MATT ZIMMERMANN

CEO, BEAST CODE, FORT WALTON BEACH

Beast Code is a solutions company focused on data aggregation and commercial software used across commercial and Department of Defense markets. Its product line and services allow users to seamlessly navigate between 3D models, technical documents and metadata. Over the last 11 years, it has grown from seven employees to over 230, and it’s still growing.

EDUCATION: University of West Florida (BS)

FIRST JOB: I worked at the hospital on Ramstein Air Force Base filing records as a summer intern when I was 14. My next job was a bagger at Publix when we moved to Florida a couple of years later.

DREAM ALTERNATE CAREER: I love a good spreadsheet, so probably some type of finance role.

SOMETHING SURPRISING: Before I pursued my degree in computer science, I was going to college as a music major. I even applied for Berklee’s College of Music and played Metallica’s Master of Puppets during the interview. I was a guitar player and did this for about a year before I changed majors.

HOBBIES: Fitness and nutrition.

NONPROFIT PASSION: Beast Code supports Healing Paws for Warriors. They are focused on providing combat veterans suffering from PTSD with service dogs.

INDUSTRY TREND: I’d guess most technology companies would say artificial intelligence. While that’s likely the prominent/noisy trend, I’d say the takeover of web technologies is more notable. When we started Beast Code in 2014, we were building desktop applications. Today, all our developers and projects are using web technologies. Recently the Department of Defense released a memo deterring the use of the technologies we were using just a few years ago.