From IT Support to Senior Full-Stack Engineer in Central Florida
How Nico Loperena went from IT support in 2015 to a UCF coding bootcamp to owning production platforms. The short version, and what it taught me about building for real people.
People find this site by searching my name. So here's the short version of how I got here.
IT support, 2015
I started in IT support in 2015. Fixing computers, resetting passwords, figuring out why the printer stopped working right before a deadline.
It doesn't sound like engineering. But it taught me the thing I still lean on most. People don't care how the system works. They care that it works when they need it.
UCF Coding Bootcamp, 2019
In 2019 I went through the University of Central Florida coding bootcamp for full-stack web development. That's where it clicked. I could build the thing instead of just fixing it.
Building for real businesses
From there it was real work. Websites, catalogs, quote forms, internal tools. Some for Central Florida businesses, some for national brands.
Some of what I'm proud of:
- FPUSA. Buyer-specific quote journeys for a Florida furniture supplier. The portfolio reports 210% organic traffic growth.
- VITO Fryfilter. Shopify tooling, purchase validation, and automated testimonial collection.
- Pro-Axis. A CNC manufacturing site.
Forza, 2025 to 2026
From January 2025 to May 2026 I was the senior full-stack engineer at Forza. I owned the platform end to end. Moved a 200+ product catalog to Astro with an Express and PostgreSQL backend. Built a lead pipeline that synced to Salesforce. Built internal tools with Microsoft Azure SSO and role based access.
Accuracy and audit trails mattered there, so I built it that way from day one.
Nexrena
I also run Nexrena, a small client studio. It's where local businesses come for websites, quote paths, and client portals. I built the whole platform behind it myself, CRM to invoicing to the client portal, on one Postgres database.
Where I am now
Eight years building full stack. Based in Kissimmee, Florida. Open to senior full-stack roles, remote in the US.
The IT support part never really left. I still think about the person on the other end, the one who just needs it to work.
If you want the longer version, the résumé has it. Or walk around the office and let West, the office Shiba, show you around.