Brennan Kenneth Brown

Queer Métis Author, Web Developer & Community Builder

Calgary, Alberta, Canada (Treaty 7 Territory)
he/they
Download PDF Resume

Seeking Opportunities

Open to full-time, contract, and consulting opportunities in:

Web Development

Frontend development, JAMstack architecture, accessibility consulting, performance optimization, static site generation

Literary Journalism & Publishing

Creative nonfiction, literary criticism, cultural commentary, independent publishing, editorial work

Developer Advocate & Relations

Technical content creation, community building, developer education, API documentation, conference speaking

Indigenous & Queer Tech Initiatives

Cultural technology projects, community organizing, inclusive tech education, underrepresented voices in tech

Available for remote, hybrid, or Calgary-based opportunities. Let's build something meaningful together.

About

Queer, Red River Métis author and web developer based in Mohkínstsis in Treaty 7 territory. Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Age 29. Founder of 🍓 Berry House, a values-driven studio building fast, accessible JAMstack websites with a dual mission: corporate clients fund pro bono work for marginalized communities.

Starting summer 2026, lead instructor of Fireweed Writing School. Founded Write Club in 2022, growing it from one person to 100+ members over three years. Published 9 books independently (1,500+ pages), 200+ longform articles on Medium since 2015, and maintained a daily journaling practice of 1,000,000+ words on 750words since September 17, 2011.

Specializing in JAMstack development (Eleventy, Hugo, Astro, Jekyll) with 8+ years experience (2017-2026), 3,800+ GitHub contributions, 900+ coding hours, 20+ open-source projects actively maintained. Achieved living wage as professional writer in November 2025 with 24 articles in one month. Bachelor of Arts in English (Honours) from Mount Royal University (April 2025, 3.8 GPA) with double minor in Creative Writing and Religious Studies.

Accessibility note: I have motor dysgraphia (handwriting impairment), paraoxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT), and deal with anxiety and depression. Email and typed communication is best for me.

Technical Skills

Languages

JavaScript Python HTML CSS SQL Markdown Ruby

Frameworks & Libraries

React Node.js Astro Eleventy Hugo Jekyll Ruby on Rails Flask PostgreSQL GraphQL

Design & Styling

Tailwind CSS Sass/SCSS Bootstrap Figma Canva

Tools & Platforms

Git NPM RubyGems Docker WordPress Netlify Heroku DigitalOcean

Writing & Content

Technical Writing Editing & Proofreading Content Strategy SEO Copywriting Substack DEV.to LaTeX

Best Practices

Accessibility (A11y) Performance Optimization Responsive Design Systems Thinking

Professional Experience

Lead Developer & Founder

🍓 Berry House
Aug 2025 – Present Calgary, Alberta (Hybrid)
  • Dual-mission model: corporate rates fund pro-bono work for nonprofits and marginalized communities
    • 20+ open-source projects across Jekyll, Eleventy, Hugo ecosystems
    • 3,800+ GitHub contributions (8+ years), peak 1,000+ in 2025
    • 900+ hours coding time (Aug 2017–Feb 2026): Markdown 41%, HTML 14%, JavaScript 12%
  • 95+ Google Lighthouse scores (performance, accessibility, SEO, best practices)
    • 60–80% load time reduction for WordPress → JAMstack migrations
    • IndieWeb-compliant starters with Webmentions, Microformats, RSS (100+ downloads/month)
  • 500+ tool downloads (jekyll-audit CLI, Markdown-to-DOCX, Meddler, accessibility packages)
    • Patreon + Discord community (writers + developers, tiered membership)
    • Technical tutorials: "Jekyll Gem," "jekyll-audit," "Full-stack Journal App"
HTML CSS JavaScript Node.js Eleventy Hugo Jekyll Astro

Indepedent Journalist

Medium
Dec 2015 – Present Remote

Lead Instructor

Fireweed Writing School
Jan 2026 – Present Calgary, Alberta, Canada (Remote)
  • Online writing school focused on craft, discipline, community-based learning (Summer 2026 launch)
    • Anti-racist, student-centered pedagogy in bi-weekly workshop curriculum
    • Weekly writing assignments + craft exercises + individualized feedback
    • Course materials: imagist techniques, revision processes, publication pathways
  • Live 2-hour workshops with small cohorts
    • Peer critique sessions using Critical Response Process methodology
    • Building online community infrastructure and learning platforms
Sep 2021 – Present Remote
  • 9 independent books (poetry chapbooks, essay collections, memoir) totaling 1,500+ pages (2021–2026)
    • Confessional poetry: THE DOGWOOD VERSES (587 pages, 300+ works)
    • Indigenous identity: PRAIRIE BOYSPIRIT, Holy Waterfall
    • Literary criticism: Your Brothers Keeper: A Love Letter to Dostoevsky
    • Experimental writing: The Reaper and Her Sickle (252 pages)
  • 4.8–5.0 star ratings across all published works
    • Editor + foreword contributor for On the Fringe anthologies (20+ emerging writers)
    • 6 books released 2023–2025 while completing undergraduate degree

