Luke Genter

Expert-level React experience including hooks, React Query, React Router, context, and performance optimization. Since 2023, I've built and maintained a suite of custom React blocks and block controls in WordPress's Gutenberg editor, and I've also used React as the frontend layer of a headless WordPress application.

My first experience with Vue was on an application I worked on in 2018-2019, and it remains my favorite frontend framework to this day. I had the chance to work on another application in 2022 that was built with Vue 3, and I also have a couple simple side projects that were built with Vue.

Deep expertise in WordPress spanning custom themes, plugins, REST API endpoints, and the Roots stack (Bedrock, Sage, Trellis). I've also built a headless WordPress site with a decoupled React/TypeScript frontend — so I now have hands-on experience with both the traditional and headless paradigms.

At the risk of sounding a bit controversial, I think PHP is a great programming language. I have plenty of experience with WordPress backend and blade theme templates (Roots Sage), a moderate amount of experience with Laravel, and have (briefly) audited a CodeIgniter codebase. OOP, MVC patterns, and modern PHP practices are all in my wheelhouse.

Extensive experience with Bootstrap since 2016. I've customized Bootstrap themes and built custom components within the Bootstrap framework, including custom Gutenberg blocks that implement Bootstrap components.

Besides frameworks, I have plenty of experience with vanilla JavaScript. Async/await, promises, DOM manipulation, etc., with an emphasis on performance, best practices, and keeping the code clean and modern.

Strong foundation in semantic HTML5, accessibility best practices, and modern HTML standards. I focus on creating well-structured, accessible markup that makes it easy for developers and search engines alike to understand.

Advanced CSS skills from years of experience, including Flexbox, CSS Grid, animations, and responsive design. I always keep up with the latest developments in the language and leverage CSS instead of JavaScript wherever possible to maximize performance. I have experience with CSS pre- and post-processors like Sass and PostCSS.

Almost all of my work projects have used MySQL, and so I've picked up plenty of experience with queries and database design/management over the years, much of which of course can be applied to other relational databases. Experience with complex queries, indexing, and database performance tuning.

TypeScript is my default for any new frontend project. I've used it extensively across React applications — including a headless WordPress frontend — and it's central to how I write safe, maintainable code. Strong understanding of the type system, generics, and integrating TypeScript into complex React codebases.

If you've been to the homepage of this site, you've seen the tip of the iceberg with Three.js. I've used it for particle effects, custom pixel shaders, and simple model renderings. I'm currently working on getting a certification from Three.js Journey. Here's a CodePen I made with Three.js: codepen.io/lgenter476/pen/GgrrRBp

I always aim to make animations awesome yet tasteful. GSAP is a great tool for this, and I've used it extensively over the past few years for everything from simple text fade-in effects to complex animations and transitions.

The Roots stack (Bedrock, Sage, Trellis) is a great way to build WordPress sites. I've used it and various plugins and tools developed by the Roots team for dozens of client projects since the beginning of my career. While I don't use Sage anymore for new projects, I keep existing projects up to date with the latest version of Sage, and I still actively use Bedrock and Trellis for new projects (Trellis for deployments only).

Experience building web applications with Laravel's MVC architecture, Eloquent ORM, and Blade templating. Comfortable with Laravel's ecosystem including Artisan commands, database migrations, and package management. Most recently, I built a small brochure site using Statamic.

Proficient with Tailwind CSS for utility-first styling. Although I've primarily used Bootstrap to date, I enjoy the workflow Tailwind provides and would love to use it more in the future.

While I don't have any React Native projects in the wild, I've tinkered with it enough for personal projects that I feel confident and comfortable with it.

This site is built with Next.js and is hosted on Vercel.

Some experience with simple scripts and package management using Node.js, and I'd like to do more API/backend work with it.

I used PostgreSQL for a personal web game project, which entailed database design, migrations, and seed data.

Working knowledge of Python for scripting, data processing, and automation. I've built custom internal tooling in Python to automate workflows and extend platform capabilities, and I've also configured a CrewAI agent team with a knowledge base that connects to WordPress REST API endpoints.

Hands-on experience embedding Stripe's payment UI into a React/TypeScript frontend, including the Stripe Elements embedded checkout flow. I've wired up the client-side integration and understand how it fits into a full payment pipeline.

Built and deployed Shopify apps for client e-commerce projects — hands-on experience with the Shopify app architecture, API integrations, and the deployment process through the Shopify App Store.

Deploy and manage applications on Cloudflare Workers and Pages. I use it for edge-deployed projects where performance and global distribution matter.

Build and maintain CI/CD pipelines with GitHub Actions for reliable, automated releases. I've configured workflows for linting, testing, and deployment across multiple projects.

Build AI-powered features and internal tooling using the OpenAI and Claude APIs — with careful attention to prompt design, correctness, security, and performance. I also use Claude Code and Cursor extensively as daily development tools.

I think GraphQL is a great tool for building more complex backend architectures, middleware systems, and API design patterns, and I'd like to get some hands on experience with it beyond the tinkering I've done with it so far.

Interested in learning MongoDB for NoSQL database solutions, especially for projects that need flexible document-based data structures.

I'm currently working on a tower defense game using Godot, and I'd like to get more familiar with the engine and its capabilities.

Want to learn C++ for performance-critical applications, game development, and to better understand lower-level programming concepts.

I've always been interested in Ruby and Rails, since the start of my career. I'm drawn to Ruby's elegant syntax and Rails' convention-over-configuration philosophy.

I'm fascinated by WebAssembly and would like to get more familiar with it but haven't had the right use case for it yet.