I’m Matthew Barr, a data engineer and founder of Verulam Blue Mint, a UK-based SaaS platform that helps learners build real, portfolio-ready projects using SQL, dbt & PySpark for roles in data engineering, analytics, and data science. At Verulam Blue Mint, I focus on giving you the kind of realistic, messy-data experience you’d get in an actual data team—minus the office politics.

I started my career in data science and, over time, moved into roles with a greater focus on data engineering. I’m a certified data engineer across major cloud platforms: Azure, Fabric, AWS, and Databricks. I’ve spent years building the kind of end-to-end data-cleaning pipelines and KPI workflows that you’ll practise in my courses.

Before moving fully into data, I spent nearly a decade in financial services as an actuarial analyst in London. That background means I care a lot about trustworthy numbers, repeatable logic, and being able to explain results clearly to non-technical stakeholders.

Academically, I hold two master’s degrees from University College London: one in Data Science and one in Mathematics.

Through Verulam Blue Mint and my Udemy courses, my goal is simple: to help you bridge the gap between “I know some SQL/PySpark” and “I can run a serious data project that I’m proud to show on my CV, GitHub, and LinkedIn.”