diff --git a/common/models/user.js b/common/models/user.js
index 25f1779062..0ddb4cd027 100644
--- a/common/models/user.js
+++ b/common/models/user.js
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ module.exports = function(User) {
     debug('where', where);
     User.count(
       where,
-      function (err, count) {
+      function(err, count) {
         if (err) {
           debug('err checking existance: ', err);
           return cb(err);
@@ -132,4 +132,52 @@ module.exports = function(User) {
       }
     }
   );
+
+  User.about = function about(username, cb) {
+    if (!username) {
+      // Zalgo!!
+      return process.nextTick(() => {
+        cb(
+          new TypeError('FCC: username should be a string but got %s', username)
+        );
+      });
+    }
+    User.findOne({ where: { username } }, (err, user) => {
+      if (err) {
+        cb(err);
+      }
+      if (!user || user.username !== username) {
+        cb(new Error('FCC: no user found for %s', username));
+      }
+      const aboutUser = {
+        username: user.username,
+        bio: user.bio,
+        github: user.githubProfile
+      };
+      cb(null, aboutUser);
+    });
+  };
+
+  User.remoteMethod(
+    'about',
+    {
+      description: 'get public info about user',
+      accepts: [
+        {
+          arg: 'username',
+          type: 'string'
+        }
+      ],
+      returns: [
+        {
+          arg: 'about',
+          type: 'object'
+        }
+      ],
+      http: {
+        path: '/about',
+        verb: 'get'
+      }
+    }
+  );
 };
diff --git a/common/models/user.json b/common/models/user.json
index b49b9cd085..c52ebaa3d4 100644
--- a/common/models/user.json
+++ b/common/models/user.json
@@ -126,10 +126,6 @@
     "resetPasswordToken": {
       "type": "string"
     },
-    "sentSlackInvite": {
-      "type": "boolean",
-      "default": false
-    },
     "resetPasswordExpires": {
       "type": "string"
     },
@@ -249,6 +245,13 @@
       "principalId": "$everyone",
       "permission": "ALLOW",
       "property": "doesExist"
+    },
+    {
+      "accessType": "EXECUTE",
+      "principalType": "ROLE",
+      "principalId": "$everyone",
+      "permission": "ALLOW",
+      "property": "about"
     }
   ],
   "methods": []