Founder and President

Write Club
Sep 2022 – Jun 2025 Calgary, Alberta
  • Developed weekly meetings fostering learning community of 100+ members focused on creative writing skills and critique.
    • Led fundraising events supporting Canadian Children's Literacy Foundation
    • Organized author readings, poetry slams, and anthology publications
  • Built writeclub.ca on Jekyll with focus on accessibility and community engagement
    • Created complete visual identity and design guidelines

Crisis Support Listener

7 Cups
Aug 2020 – Aug 2025 Remote
  • Engaged in 790+ support chats, directly assisting 249+ individuals through chat-based platform.
    • Sustained 5-star rating backed by 84 ratings and 19 written reviews
    • Accumulated 37,842 Cheers and Compassion Score of 3,015
  • Attained "Advanced Listener Level 5" certification (105 training steps) in emotional support and crisis intervention.
    • Completed advanced training modules in mental health awareness
    • Handled diverse issues: anxiety, depression, relationships, personal growth
  • Fostered long-term support relationships with repeat users and maintained high-quality ratings.

Marketing Intern

OnRamp Fellowship
Oct 2022 – Dec 2022 Calgary, Alberta
  • Completed intensive 12-week marketing fellowship focused on digital marketing strategies and campaign development.
  • Developed comprehensive marketing plans for local businesses and nonprofit organizations.
  • Created content calendars, social media strategies, and email marketing campaigns.
  • Collaborated with cross-functional teams to execute marketing initiatives and track performance metrics.

Full Stack Developer

InceptionU Fellowship
Feb 2020 – Aug 2020 Calgary, Alberta
  • Experimental program focused on full-stack development in a collabourative learning environment.
  • Studied Vanilla JavaScript, React.js, Node.js, Python, Flask, PostgreSQL, and C#.
  • Practiced Test Driven Development, pair programming, debugging, and wireframing.
  • Worked within agile methods with systems/design thinking and human-centered UX foundations.

Sous Chef

Rotary Flames House
Aug 2015 – Jan 2020 Calgary, Alberta
  • Managed morning rush for numerous families daily with efficient, levelheaded customer service.
  • Updated menu with daily offerings and specials, including personalized artistic touches.
  • Followed health, safety, and sanitation guidelines.
  • Managed inventory by establishing and adjusting ordering parameters, forecasting usage, and controlling waste.
  • Redesigned menu for improved readability.

Housekeeper

ServiceMaster Clean
Aug 2015 – Dec 2019 Calgary, Alberta
  • Cleaned within hospitals, businesses, and educational settings.
  • Trained in intensive-care and emergency protocol specifications.
  • Applied diverse sanitation techniques.
  • Performed heavy-lifting up to 30kg and labourious work.

Education

Bachelor of Arts, English (Honours)

Mount Royal University
Sep 2021 – Apr 2025 GPA: 3.8
  • Double Minor in Creative Writing and Religious Studies.
  • Member of the Golden Key Honour Society.
  • President of the Creative Writing Club (Write Club).
  • Contributor to The Reflector Newspaper.
  • Honours Thesis: "How the English Degree Will Save the World" (Dec 2024) - Supervisor: Dr. Sarah Banting - DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.25021.37600

Information Technology

Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT)
2017 – 2018
  • Studied hardware, operating systems, networking, and programming essentials.
  • Business dynamics, communications, and presentation skills.
  • UI and MySQL database design.
  • Object-oriented programming and website development fundamentals.

Continuing Education (Current)

Publications & Books

Poetry Collections

THE DOGWOOD VERSES: A Poetry Chapbook, Selected Writings 2011-2021

August 31, 2021 587 pages ISBN: 979-8468498743 Foreword by Yaishal Aslam

For ten years, lifelong poet Brennan Kenneth Brown carefully and in secret crafted THE DOGWOOD VERSES. This anthology includes over 300 poems as well as selected prose and essays. An inevitable cocktail of nostalgia, regret and love.

