Zack Brown
Founder of PaxCorp
Zack Brown
Founder of PaxCorp
San Francisco, California
Overview
Work Experience
Co-founder, CEO
2023 - Current
Pax is a new foundation for user interfaces, built for the AI era. The heart of Pax is a user interface language, a “new HTML,” designed to be edited (1) visually, (2) in code, and (3) by an LLM collaborator-agent. This three-way exchange unlocks a fundamentally more creative and more collaborative way to build user interfaces. Built at the systems level in Rust, Pax runs in the browser or as native apps, 240FPS fast + 100KB small. We start by running anywhere and finish by running everywhere — we intend to render every pixel on the planet and to be the creative portal for billions of software creators.
Independent Researcher
2021 - 2023
After a decade of career-focus on business & leadership, I took an 18-month self-directed sabbatical to get back in touch with building. During this time, I designed and executed the first working versions of Pax: the language, compiler, rendering engine, and native runtimes for WebAssembly and LLVM-macOS. See: https://pax.dev/ Highlights: - High performance rendering with Rust, C, and native graphics APIs - Embedded footprint constraints (<100KB network) and cross-platform portability (LLVM and WebAssembly) - Computer language design and execution, a deep dive into parsers & compilers - Developer experience & ergonomics design
Co-founder, CEO
2016 - 2021
Founded and led a group of over 50 humans in pursuit of an ambitious vision: "to unify design & code — to unlock new creativity." Led product, marketing, and strategy; built traction and revenue across pivots. Went through Y Combinator W18. Raised millions in venture financing; grew a talented, all-remote team.
Vice President, Product
2014 - 2015
Led execution across teams for a complex suite of technical products. Scaled from 12 to 40 people. Designed product/engineering org. chart, hired leadership, and instituted sprint process.
Co-founder, Partner
2011 - 2014
Designed and developed boundary-pushing digital experiences for brands like Coca-Cola, DirecTV, and the Olympics. Grew from zero to millions in revenue. Grew a talented team and sustainable business. Sold in 2014.
Founder, Designer & Developer
2006 - 2011
Designed & built full-stack software for clients like Century 21, Microsoft, and the Bellevue School District. Managed small team.
Education
Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
2006 - 2011