• Luke Barwikowski is the CEO and founder of Pixels, a video game that utilizes blockchain technology. • He founded the company while traveling through New Zealand, the Pacific, and Africa. • Today, he splits time between his camper van and sailboat.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Luke Barwikowski, founder and CEO of Pixels. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I was raised in a very stereotypical Michigan family. My dad worked for a steel company, and my mom worked for a church. I'm hugely grateful for my childhood and my wonderful parents, but I knew that life wasn't for me.

I started coding when I was 12. I didn't tell anyone because I was embarrassed. Back then, coding wasn't cool; it was weird. Plus, no one in my town knew anything about the tech wo

See Full Page