Holy Waterfall: 16 New & Selected Poems for Mohkínstsis akápiyoyis & the Red River

March 13, 2023 40 pages ISBN: 979-8386930387

A chapbook and series of confessional poetry and outsider art exploring Indigenous identity, religious beliefs, traumatic past, family, and love. A Gospel of poetry and art, Holy Waterfall works as a reflection, a way to cleanse and renew the spirit.

The Weight of Yr Heart: Love Poetry for Connie Yu

December 17, 2023 54 pages ISBN: 979-8872139089

A collection of thirty-seven love poems centered around a transcendental love for Brown's partner, Connie. Examining the tender complexities of relationships through vulnerability.

Your Brothers Keeper: A Love Letter to Dostoevsky

August 3, 2024 40 pages ISBN: 979-8334888722

A young poet finds an unlikely kindred spirit in Fyodor Dostoevsky. The collection of poems in this chapbook are part love letter, part wrestling match with one of the greatest novels of all time, The Brothers Karamazov.

The Reaper and Her Sickle: Rough Cuts, Spares, Afterthoughts, B-Sides and Experiments

August 11, 2024 252 pages ISBN: 979-8387237157

A raw, unfiltered glimpse into the creative process of an emerging poet. This 250-page compendium collects three years of unpublished writings, discarded drafts, and experimental verses from Brown's undergraduate journey at Mount Royal University.

Essay Collections & Memoir

Selected Essays & Prose: Writings, 2011 — 2021

October 20, 2021 146 pages ISBN: 979-8750233588

Taking influence from Chinese philosophers such as Lin Yutang and his book, The Importance of Living, Brown takes a contemporary lens to the meaningfulness of everyday life, and what it means to be a good person in the 21st century.

PRAIRIE BOYSPIRIT: An NDN Memoir

December 11, 2024 50 pages ISBN: 979-8303372290

This series of essays confronts addiction, white-passingness, self-harm, and cultural displacement while burning sage from crystal shops and praying to a God that's equal parts Catholic guilt and Cree cosmology.

As Editor/Contributor/Foreword Writer

On the Fringe: A Collection of Filth

March 19, 2024 100 pages ISBN: 979-8884162167 Foreword by Brennan Kenneth Brown

A daring debut anthology written by Mount Royal University's Write Club. A foray into difficult and untamed territories of human experience. Through murky waters of controversy, On the Fringe explores the boundaries most fear to tread: Sex, death, and crime.

On the Fringe: A Collection of Community

April 12, 2025 267 pages ISBN: 979-8319240255 Foreword by Brennan Kenneth Brown

A Collection of Community brings together the voices of Mount Royal University's Write Club in an exploration of tradition, companionship, and vision. This anthology showcases over twenty emerging writers who gathered weekly in a clubhouse to share vulnerable truths.

Academic & Journal Publications

How the English Degree Will Save the World

December 2024 Honours Thesis Supervisor: Dr. Sarah Banting DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.25021.37600

Examines the transformative potential of literary studies through pedagogy. Introduces "bloodwriting" as a bridge between Indigenous knowledge and digital literary practices.

Indigenous Resilience in Illustration: "Nimkii" and the Story of Survival

April 9, 2024 Mount Royal University Undergraduate Humanities Review DOI: 10.29173/mruhr768

Analysis of "Nimkii" (This Place: 150 Years Retold) and the lasting impacts of the Sixties Scoop.

The Tao of Bees: How I Use Beeminder

September 12, 2017 Beeminder Blog (Guest Post)

Two-part guest post series on goal-tracking, productivity systems, and building sustainable creative habits through quantified self-tracking. Part Two: The Sting of Work

Open Source Projects

Building accessible, sustainable web experiences that prioritize user privacy and community benefit. Most work focuses on creating JAMstack themes and tools that empower writers and creators to own their content while participating in the IndieWeb movement. Unless otherwise noted, all projects are released under the AGPL License.

3,847 GitHub Contributions
100+ Repository Stars
20+ Active Projects
500+ Tool Downloads
900+ Coding Hours

Web Development & Design

enjoyment-work

🗃️ A Digital Garden: Capturing my daily thoughts and progress, as well as curated ideas with unique synthesis—a personal zettelkasten. Built on Simply Jekyll by Raghuveer S.

HTML ⭐ 108 🍴 12

purelog

📔 A responsive sidebar Jekyll theme, created with the Pure.css framework, designed for writers and bloggers of all kinds.

HTML ⭐ 36 🍴 34

watery

🚰 A minimalist, bare-bones theme for Jekyll only using the Water.css framework while still following the best practices for accessibility and search-engine optimization.

