I saw Ilmo on my interview visit to MPK many years ago, though we didn’t actually meet until later. I had never been on a tech company campus before and everything about it was weird. As I sat in the lobby mentally rehearsing, I watched Ilmo skateboard by on the other side of security.

Something in my head just broke. Why on earth was this fellow skateboarding? In an office? In *this* office? Where the hell was I? It gave me something to laugh at and a great icebreaker with my interviewers, and hiring on at Facebook changed my whole life.

Months afterward, I finally met Ilmo and told him the story of how he helped me keep my nerves that day. He smiled and said you’re welcome, and that kindness turned out to be a major theme with him.

We didn’t work closely together, but I could always count on Ilmo to have a brilliant idea, or know how to unblock something, or even just a joke to make the day better. He made an incredible impression on me, both as a researcher and as a human being. I wish I’d known him better.

Thank you for that moment, Ilmo. I honestly don’t know where I’d be today without it.

Chris Langston