Alex Merced

Alex Merced

Data Lakehouse & AI Expert · Author · Creator

"Empowering through education, technology, and optimism."

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Music Video

My Name Is Alex

A beat-synced portrait of the writer, builder, teacher, speaker, and endlessly curious person behind the work.

7 minutes 40 seconds · Press play with sound for the full story.
Professional

The Expert

Head of Developer Relations at Dremio. Author of 77 books including four flagship O'Reilly, Manning, and Packt titles: Apache Iceberg: The Definitive Guide, Apache Polaris: The Definitive Guide, Architecting an Apache Iceberg Lakehouse, and Building the Software Factory. Leading voice in data lakehouses, Apache Iceberg, and AI.

77
Books Published
34K+
LinkedIn Followers
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Books

Author of 77 Books

Published works spanning AI engineering, data lakehouses, Apache Iceberg, economics, philosophy, fiction, and tabletop roleplaying games. Available on Amazon and other retailers.

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Tech & AI
Apache Iceberg, AI engineering, agentic analytics, and data architecture
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Economics & Philosophy
Libertarian thought, political philosophy, economic history, and AI economics
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Fiction
Sci-fi, fantasy, and genre-bending novels, including the ten-book space opera The Worlds Between Home
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Tabletop RPG
D6 Storyteller: a fiction-first tabletop roleplaying engine with ten genre companions
Start here

Pick a book for your interests

For data buildersApache Iceberg: The Definitive GuideUnderstand the open table format behind modern lakehouses.Explore book ↗ For AI beginnersAI and Agents for Normal PeopleGet started with everyday AI tools and agents.Explore book ↗ For fiction readersEmbers of ClaimBegin an epic fantasy trilogy.Explore book ↗ For tabletop storytellersD6 Storyteller: The Core RulebookBuild characters and worlds with a fiction-first RPG.Explore book ↗
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"Technology empowers. Creativity liberates."

Personal

The Creator

Music, fiction, philosophy, and ideas. Exploring creativity and personal autonomy through art and independent thought.

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Music
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Fiction
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Ideas
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Alex Merced - portrait
Interactive Story

The Merced Odyssey

Explore eight pixel-art worlds inspired by Alex's life and work. Solve music, code, data, and story challenges on an adventure you can play entirely in your browser.

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Pixel-art landscape from The Merced Odyssey

The Journey

From Hartford, CT to the global stage — a life driven by curiosity and the desire to teach.

1985 — Early Life
Hartford, Connecticut
Born to a Guatemalan mother and Puerto Rican father. Attended Howell Cheney Technical High School studying Microcomputer. Early coding with GRAAL scripts and RPG Maker.
2003–2007 — College
Bowling Green State University
Studied Marketing & Popular Culture. Promotion Director at WBGU-FM. Founded Fashionably Numb Music and The Gamers Lounge.
2008–2019 — NYC
Financial Education & Public Service
Trainer at Greico Financial Training. Ran for public office 3 times. Vice Chair of the LNC (2018-2020).
2019 — Transition
Software Development
Created GrokOverflow.com. Instructor at General Assembly. Full-stack development at Crossfield Digital.
2021–Present
Developer Advocacy at Dremio
Head of Developer Relations. 2025 CEO Award Winner. Author of Apache Iceberg: The Definitive Guide, Apache Polaris: The Definitive Guide, Architecting an Apache Iceberg Lakehouse, and Building the Software Factory. Global conference speaker.

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