He has a passion for theatrical and architectural lighting. As an Architectural Lighting Designer he discovered his passion for software implementation. While at LightFair Kyle met Daniel Glaser and started freelancing for LightStanza, working on features he wanted to see as a Lighting Designer. LightStanza is a natural fit for Kyle because he can combine his passions of lighting design, technical skills and software. In his free time Kyle can be found skiing, working on the lighting design of small theatres, or lifting weights.
AJ Gorman
Business operations manager
AJ received her bachelor’s and master’s degree in architectural engineering from Penn State. AJ spent seven years as an award winning lighting designer and photometric software user, constantly irked by software limitations. In less than a year after using LightStanza as a designer, AJ decided the best contribution to the industry would be to work with LightStanza to spread the software far and wide. Fortunately, Dan agreed, and created a role for her. When not preaching the gospel of lighting software or lighting controls, you can find AJ fruitlessly toiling in her yard, cycling, or rereading the latest Brandon Sanderson novel.
May Palermo
Executive assistant and customer success
With a degree in Business Management, May has blossomed into a passionate virtual assistant freelancer over the past five years. This experience opened her eyes to technology’s incredible impact on streamlining business operations. While lighting software might seem like a new frontier, she’s particularly interested in its potential to optimize office spaces. This goes beyond just functionality; she’s intrigued by how it can improve energy use. Her business studies also instilled a strong sense of environmental responsibility, and LightStanza’s commitment to sustainable design is a big draw for her. Even though lighting software might seem like a fresh start, her skillset and values align perfectly with LightStanza’s goals. She enjoys spending weekends in nature with her family, whether it’s relaxing at the beach or embarking on a road trip adventure. She also unwinds with her favorite hobbies: singing and cooking.
Tessa Glowacki
Marketing Intern
Tessa Glowacki will be a third year at Colorado State University. She is majoring in Graphic Design with a minor in entrepreneurship and innovation. Tessa’s primary interest within the marketing field is to use her artistic skills to achieve target goals. When not attending school or working, Tessa enjoys skiing, playing guitar, camping, or line dancing.
Why are you interested in lighting software?
“My background in design and engineering as well as my interest in sustainability and health has made lighting the focus of my professional life.”
– Dan
“As an astrophysicist I’ve always been fascinated by light and how much information it can carry. As an astrophysics graduate student, I worked in my fair share of poorly lit offices with no daylight, and I became more interested in how much our lives revolve around light. With boundless interesting problems begging to be solved, working on lighting software keeps me thinking, engaged, and utilizing the math and computing skills I honed as a researcher”.
– Mike
“I have worked as a lighting designer and I grew frustrated with the lack of a modern approach to software practices and the tedious nature of the production work. I had started to implement small solutions to my own workflow problems and decided to take my talents to LightStanza when I met Dan (founder) at LightFair. I am excited to be an integral part of a team developing the next generation of lighting software.”
– Kyle
“I am interested in lighting software because it allows me to apply my knowledge of mathematics, physics, and programming to solve complex and creative problems to model and optimize lighting performance for various building types and scenarios. I appreciate how lighting software can support the design and operation of sustainable and comfortable buildings.”
– Sean
“I started in this industry as a lighting designer. For such a modern and continually developing field, I’ve always been frustrated that the software the industry uses is static and dated. When I came across LightStanza, I saw the future, and wanted to do everything and anything that I could to bring the future to the rest of the industry.”
– AJ
“As someone who has worked with numerous softwares for my academic and professional work, I was intrigued by LightStanza’s attention to detail while also maintaining a user-friendly interface. I am honored to use my creative skills to help the team convey their goals within the lighting and software field.”
– Tessa
JOIN Our TEAM
Click to download job description: Software Developer
Please submit resume & cover letter to info@ec2-3-84-153-223.compute-1.amazonaws.com