Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein.
What charity or cause are you passionate about?
YoungLives. They support teen moms.
What’s the first thing you do when you get home after a long day at work?
Take my dog out. Missy Moo is her name. She’s a little Parson Russell Terrier.
What vacation spot is on your bucket list?
Ireland.
If you could domesticate a wild animal, what animal would it be?
A sea otter. They’re so cute.
Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein.
What charity or cause are you passionate about?
YoungLives. They support teen moms.
What’s the first thing you do when you get home after a long day at work?
Take my dog out. Missy Moo is her name. She’s a little Parson Russell Terrier.
What vacation spot is on your bucket list?
Ireland.
If you could domesticate a wild animal, what animal would it be?
A sea otter. They’re so cute.
Off the Cuff
artorium is a small team of software developers working with novel technology, but it’s not a startup. Now five years old, it’s outgrown that phase.
“We still involve ourselves in the startup ecosystem,” explains CEO Jay Byam, “but we’re a profitable company at this point. Not currently raising money.”
Raised in Delta Junction, Byam earned a master’s degree in computer science at UAF. He coded games and consulted for firms like Alyeska Pipeline Service Company. He blended his digital graphics and data integration expertise to conceive of Kartorium’s flagship product: a 3D digital twin platform. Utilities and mines can use it to monitor physical assets with fewer visits to remote sites.
Byam says, “We benefited from starting in Alaska because our clients are very involved in Alaska. There’s tons of heavy industry, a lot of remote infrastructure.”
Byam continues to unofficially mentor other startups involved in Launch Alaska and gBETA, the programs that accelerated Kartorium. “I still don’t see myself as an entrepreneur,” Byam says. “I really wanted to not make decisions based on what I was afraid to do. So when this opportunity came up, I was like, ‘I have to do this.’”
Jay Byam: Hang out with my wife, play basketball… not much more than that.
AB: Is there a skill you’re currently developing or have always wanted to learn?
Byam: I’ve played guitar for many years, but I never actually learned… I can’t read music, so I’m on my way to motivating myself to actually learning.
AB: What’s the most daring thing you’ve ever done?
Byam: I swam across a lake [in the Matanuska Valley] thinking it’d be fine. Really cold water. I started cramping up halfway, and I’m like, “I’m gonna die. This is the end.” That wasn’t daring; that was just stupid.
AB: What’s your favorite local restaurant?
Byam: Pad Thai Restaurant on College Road in Fairbanks.
AB: Dead or alive, who would you like to see perform live in concert?
Byam: I’m kind of basic. Coldplay.
AB: What’s your greatest extravagance?
Byam: It’s easiest for me to spend extravagant money on food. I love food. A nice steak, that’s worth money for sure.
AB: What’s your best attribute and worst attribute?
Byam: I would say I’m a conscientious person… I think it’s important to do what I say I’m gonna do. Worst? I’m really bad at asking for help. I have trouble being truly vulnerable with people.
