From Chrome OS to RISC-V, Aaron Durbin Brings Full-Stack Insight to Firmware at Rivos

For Aaron Durbin, understanding systems isn’t just about building them; it’s about knowing how they work from top to bottom. As the manager of the firmware team at Rivos, Aaron brings decades of experience across hardware, kernel development, and system software to a role that blends deep technical insight with close collaboration.

“I want to understand how everything works all the way down,” he says. That mindset has guided his career path, from two internships at Intel to working at a family-run company building power system components. In 2006, Aaron made the cross-country leap from Illinois to California and joined Google, working his way up to Senior Staff Software Engineer. At Google, Aaron worked on server platforms, Linux kernel development for production systems, and Chrome OS. It was during his time on the Chrome OS team that he began working with future Rivos founders Puneet Kumar and Mark Hayter.

After 15 years at Google, Aaron decided it was time for a change. When Puneet mentioned he was starting something new, Aaron’s decision to join Rivos in June 2021 came naturally. One of the things he appreciated most about Rivos is the ability to see and shape things from the beginning. “When you’re building everything from scratch, it’s fun to witness the growth,” he explained. “Aside from just seeing it, you’re also a part of it.”

Aaron wears many hats at Rivos beyond managing the firmware team, like reviewing system design decisions and debugging issues across hardware and software layers. He describes Rivos as a highly collaborative environment, shaped by people from diverse technical backgrounds who are eager to learn and help each other. For Aaron, the best part of the job is simple. “If you enjoy who you’re working with, you look forward to going to work,” he shared. 

Outside of work, Aaron enjoys spending time with his two kids and cooking.