about

vellestræ is built by vanessa — a developer, writer, and builder based in new york, ny. she makes software and writes about AI for people who want to understand it without being consumed by it.

her thesis advisor, professor john shearman, was a "university professor" — meaning he taught across every department, unconstrained by any single discipline. when she found out what that meant, it changed her mind about everything. seek knowledge relentlessly. never stop being curious.

— the path here —

the path here wasn't linear — it rarely is for the interesting ones.

vanessa started as an art historian and classical ballerina. then she became an investment banker. then an executive coach and admissions consultant. then — in the plot twist that surprised everyone, possibly including herself — a software engineer.

each turn made the next one possible. studying art taught her to see. banking taught her rigor. coaching taught her how people actually learn. and engineering gave her the tools to build things that put all of it together.

the AI cheatsheet came from a simple observation: the people who most needed to understand AI were the ones least served by existing explanations. the Muse and the Machine came from the realization that the conversation about AI was missing something — the human part. vellestræ is the house that holds it all together.

— right now —

right now: shipping updates to the AI cheatsheet, writing weekly for the Muse, and building the next thing on the bench. the work is always evolving — check /work for the current lineup.

— beyond the desk —

when she's not building: jivamukti yoga (300-hour teacher training certification), classical ballet (20+ years and counting), classic film (film noir, always), and philosophy — because the questions that matter don't have versions.