Hardcastle Corporation was founded as the framework for Asa Steady Hardcastle's continuing software architecture, development, and consulting work.
To passionately deliver exceptional value, tailored to the unique needs of our clients,
by cultivating loyalty, deep understanding,
and innovation.
Asa Steady Hardcastle graduated summa cum laude from Emory University in 1997, fulfilling the requirements for degrees in English and in Computer Science. His honors thesis was a research paper and the development of a Java based multicast audio communication program. The Internet was young, websites were coded by hand, and Asa mused that it would be funny to get a job writing Internet software.
After College, Asa moved back to his beloved Berkshires to work for Zenn New Media, a software and media company that was at the time running the Berkshire Web. Projects were varied and consistently brought forth new challenges. After several years as a minor partner, Asa became 49% of Zenn, in a partnership with David Long, that yielded many very fruitful years of software development and design collaboration.
Notable work included: an LED controller that properly burned serial numbers into long exposure archival photographs; the EBI PReP, which was used by doctors and physical therapists to create custom VHS tapes of rehabilitation exercises as a replacement for paper instructions; Full stack development and deployment of the Hotroof StreamWriter platform, that repurposed large video libraries for streaming (in the days before YouTube); Development of an operations platform for Collins Building Services; Development of a full circle system for VentureWell (formerly NCIIA), that enabled the creation and management of RFPs, proposals, contacts, and ultimately web publishing; and Development of a massive health and publishing platform for Canyon Ranch.
Starting in the Zenn years, Asa was involved in a number of projects with the Liberty Alliance and the Internet Society in the identity and privacy space. Highlights developing and running a test harness for SAML 2.0 compliance, developing a Java open source ID-WSF 2.0 Client, working on the TOSBack project, and presenting research on browser security. This work lead to experience in new data concepts
After Zenn New Media, Asa launched his own consulting business, the latest iteration of which is Hardcastle Corporation. Hardcastle Corp has retained several key clients from the Zenn years, including Collins Building Services (CBS) and VentureWell. These clients have been with Asa for more than 20 years, and rely on software developed together on a daily basis.
In collaboration with Jim Kenney, User Experience Developer and Designer, Hardcastle Corp has refined a highly efficient process for software development. A few of our projects together:
Asa played a role in launching WBCR-lp 97.7fm as a volunteer and board member of Berkshire Community Radio Alliance (BCRA). This low-power FM station broadcasts out of Great Barrington, Massachusetts. It is now going on 20 years, and Asa is as active as ever. He is currently board treasurer, member of the Operations Committee, Tech Committee, and Fundraising Committee. This work is ongoing in order to support anyone having a chance to learn the art and science of radio and have access to the public airwaves as an act of free speech and expression.
As a founding board member of Berkshares, Asa spent four years building, speaking about, and advocating local currency in the Southern Berkshires. His passion for supporting local business and local economies made this work a perfect fit.
Asa is currently working as a board member of Moon In The Pond Farm (MITP) / Farm Education Initiative (FEI). His passion for local farms and organic food are front and center with this project, having grown up on a dairy farm in New Marlborough, Massachusetts. FEI "is committed to education about small-scale, diverse, eco-agriculture and local food production, because we need it!" A mission that Asa personally shares.
We serve a wide variety of customers. Non-profits, local businesses, international organizations, health and wellness, and industry focused.
