Name: Ivan Tolkunov
Title: Software Engineer
Location: Waterloo/Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Resume: link

About

I didn’t follow a straight path into engineering.

I started by building things on my own - freelance work, small systems, different environments. It forced me to learn fast, make decisions independently, and deal with real constraints early. A lot of problems felt complex at first, but most of them became manageable once I actually tried to solve them.

That experience shaped how I approach new challenges: step in, figure it out, move forward.

Experience

Secta Labs

Lead Software Engineer
Sep 2024 – Present (US – Canada)

At Secta Labs, I worked as a lead engineer on an AI system. My role wasn’t limited to engineering - I was involved across the product, from infrastructure to growth and product decisions.

I had to switch contexts constantly, and that changed how I think about engineering. Strong engineers are not just deep in one area - they are adaptable, able to move across domains, and willing to take responsibility beyond their role when needed.

Rehapp

Software Engineer
Dec 2022 – Aug 2023 (Spain)

At Rehapp, I saw how much impact individual decisions can have.

I joined when the product was still evolving, which meant being part of turning an early idea into something people actually used. That’s where I learned to think in tradeoffs - every decision gives something and takes something away.

It also changed how I evaluate work. Nothing is perfect. Since then, the highest score I give anything is 9.99/10.

LSEG

Software Engineer
Sep 2021 – Dec 2022 (Ukraine)

LSEG was where I learned how to work in a professional engineering team.

I learned how to plan, how to communicate clearly, and why hiding problems only makes them worse. It also taught me to be comfortable not knowing everything - and to ask questions early instead of solving the wrong problem for too long.

Freelance / Independent Developer

Backend · AI Engineer
Sep 2019 – Present (Global)

Freelancing was my starting point.

It taught me how to manage time, communicate with clients, and take ownership of decisions without external structure. More importantly, it made me comfortable with uncertainty - many problems only seem difficult until you start working on them.

Education

National Technical University of Ukraine “KPI” - Master

September 2023 – December 2024

Focused on information systems, data processing, and system design. The program covers architecture, big data, modeling, and project management.

Universidad de Córdoba - Exchange

September 2022 – June 2023

Studied computer vision, computational models, and related topics. Received an internship offer during this period.

National Technical University of Ukraine “KPI” - Bachelor

September 2019 – June 2023

Studied core computer science topics: algorithms, operating systems, networks, databases, and more. Awarded a scholarship based on performance.

Notes

Most of what I know didn’t come from courses.

It came from building systems, making mistakes, and learning how to fix them.