About Ken Nakamura

I am Ken Nakamura, a systems engineer based in Portland, Oregon. For the past 12 years I have worked in industrial automation – designing control systems for manufacturing plants across the Pacific Northwest.

In 2018, I started applying the same kaizen methodology from my professional work to my own home. What began as a simple thermostat upgrade turned into a full-scale home optimization project. Today every system in my house – lighting, HVAC, security, energy – is integrated and continuously refined based on data.

Why Kaizen Intelligence?

The name comes from two ideas. Kaizen means continuous improvement – small daily changes that compound over time. Intelligence refers to both smart home technology and the data-driven approach I take to every decision. Together they describe my philosophy: your home should get smarter every day, not just the day you set it up.

My Background

I hold a BS in Electrical Engineering from Oregon State University and have certifications in PLC programming, building automation systems (BAS), and energy management. Before going independent, I spent 8 years at a controls integration firm working on everything from food processing plants to data centers.

What I Use at Home

My current setup runs on Home Assistant with a mix of Zigbee, Z-Wave, and WiFi devices. I use Grafana for monitoring, Node-RED for complex automations, and a dedicated VLAN for IoT traffic. The system has grown from 12 devices in 2018 to over 90 today. Every addition is measured against a simple test: does it save time, money, or both?

This blog documents everything I learn along the way. No sponsored content, no affiliate links driving recommendations. Just honest testing and real-world data from my own home.