Daniel Liao

Head of Operations & Delivery, Reef Labs

Strategic operations leader who makes complex software projects feel simple on the client side. Daniel builds the systems, rhythms, and communication loops that keep projects moving, teams aligned, and stakeholders confident.

Daniel Liao

About Daniel

As Head of Operations & Delivery at Reef Labs, Daniel is responsible for turning ideas, specs, and sprint boards into finished products that clients can rely on. He sits at the center of each engagement—coordinating between founders, product stakeholders, and engineers to ensure everyone is working toward the same outcome.

Daniel's approach is proactive and structured. He believes most project "emergencies" can be avoided with clear expectations, honest timelines, and early risk identification. That means surfacing trade-offs up front, getting decisions made quickly, and keeping every stakeholder in the loop with concise, meaningful updates.

His background spans engineering leadership, business development, and systems design, which gives him a rare vantage point: he understands both how the code is built and what the business needs it to achieve. The result is delivery that feels steady, transparent, and grounded in your goals—not just our roadmap.

Operational Excellence

Designs and runs delivery systems with clear milestones, ownership, and QA checkpoints.

Client Benefit: Fewer surprises, more predictability, and a clear understanding of where your project stands at any moment.

Client Communication

Known for structured, calm communication—weekly updates, crisp summaries, and clear next steps for all parties.

Client Benefit: You don't have to chase updates or wonder what's happening behind the scenes.

Cross-Functional Coordination

Has led teams across engineering, business development, and product. Knows how to align different disciplines around shared outcomes.

Client Benefit: Engineers, PMs, and founders stay on the same page, reducing rework and misalignment.

Process Improvement

Constantly refines workflows based on feedback and outcomes. Looks for bottlenecks, gaps, and friction points—and fixes them.

Client Benefit: Each project gets smoother than the last, and your long-term partnership with Reef compounds in value.

Professional Experience

Daniel’s operational rigor and client‑first mindset ensure complex projects deliver predictable outcomes.

Reef Labs

Head of Operations & Delivery | February 2025 – Present | Boston, MA

Leads delivery across all active Reef Labs projects.

  • Owns project planning, timelines, and milestone tracking.
  • Coordinates engineering efforts and external partners to keep builds moving.
  • Implements reporting and QA practices so launches are stable and maintainable.
  • Serves as the main operational point of contact for clients throughout the engagement.

Atlas Urban Farms

Head of Business Development | January 2023 – May 2025 | Boston, MA

Built and managed partnerships for an urban farming startup, collaborating with universities and institutional buyers. Developed systems for more predictable revenue and shorter cash cycles—experience he now applies to forecasting and planning at Reef.

FIDE

Lead Engineer | May 2023 – August 2024 | Boston, MA

Led engineering for a growing startup, helping accelerate MVP development and establishing collaboration practices that allowed multiple engineers to ship confidently in the same codebase. This experience shapes how Daniel structures dev work at Reef to avoid bottlenecks and reduce friction.

Education

Babson College

August 2022 – Present | Wellesley, MA

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (in progress)

Olin College of Engineering

August 2022 – Present | Wellesley, MA

Certificate in Computer Science (in progress)

Management Philosophy

Principles that keep projects on‑track, transparent, and quality‑driven.

Proactive Problem‑Solving

Daniel treats risk as something to be surfaced early, not reacted to late. He ensures projects have contingency plans and clear decision points.

Client Benefit: More predictable timelines and fewer last-minute scrambles.

Transparent Communication

He favors honest, specific updates over vague reassurance. If something needs a decision, you'll hear about it quickly—and with clear options.

Client Benefit: You stay empowered to steer the project without getting lost in the weeds.

Quality‑First Execution

Believes that speed matters—but not at the expense of maintainability. Builds in QA gates and ownership so work is shippable, not just "done."

Client Benefit: Fewer post-launch issues and less time spent revisiting old work.

Personal Interests

Outside work, Daniel stays curious, competitive, and collaborative.

Golf & Hiking

Enjoys long walks on fairways and trails alike—both give him space to think, reset, and come back to work with fresh perspective.

Game Development

Builds indie games in his spare time, blending creativity and technical skill. It keeps his engineering instincts sharp and his eye for user experience trained.

Hands-On Making

Comfortable in the machine shop, from welding to milling and laser cutting. He loves taking ideas from concept to physical reality—mirroring how he approaches projects at Reef.

Get in Touch

Have complex workflows and systems that need to be untangled and automated? Daniel will help turn your requirements into a clear, scalable solution.