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.
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.
Matt kincaid
Sr. Account Manager
Matt is an enthusiastic advocate of lighting design and the tools that enable it. After completing the illumination engineering program at the University of Colorado he enjoyed a fulfilling stay in luminaire manufacturing and design before entering the world of lighting software developing several well-known programs. With LightStanza, he primarily focuses his efforts towards evangelizing the next-generation of lighting software, driven by a clear vision to nudge the lighting industry towards a more efficient and technologically advanced trajectory. In his free time, he enjoys cheering on the Denver Broncos and skiing too fast.
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 & Creative manager
Tessa holds a degree in Graphic Design with a minor in Entrepreneurship and Innovation from Colorado State University. Her primary focus within marketing and design is leveraging artistic communication to help brands achieve strategic goals and connect meaningfully with users. Intrigued by LightStanza’s seamless blend of design, sustainability, and software technology, she brings her creative toolkit to help the team effectively communicate the power of next-generation lighting analysis.When she’s not creating, Tessa enjoys spending time outdoors camping, hitting the slopes on her skis, playing guitar, 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 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@lightstanza.com