
Ben Cheung
Biochemist-turned-engineer. Builder since 15. Community founder.
Hi, I'm Ben. I co-founded Tech Career North (10,000+ developers), shipped at Coinbase and Riot Games, and completed a second degree in CS through the UBC BCS program.
I've been building things since I was 15: communities, games, support orgs, a novel. I hit #1 globally in Stick Empires at 16, then launched OtakuNet, a 2,000+ member anime community I built as a teenager. That led me to Enjin in 2016, where I went from forum mod to founding Developer Relations & Community Lead, owning B2B onboarding, docs, and support through their web3 pivot. That pivot is also what pulled me into CS.
If you're navigating that path, from something else into software, the writing here might be useful. Most of it comes from lived experience.
What's new: Now β
Say hi: mrbenc88 [at] gmail.com
Work
- Software Engineer β Veeva Systems2023Veeva Systems
vault object framework Β· admin/UI components + production fixes
- Software Engineer Intern β Riot Games2022Riot Games
data analytics platform Β· ~5B events/day Β· invalid-event instrumentation + monitoring
- Software Engineer Intern β Checkfront2020Checkfront
modernizing core booking platform for tours + activities
Writing
- How I Built Three Communities Without PermissionMay 2026 Β· 4 min
- The Ultimate Guide to UBC's BCS ProgramJun 2025 Β· 54 min
- Workshops & TalksNov 2024 Β· 4 min
- Biochem to CS: My Career Change StoryNov 2024 Β· 16 min
- Intern & New Grad Level Up GuideNov 2024 Β· 16 min
- Tech Internships & New Grad: Get the Bread HandbookSep 2024 Β· 22 min
- Networking Guide for TechSep 2023 Β· 18 min
Side Quests
- Tech Career North0 β 10K+ developer community Β· founder2025
- UBC Course ExplorerReact prereq graph Β· 700+ users in 36hrs Β· endorsed by BCS director2020
- noma.xyzprediction markets platform2026
- OtakuNet2K+ anime community Β· built at 172014
- Warlockedroguelike dungeon crawler Β· C++ / OpenGL2022
- DropItPolygon NFT drop manager Β· EthGlobal RoadToWeb32022
- Legacy sitemy old portfolio Β· circa 20212021
Highlights / Exceptional Ability
- β#1 globally in Stick Empires (Flash RTS, 2014)
- βFounded Tech Career North - 0 β 10,000+ developers
- βWrote a 100K-word web novel with 2K+ readers
- βFounded OtakuNet - 2K+ members, built at 17
- β4 years at Enjin - Founding DevRel, Community & GTM lead
- βAt Riot Games - analytics on a ~5B events/day platform, reduced triage 24hrs β 30min, saved $183,600+/yr
- βAt Coinbase - led org-wide a11y rollout, 0% β 20-33% coverage, 20+ teams adopted
- βBuilt UBC Course Explorer - 600+ users within 36hrs, endorsed by UBC BCS director
- βAuthored undergrad thesis: The Fabrication of CuS-Based Electrochemical Sensors
- βTop guide for UBC BCS program applicants
- βDual degrees in Biochemistry and Computer Science
- βOrganized 9+ hackathons (300β1,000+ attendees), mentored at 10+
- βGuest lecturer at UBC β CPSC 455 Applied Industry Skills, React + Redux in industry
- βSame swim team as World Champion Kylie Masse