About Me

Hi, I’m Nat Portillo — a nonbinary trans fem (they/elle), neurodivergent software engineer, computer archivist, writer, and technomancer based in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. My story with computers began early: born in the Canary Islands, I’ve been tinkering with machines for as long as I can remember. Recognized as intellectually gifted as a child, I was enrolled in programming courses before most kids even touched a keyboard—and I never stopped exploring.

From a very young age, I was fascinated by the idea that machines could store mementos, that old hardware held stories, and that nothing is ever truly obsolete. I became known for saving every component, manual, floppy, and cable I could get my hands on (making my mother not precisely happy for the space used by my "hobby"). That love for forgotten technology eventually evolved into my largest and most meaningful project: Aaru Data Preservation Suite, a comprehensive platform for reading, analyzing, and preserving digital media. Today, Aaru is used by multiple institutions dedicated to videogame and computer history preservation.

Professionally, I work as a software engineer at Microsoft, where I care deeply about software that lasts, documentation that empowers, and keeping the doors open for future generations—especially those of us who don’t fit the "default user" mold.

I live and work as an openly queer, disabled, and neurodivergent person. I was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder in my early adulthood, and more recently with autism, ADHD, and dissociative identity disorder (DID). These diagnoses didn't break me—they clarified who I’ve always been, and helped me build systems, communities, and tools that reflect the reality of minds like mine.

I am a fervent defender of open source, a believer in free access to knowledge, and a proud member of the LGBTIQ2A+ community. My identity isn’t incidental to my work—it’s the lens through which I see systems, spot edge cases, and advocate for people too often erased from the tech narrative.

Outside of engineering, I’m a writer, photographer, archivist, and practicing witch. I believe there’s magic in memory—both digital and emotional—and that tech can be sacred, an art, when approached with care. I speak openly about mental health, queerness, and survival, because I know what it means to need a story like your own and not find it.

If you're here because you care about weird tech, inclusive futures, or because you’re trying to build something kinder in a system that wasn’t built for you—know that you’re not alone. I’m glad you found your way here.