HTML ⭐ 15 🍴 8

indiepaper

📰 A monochrome, brutalist Medium-inspired Hugo blog theme that prioritizes Indieweb principles.

HTML Hugo ⭐ 3 🍴 0

WriteClub

✏️ Mount Royal University's Creative Writing Club website - a safer space for writers of all kinds.

HTML Jekyll

marketing

✨ Portfolio showcasing marketing work, previous experience, and case studies. Built in Hugo.

HTML Hugo

Blog Themes & Templates

11ty-Indie-Web-Blog-Starter

🎈 Modern blog template built with Eleventy and Tailwind CSS for writers who want to own their content.

Nunjucks Tailwind ⭐ 2 🍴 1

indiepaper

📰 A monochrome, brutalist Medium-inspired Hugo blog theme that prioritizes Indieweb principles.

HTML Hugo ⭐ 3 🍴 0

Campfire-Hugo-Theme

🏕️ A warm, story-focused Hugo theme focusing on typography and opinionated design choices.

HTML Hugo ⭐ 1 🍴 0

newsprint

🗞️ 11ty blog theme with a newspaper aesthetic, functioning as a newsletter-first publication.

CSS 11ty

classic-spirits

🎏 A classic sidebar Jekyll theme for old-school blogging, created with the Bulma framework.

SCSS Jekyll

brennan.jp.net

🎋 A Hugo blog theme recreating the compact, text-heavy, colorful aesthetic of traditional Japanese web design.

HTML Hugo

retroweird

🎈 An 11ty blog theme inspired by Web 1.0 aesthetic of GeoCities, MySpace, AngelFire.

CSS 11ty

hyperpop

💿 A Y2K-inspired static blog theme built with Eleventy with authentic late 90s/early 2000s web aesthetics.

Nunjucks 11ty

watery

🚰 Minimalist Jekyll theme using Water.css framework with accessibility and SEO best practices.

HTML ⭐ 15 🍴 8

purelog

📔 Responsive sidebar Jekyll theme created with Pure.css framework, designed for writers.

HTML ⭐ 36 🍴 34

Tools & Utilities

11ty-Gamification

🌱 A blog theme that turn writing into a game. Earn badges for streaks and milestones, watch your activity on a heatmap, and get gentle nudges via Badge Ideas. Built with 11ty and a strong testing culture so you can ship confidently.

TypeScript 11ty ⭐ 1 🍴 0

jekyll-audit

An npm package and CLI tool to audit Jekyll sites for performance, accessibility, SEO, and HTML validation.

TypeScript

meddler

Ⓜ️ A CLI tool and website to help people convert their Medium export into multiple different formats with front matter for Hugo, Eleventy, Jekyll, Astro, and more.

TypeScript CLI

markdown-to-docx

A website that converts markdown files to Microsoft Word format.

Python Word ⭐ 2 🍴 0

writerbox

➿ A terminal-based UI application for managing and visualizing collections of markdown writing files.

Python Terminal

Community & Activism

BIPOCmentalhealthYYC

Informational website of mental health resources for Black/Indigenous/People of Colour in Calgary.

HTML

WatermelonClub

🍉 Joyful and accessible Palestine solidarity resources for Canadian students.

CSS Jekyll

Press & Media

Le réseau social Moltbook, reflet des progrès encore illusoires de l'IA

Le Monde (France) February 3, 2026

Quoted as a technical expert on AI and open source regarding the limitations of autonomous AI agents and the Moltbook platform. Described how my AI agent required constant human intervention to function, contradicting claims of autonomy.

"J'ai dû le pousser un peu pour qu'il fasse des recherches, qu'il rédige des brouillons, qu'il publie." (Translation: "I had to push it a little to get it to do research, write drafts, and publish.")

MRU vs. AI: Is ChatGPT Taking Over Campus for Better or for Worse?

The Reflector (Mount Royal University) February 10, 2023

Interviewed as president of Mount Royal Write Club on ChatGPT's impact on creative writing and education.

"The ability to tell the difference between a human's creation and an AI's creation will soon become an impossibility."

How-to Improve Your Medium Game in 2018!

The Writing Cooperative (Medium) January 3, 2018

Featured article on writing craft, visual design, and community engagement for online publishing.

"The beginner on Medium must know that there are three things essential to a good piece of writing: 1) Purpose. 2) Visuals. 3) Community."

