About
For Quinton Maki, success is less about titles and more about progress—learning, adapting, and growing at every step. A Software Engineer II at AWS, Quinton’s career stands out for his combination of technical excellence and mentorship-driven leadership. Born and raised in California, Quinton found discipline early through athletics. From age five to thirteen, he ran for the Calabasas Cheetahs, and in high school, he competed in track and field and cross-country while volunteering as a youth coach. Coaching hundreds of kids taught him the importance of patience, guidance, and community—values that would later define his engineering career. After graduating from Reseda High School, Quinton charted a nontraditional path. In 2021, he enrolled in the Hack Reactor coding bootcamp, where he quickly excelled and graduated at the top of his class. He was invited to stay on as an instructor, teaching coding fundamentals and problem-solving to new students before moving into the tech industry full-time. At Amazon Web Services, Quinton’s leadership and technical aptitude earned him one of the fastest promotions in his organization’s history. He’s since become a mentor to engineers across the company, known for his calm demeanor, high standards, and insightful advice. Outside of the office, Quinton thrives on adventure. Whether snowboarding through fresh powder in Tahoe, sailing the bay, or exploring new challenges, he brings the same dedication and curiosity to his hobbies that he does to his work. “My job is all about failure,” he says. “Once you stop fearing it, you realize failure is just part of growth.” Quinton’s journey reflects modern success—built not on privilege or shortcuts, but on persistence, community, and a relentless commitment to learning.
