# Dave Rupert

> Dave Rupert is a senior UX engineer at Microsoft, co-founder of the Austin-based web agency Paravel, and co-host of the long-running ShopTalk Show podcast. With over two decades in web development, he is widely recognized for his accessibility advocacy - notably founding The A11Y Project in 2014 - and for open-source tools like FitVids.js and FitText.js. He brings a maker's instinct, a teacher's heart, and a quietly sharp wit to everything he touches.

- **Role:** Senior UX Engineer at Microsoft
- **Organizations:** Microsoft, Paravel Inc., ShopTalk Show, The A11Y Project, Luro
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Degree in Japanese, University of Texas at Austin
- **Known for:** Founded The A11Y Project (2014), now a leading web accessibility resource, Co-created FitVids.js, one of the most-used responsive video plugins of its era, Led Paravel's responsive redesign of Microsoft.com (2012) - a landmark project

## Career timeline

- **2002** — Graduated UT Austin with a degree in Japanese; got paid $80 by Trent Walton to learn HTML
- **2003** — Joined JET Programme, taught English in Japan for several years
- **2007** — Co-founded Paravel Inc. with Trent Walton and Reagan Ray
- **2011** — Released FitVids.js (with Chris Coyier), a landmark responsive video plugin
- **2012** — Paravel led Microsoft's responsive homepage redesign - a milestone in responsive web design
- **2014** — Founded The A11Y Project over a single weekend
- **2015** — Co-launched ShopTalk Show podcast with Chris Coyier
- **2022** — Co-founded Luro, a design system tracking platform, with Paravel partners
- **2023** — Luro publicly launched out of beta in September
- **2024** — Joined Microsoft as Senior UX Engineer (May 2024) - first job working for someone else in 18 years
- **2026** — Redesigned personal site; actively blogging and co-hosting ShopTalk Show

## Achievements

- Founded The A11Y Project (2014), now a leading web accessibility resource
- Co-created FitVids.js, one of the most-used responsive video plugins of its era
- Led Paravel's responsive redesign of Microsoft.com (2012) - a landmark project
- Co-hosted 500+ episodes of ShopTalk Show podcast
- Created A11Y Nutrition Cards simplifying WAI-ARIA authoring practices
- Taught Frontend Masters course 'HTML with Superpowers' on web components
- Co-founded Luro, a design system component tracking platform
- Maintained long-term creative partnerships spanning 20+ years

## Latest updates

- **2026-01** — Redesigned personal site daverupert.com using Cascadia Mono typeface
- **2025-12** — Published year-in-review post 'Twenty Twenty-Five'; active blogger with ~53 posts in 2025
- **2025-00** — Publicly discussing mental health journey including ADHD evaluation, anxiety management, and therapy
- **2024-05** — Joined Microsoft as Senior UX Engineer, first employment outside of Paravel in 18 years
- **2023-09** — Luro design system platform publicly launched out of beta

## Links

- Website: https://daverupert.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-rupert/
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/davatron5000
- GitHub: https://github.com/davatron5000

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/dave-rupert
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-04-21