Allison Kaptur

San Francisco, California, United States

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Summary

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Senior

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Top School

Allison Kaptur is a Principal Engineer at Pilot.com with 13 years of software development experience, blending back-end systems leadership with hands-on Python expertise. Based in San Francisco, she leads architectural delivery at Pilot since 2024, after shaping scalable backend platforms as a Staff Software Engineer there since 2017. Her open-source work spans deep Python ecosystem contributions—improving the Hy Lisp dialect embedded in Python, enhancing a Python bytecode VM in Nedbat/byterun, and advancing a pure-Python interpreter in 500lines—reflecting a knack for low-level systems, testing, and cross-version compatibility. Previously, she shipped desktop sync and autoupdate features at Dropbox, and has a history of mentoring and guiding teams as a facilitator at Recurse Center. She holds a BSc in Astronomy & Physics from Yale, a background that informs her rigorous, data-driven approach to engineering. Outside work, she maintains a personal site at akaptur.github.io and continues to explore the intersection of performance, reliability, and developer experience.

13 years of coding experience

11 years of employment as a software developer

Bachelor of Science (BSc), Astronomy & Physics, Bachelor of Science (BSc), Astronomy & Physics at Yale University

Stackoverflow

Stats

307reputation

8kreached

9answers

2questions

Github Skills (26)

interpretation10

python10

testing10

virtual-machine10

byte-code10

interpreter10

refactorings10

refactor10

compiler-compiler10

hy10

bytecode10

compiler10

refactoring10

lisp10

compilers10

Programming languages (3)

JavaScriptHTMLPython

Github contributions (5)

nedbat/byterun

Aug 2013 - Aug 2014

A Python implementation of a Python bytecode runner

Role in this project:

Back-end Developer & Test Automation Engineer

Contributions:39 commits, 6 comments in 1 year

Contributions summary:Allison primarily contributed to the implementation and testing of a Python bytecode runner. Their work involved adding support for new opcodes, fixing in-place division, and ensuring compatibility across Python 2 and 3 versions. They also refactored code related to block unwinding and exception handling, improving the virtual machine's structure. Furthermore, the user implemented new tests to cover exception causes and enhanced existing tests with more comprehensive checks.

pythonpython-implementationbytecodepython3runner

aosabook/500lines

Dec 2013 - May 2015

500 Lines or Less

Role in this project:

Back-end Developer

Contributions:64 commits, 11 comments in 1 year 5 months

Contributions summary:Allison primarily worked on implementing a pure-Python bytecode interpreter. Their contributions focused on the core logic of the virtual machine, including stack manipulation, bytecode dispatching, and operator implementations. They refactored code and removed features like generator and class support. The user's changes significantly impacted the interpreter's functionality and reduced the scope of the project.

linesmodular-designlistsjava

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