Mark E. Johnson, PhD

What I'm Building

Ourclave — a privacy-preserving health platform. Your data stays on your device. Third-party apps can analyze but cannot extract. Privacy enforced by architecture, not policy.

Creation and connection — original work (writing, games, science) and physical infrastructure for human gathering. Things worth showing up for.

Both address what I think matters as AI transforms work: sovereignty over your body, tools for your mind, spaces to connect with other humans.

The Pattern

For 35 years I've found mathematical structure in operational problems and built systems around it.

DVD logistics at Netflix before streaming existed. Data infrastructure at Groupon during hypergrowth. Privacy-preserving systems at Zouggla and with the Signal team. Enterprise technology at Peloton. One of baseball's first analytics hires.

See the structure, build the system, make it scale.

Background

• Netflix — VP Engineering. Managed and optimized the DVD delivery system: 2 million discs daily.
• Groupon — Chief Data Officer. First Silicon Valley hire, startup through IPO.
• Peloton — SVP Enterprise Technology. Data infrastructure and operations.
• Zouggla — Co-founder/CEO. Privacy technology, differential privacy. Sold IP.
• Privacy Research LLC — Entrepreneur in Residence. Work with Signal team.
• St. Louis Cardinals — Baseball Analyst. One of the sport's first analytics hires.
• Major League Baseball — Consulting Analyst. Playoff format modeling for Commissioner's Office.
• Yahoo — Technical Yahoo. Early A/B testing frameworks, information theory-based ad arbitrage.

Advised: Nubank, GoFundMe, Globo.com, Hotel Urbano, and others.

TCV Velocity Fund — Advisor (ongoing).

I also race bikes across continents, write poetry, and collect strategy games.

Connect

LinkedIn