Austin Bonderer grew up in a small town on the Mississippi gulf coast. In addition to sailing and playing soccer, Austin held several jobs in High School that appealed to his technical nature, such as an assistant auto-mechanic and an assistant plumber (aka “the senior ditch-digger”). While attending The University of Virginia, Austin started down his patent path when he invented a wireless smoke detection system. After graduating with an engineering degree, Austin began working at the USPTO as a patent examiner and put himself through law school, night division, while working full-time.