Geek Gear

Every day I'm more impressed with the variety of shops there are on Etsy. As I've browsed through various shops I often come across one that is really inspiring. Geek Gear is one of those shops. I love the creativity behind the items in this shop. I also love that it is good for the environment. Read the interview then go see more of what's avaiable.

Tell us a little bit about yourself
My name is Joe Oliveri and I am a married 35 year old father of 2. I currently live in New Jersey and have been here for the last 10 years. Technically I am a New Jersey transplant, living in Staten Island (A borough of New York City) all of my life. By day I am the Director of Information Technology for a large software development company. My job is to keep all these computers talking and playing nice with each other. By night I’m a craft making geek trying to come up unique ways to recycle all this unwanted tech gear!

What inspires you to do your craft/artistry?
Let me give a little background first. I have been in technology (specifically computers and networking) most of my life, as both a hobby and career. Over the years, as computers would become obsolete and ready for the trash, I would take them home and attempt to salvage parts and make working computers to donate to charity, schools or friends. Well lets just say, sometimes there are computers that even a charity doesn’t want. I can’t bring myself to throw away these old systems and parts, its just contributing to our landfill and waste issues.

So in comes GEEK GEAR! Geek Gear attempts to make new items out of re-purposed computer parts and technology items. My favorite materials to work with are circuit boards, floppy disks, and hard drives. I am inspired by two things, doing my part to save the planet and the satisfaction of making something useful from "junk".


How do you see yourself evolving in the next 5-10 years?
I am an entrepreneur, my drive comes from creating something out of nothing, and the continued success of my ideas. My motivation comes from running my own small business. All my life I have worked for someone, simply because my finances will not permit me to quit my day job. My dream is to run my own successful small business, and with Geek Gear Store the possibilities are endless.

What are some of your favorite things?
I am going to be “dating” myself by answering this question…
Film – Any 90’s Sci-Fi like Star Trek, or Back to the Future
Music – I enjoy all music, but if I had to pick Styx and Van Halen come to mind
Book – The Da Vinci Code, or any book from Dan Brown

What is your favorite quote?
My favorite quote I guess would be from the great Wayne Gretzky "100% of the shots you don't take don't go in." You can apply that to everything in your life!