Meet Vlad

Vlad is the founder, CEO and lead engineer for The Ground Bar. You wouldn’t guess it when you meet him, but he actually grew up on a farm in Romania and didn’t move to the United States until he was 12 years old. Growing up he was regularly exposed to engineering of various kinds because both of his parents have degrees in engineering. His father actually led projects all around the world before settling the family in Woodinville, Washington. This exposure to engineering is what initially led Vlad to a career in electrical engineering. Not being one to back down from a challenge, Vlad immediately set his sights on electrical engineering after hearing how difficult the program could be. Vlad fell in love with all things electrical while going to college and found many avenues in the industry that piqued his curiosity. 

 

Aerojet rocketdyne snatched him up for a position before he even graduated and it was there his career officially began. Designing rockets in the daytime and studying advanced concepts of electronics at night, he worked hard to better himself, his team and his products. From there he started his masters degree at University of Washington and made the switch to Team Xbox at Microsoft, and the rest is history.

 

Despite the deep love for his career, Vlad also loves his free time. Because he grew up on a farm he’s not one to shy away from physical activities. Some of his favorite hobbies include riding dirt bikes, golfing in the summer, hunting in the fall, and skiing in the winter. You might also catch him doing some home improvement, landscaping, horticulture, wine tasting, traveling, enjoying happy hour with friends, or hanging out with his dog Odin.… to name a few. Vlad truly lives the work hard, play hard lifestyle and credits many of his accomplishments on this approach of balancing business and pleasure. In fact, two of his patents with Microsoft can be traced back to his decision to buy a tractor - his favorite purchase to date. 

 

Different hobbies and projects will come and go but one thing is for sure, Vlad is someone who is happiest solving problems and creating something special. His passion for these things have led him to creating music, carpentry, a small farm, numerous electrical patents, and now this - The Ground Bar. He’s excited to start this venture with all of you and hope you enjoy what it has to offer.