Testimonials

Felix Da Costa Gomez

April 29, 2025
"Strong, community orientated leader who I have had the pleasure of working with. Acting as the Founding President of Mount Royal University's Creative Writing Club, Kenneth has fostered a strong community where individuals invested in professional and emotional relationships. His ability as a leader has enabled others to grow, and his conscientiousness is an asset in making hard decisions. Thoughtful, sharp, and adaptable."

Benjamin Urquhart

March 5, 2024
"I met Brennan at Mount Royal University, and worked alongside him as an executive of The Write Club. Throughout the time that I've known him, Brennan has proven himself to be a driven, caring, highly competent individual. He has consistently demonstrated creativity, problem solving skills, and an aptitude for expansion and growth. I believe Brennan would be an incredible asset to any potential employer."

Connie Yu

March 3, 2024 Owner, Calgary Vegan Society
"Brennan possesses strong leadership skills, that has helped him cultivate a strong and close-knit writing community. He cares deeply for all individuals who comes to Write Club, trying to make an inclusive space, supporting those from all walks of life by helping them develop their writing skills. Brennan is not only caring and considerate, but he is also resourceful, continuously finding ways to network with others."

Chantel Elliott

December 1, 2022
"Brennan is a creative, curious and resourceful problem-solver. During OnRamp, he demonstrated strengths in content development & copywriting, campaign design and marketing fundamentals. He always asked really great, thoughtful questions, contributed new ideas and supported his fellow cohort participants when they needed help. He was a pleasure to work with!"

Candice Tate

September 4, 2022 2021 VA of the Year
"Brennan is an absolute joy to work with. He's extremely knowledgeable and able to apply his expertise with data to any project. Not only does his technical expertise shine through, but he also brings creative ideas to his projects."

Andrew Bizon, P. Eng.

September 21, 2020
"Brennan was a fun and instructive member of the InceptionU cohort, I feel lucky to have worked with him and gained from his skills as a full stack developer. I can without hesitation recommend him for any full stack, front end or back end role."

Volunteering & Community Service

Digital Consultant

Calgary Vegan Society
Sep 2023 – Present

Providing comprehensive digital strategy guidance for Alberta's leading vegan advocacy organization. Developed website optimization recommendations, social media marketing strategies, and visual branding improvements to enhance community engagement and increase online visibility for plant-based education initiatives.

Social Services Support

Manitoba Métis Federation
Sep 2020 – Apr 2022

Volunteer staff supporting Social Services initiatives for the Red River Métis community. Assisted with program coordination, community outreach, and cultural preservation efforts while connecting Métis citizens with essential resources and support services during critical period of community development.

Professional Member

Writers' Guild of Alberta
Aug 2022 – Present

Active member of Alberta's largest literary organization, participating in professional development workshops, networking events, and community initiatives. Engaged in promoting literary arts across the province while building connections with fellow writers, publishers, and literary professionals in the Alberta writing community.

Potwasher

Calgary Folk Music Festival
Jul 2012 – Jul 2015

Essential kitchen operations team member for Calgary's premier folk music festival. Managed dishwashing operations during peak festival hours, handled labour-intensive tasks requiring physical stamina and attention to detail, and contributed to the festival's welcoming atmosphere through enthusiastic teamwork and reliable service to thousands of attendees and performers.

Values & Philosophy

"This is the beginning of a new day. I have been given this day to use as I will. I can waste it... or use it for good, but what I do today is important, because I am exchanging a day of my life for it!" —Ric Kausrud, 1997

In Development

  • Own your content — Build for portability, not platform lock-in
  • Accessibility first — Everyone deserves access
  • Privacy by default — No tracking, no surveillance, no data extraction
  • Performance matters — Respect people's time and bandwidth
  • Open source when possible — Share knowledge, improve together

In Writing

  • Write in public — Document the process, not just results
  • Honest over clever — Clear communication beats wordplay
  • Research and cite — Give credit, show your work
  • Elevate the ordinary — The mundane deserves literary treatment
  • Truth over brand — Be a person, not a persona

In Community

  • Center marginalized voices — Practice meaningful, intentional listening
  • Pro bono work matters — Corporate clients fund community service
  • Safer spaces are built — They require work, consistency, boundaries
  • Mentorship without gatekeeping — Lift others up
  • Practice the radical work of staying — Community requires showing up

In Business

  • Sustainable over scalable — Work for decades, not burn out
  • Pay-what-you-can — For those who need it
  • Fair pricing — For those who can afford it
  • No exploitation — Not of clients, not of myself, not of collabourators
  • Dual mission — Profit enables service