Matthew Alton Rachwal

Jesus Christ first. Husband and father always. Then I build things. Specializing in Node.js, TypeScript, React, Docker, and Debian systems. Co-Founder of Hostral, a game server hosting platform. I like turning messy ops into simple, reliable tools and documentation.

Curiosity about God’s creation keeps me going. I try things, learn, and iterate. I’m not the most brilliant person, but I refuse to give up. I keep moving forward—whatever the pace. That attitude has led me to places I never expected, and I’m deeply grateful for this life.

I document as I build—filmmaking is my notebook. I share working setups, failures, and repeatable patterns so others can reuse them. You’ll find tutorials and build logs across my channels (TechPlant, Matthew Alton, and Everyday Korean).

  • Location: Wisconsin, USA
  • Focus Areas: Node.js, TypeScript, React, Docker, Linux, AWS, CICD
  • Interests: Programming, Exotic Plants, Tissue Culture, Homelab Infrastructure, Security Hardening, Korean language
  • Languages: English (native), Korean (learning)
  • Current Study: Cybersecurity, Programming, Tissue Culture, Electronic Engineering

Professional Summary

Current Roles

Software Engineer

Northwestern Mutual • Feb 2019–Present
  • Built and maintained scalable RESTful microservices backed by both relational and non-relational databases (DynamoDB, MySQL, RDS)
  • Created backend data transformation solutions to align with evolving business requirements and support downstream consumers
  • Automated release playbook creation/maintenance using GitLab and Confluence, later adopted by many teams
  • Developed robust and flexible tooling for DynamoDB data migration, enabling seamless schema evolution

Co-Founder

Hostral • April 2023–Present
  • Led the development of a game server rental platform
  • Prioritized simplicity, cost-effectiveness and lean principles to minimize reliance on 3rd party applications/codebases

Technical Skills

Languages & Frameworks

Node.js (20/22 LTS), TypeScript, React, Express

Infrastructure

Docker, Debian 12–13, pfSense, WireGuard, GitHub Actions, GitLab Runners, DinD testing

Data & Security

MongoDB, PostgreSQL, Suricata, Fail2Ban, VLAN segmentation

Education & Certifications

AWS Certified Developer - Associate

2022

Associate of Applied Science, IT Cybersecurity Specialist

Waukesha County Technical College • 2024–2025

Associate of Applied Science, Web Page & Digital Multimedia Design

Waukesha County Technical College • 2013–2015

Download Resume (PDF)

Projects

Videos

Contact

Email
GitHub
MattrachwalHostral
LinkedIn
matthew-rachwal
YouTube Channels
TechPlantMatthew AltonEveryday Korean
No tracking. No cookies.