A guide to exploring the outdoors.
Lauren’s love for nature and hiking often came with the challenge of staying oriented on trails. Getting lost, especially when hiking alone, had become a significant barrier for her. While working on a project that created location-registered 'hand-drawn' festival maps, she realized the same concept could be applied to hiking. With so many beautifully detailed maps produced by park services, Lauren thought, "Why not combine those with technology to make them even more user-friendly?" This insight sparked the idea for the app – a tool designed to help hikers feel more confident while exploring trails – and aligned perfectly with Lauren's existing desire to learn how to build apps, motivating her to turn the concept into reality.
Katrina grew up hiking and camping in the Pacific Northwest, an experience that shaped her belief in the power of the outdoors to build healthier, more connected communities. Since moving to Texas in 2015, she has continued exploring state parks while building a career at the intersection of technology, operations, and community driven products. She brings a strong background in working with early stage startups and founders, helping them streamline operations, scale systems, and grow their businesses with intention. As Cofounder of Sweep, Katrina focuses on creating tools that make it easier for people to get outside and stay active, while also building meaningful connections through shared experiences. She is passionate about designing products and communities that promote healthier lifestyles, and believes technology should serve as a bridge, not a barrier, to real world connection. When not building, you can find her on the pickleball court, hiking new trails, exploring new cities, or in the theatre.
Jerome has spent his career deep in the systems that power complex applications, focused on making them faster, more reliable, and built to last. As VP of Enterprise Technology at File & ServeXpress, he led efforts across infrastructure, security, and performance while driving new development and innovation, building a reputation for aligning long term technology strategy with real world execution. That same foundation carries into his role as CTO of Sweep, where he architects the systems behind the product and still writes his own code, a rarity that allows him to move quickly without sacrificing quality. A long time resident of East Dallas, Jerome spends his non coding hours enjoying time with his cats, hiking through the desert, and perfecting Chinese recipes in the kitchen.
