Photo of Leonardo Canello

Leonardo Canello

Things maker, learner, destroyer

About Me

I am Leonardo Canello, a 23-year-old Tinkerer passionate about cybersecurity, software development, and infrastructure management. Currently studying Computer Engineering at the University of Padua while working as a full-stack developer at QBGROUP since 2021.

My curiosity drives me to explore new technologies both professionally and in my extensive homelab setup (~100TB of storage!). I actively participate in the cybersecurity community through conferences and open-source contributions, with a particular focus on privacy, digital rights, and GDPR compliance.

When I find something interesting, I dive deep - whether it’s experimenting with new programming languages, contributing to open-source projects, or building solutions from scratch to solve real-world problems (although sometimes I like to over engeneer things just for the fun of it).

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Field Experience

Full Stack Developer

QBGROUP (qbgroup.it) • 2021 - Present

  • Develop and maintain full-stack applications using TypeScript/JavaScript with React, Bun, Tailwind, Elysia, Drizzle ORM and many other libs
  • Build Python applications ranging from FastAPI web services to machine learning solutions with PyTorch
  • Develop backend services in C# (.NET) and embedded C applications for ESP-32 platforms controlling e-ink displays
  • Design and implement relational database architectures (PostgreSQL, MySQL) from concept to production
  • Manage deployment pipelines and service orchestration on Linux-based infrastructure
  • Implement containerization strategies with Docker and Docker Compose for consistent multi-stage deployments
  • Configure and maintain web servers (Nginx, Traefik) as reverse proxies and load balancers
  • Set up comprehensive monitoring and alerting systems using Grafana and Zabbix
  • Rapidly prototype and deliver production-ready solutions tailored to specific client requirements

Technologies: TypeScript, JavaScript, Python, C# (.NET), Docker, Docker Compose, Nginx, Linux, PostgreSQL, MySQL and more

Projects I’ve been part of

GARR-LAB Project • 2021 - 2022

  • Deployed Infrastructure as Code (IaC) solutions on GARR’s OpenStack platform
  • Collaborated with GARR network and university ICT communities on scalable service architectures
  • Implemented production-ready services designed for large user bases with auto-scaling, failover mechanisms, SSO integration, and comprehensive monitoring
  • Learn more about GARR-LAB: TNC-22 presentation and Workshop GARR 2021

Technologies: Terraform, Ansible, Nomad, OpenStack, Docker and much more (we are curious people by nature, everything that is deemed interesting is shared and discussed)

Personal Infrastructure & Homelab

Self-Hosted Services Management • Ongoing

  • Design and maintain comprehensive homelab infrastructure with 100TB NAS using ZFS filesystem (TrueNAS Scale)
  • Manage multiple VMs running various self-hosted services with granular user access controls
  • Configure home network infrastructure with VLANs and security policies via Ubiquiti Security Gateway
  • Deploy and orchestrate containerized services across personal cloud VPS infrastructure
  • Continuously experiment with new technologies and maintain complete data sovereignty through self-hosting
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Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Engineering

University of Padua (Università di Padova) • In Progress

Currently pursuing a three-year degree in Computer Engineering

Technical Diploma in Computer Science

ITIS Severi, Padua • 2021

Graduated with specialization in Computer Science

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Monitora-PA Privacy Initiative

Open Source Privacy Advocacy

Privacy-focused project for monitoring and improving transparency in public administration through privacy-preserving tools and citizen rights advocacy.

Visit Monitora-PA

AES.Land Gaming Platform

Ethical Gaming Server Development

Open-source Luanti gaming platform designed as an ethical alternative free from addictive mechanics, focusing on healthy player engagement and community well-being.

Visit AES.Land

Open Source Contributions

Active community participant in numerous open source projects, contributing through translations, bug reporting, and bug fixes across various privacy-focused initiatives, gaming platforms, and Linux distribution communities.

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Certifications & Professional Development

Language Proficiency

English Language: Cambridge English – Verified level B2/C1
Italian Language: Native speaker (C2)

Cybersecurity Conference Participation

International Conferences (Online Participation)

  • Black Hat & DEF CON
  • TNC
  • GARR Conferences (streamed on garr.tv)
  • FOSDEM (would love to attend in person)
  • ePrivacy
  • MCH (May Contain Hackers)
  • CCC (Chaos Communication Congress)
  • WHY (WhatHackersYearn)
  • RomHack
  • MOCA

National Events (Physical & Remote Participation)

  • HackinBo
  • NoHat
  • EndSummerCamp

Continuous Learning

  • GARR Historical Conferences - Studying archived presentations and research from previous years (although a bit old, still very interesting)
  • Open Source License Expertise - Deep understanding of open source licensing and compliance. With a nick for exotic licences ;D
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Hobbies & Interests

Music & Arts

I’m passionate about classical music and have been playing piano for many years. I also have a deep interest in art history and Baroque architecture.

Retrogaming & Vintage Computing

I’m a dedicated retrogamer with a growing collection of vintage hardware including an arcade cabinet for emulating arcade games, Intellivision, Commodore 64, Amiga 600 and 1200, and the MiSTica FPGA system. Recently attended fascinating presentations on retrocomputing and computer history at the MUDISTINF Museum.

Photography

I love landscape photography and capturing natural scenery during outdoor adventures.

Bled lake in Slovenia

Entertainment

Avid anime fan with a particular appreciation for classic series from the 1980s (Goldrake, Daitan, Mazinga, Trider G7 and more)