# Kent C. Dodds

> Kent C. Dodds is a world-renowned web development educator, open source engineer, and entrepreneur based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Creator of React Testing Library and the Testing Library ecosystem, he left a staff engineering role at PayPal in 2019 to build a self-employed education empire spanning EpicReact.dev, EpicWeb.dev, TestingJavaScript.com, and now EpicAI.pro. Recognized as a Google Developer Expert, Microsoft MVP, and GitHub Star, he has taught tens of thousands of developers through hands-on workshops, books, courses, and his long-running newsletter. Father of six and an adrenaline enthusiast who snowboards and rides a onewheel, Kent believes that kindness and teaching compound faster than any technology trend.

- **Role:** Founder at Kent C. Dodds Tech LLC
- **Organizations:** Kent C. Dodds Tech LLC, TC-39 (JavaScript standardization committee), Testing Library (open source), EpicWeb.dev, EpicAI.pro
- **From:** Twin Falls, Idaho, USA
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Master of Science in Information Systems, Brigham Young University (BYU)
- **Known for:** Created React Testing Library (19,600+ GitHub stars), Created cross-env npm package (6,500+ stars, hundreds of millions of downloads), Google Developer Expert (GDE) for web technologies

## Career timeline

- **1988** — Born in Twin Falls, Idaho, one of 12 children
- **2006-2008** — Served 2-year LDS mission in the Missouri Independence Mission
- **2012** — Internship at USAA (banking and insurance)
- **2013** — Internship at Domo (cloud software)
- **2014** — Graduated BYU with MS in Information Systems
- **2016** — Joined PayPal as JavaScript engineer; represented PayPal on TC-39
- **2018** — Created React Testing Library; wrote 50,000-word novel during NaNoWriMo
- **2019** — Left PayPal to become full-time self-employed educator; launched TestingJavaScript.com
- **2020** — Launched EpicReact.dev, generating millions in revenue
- **2022** — Launched EpicWeb.dev and the Epic Stack
- **2025-03** — Launched EpicAI.pro, pivoting focus to AI and Model Context Protocol (MCP)
- **2025** — Welcomed 6th child; moved to new all-electric home; traveled 58,698 miles across 16 trips
- **2026** — Teaching TypeScript curriculum at local college; free updates to EpicAI workshops

## Achievements

- Created React Testing Library (19,600+ GitHub stars)
- Created cross-env npm package (6,500+ stars, hundreds of millions of downloads)
- Google Developer Expert (GDE) for web technologies
- Microsoft MVP for exceptional community contributions
- GitHub Star for open source work and community leadership
- TC-39 committee member (shaped JavaScript language standards)
- GitNation OS Award - Most Impactful Contribution for Testing Library
- 34,700+ GitHub followers
- Delivered 100+ conference talks across 7+ countries
- Trained 49,000+ engineers through Epic educational platforms
- Instructor on egghead.io and Frontend Masters
- Member of 30+ open source organizations including Babel, Prettier, styled-components
- Launched EpicAI.pro in 2025 covering Model Context Protocol (MCP)

## Latest updates

- **2026-04** — Building 5 new beginner-focused workshops; creating TypeScript curriculum for local college
- **2025-12** — Wrapped 2025 with 58,698 miles traveled, 16 trips, 7 countries visited; cancelled Epic Web Conf 2026 due to financial constraints
- **2025-09** — Ran MCP cohort workshops (MCP Fundamentals, Advanced MCP, Authorization, MCP-UI)
- **2025-01** — Welcomed 6th child; moved to new all-electric home

## Links

- Website: https://kentcdodds.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kentcdodds/
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/kentcdodds
- GitHub: https://github.com/kentcdodds
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kentcdodds-vids
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kentcdodds/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/kent-c-dodds
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-04-21