select startups

StackMate AI

GenAI B2B SaaS for Paperwork Automation

Led a team to develop a cross-platform AI software application for "just-talk" LLM-based workflow automation for EHS paperwork in SMB construction contractors. Pioneered a proprietary "File-Stack" RAG (Retrieval-Augmented-Generation) architecture, and designed the UI/UX to streamline onboarding non-technical/legacy users that's even simpler than ChatGPT. Bootstrapped to $10k ARR in 6 months, stalled due to market conditions.

Aloom

Music Visualization AI / AR / IoT Platform

I set out to fundamentally map the emotions in the psycho-acoustics we hear in music, into the psycho-visual realm, so we could visualize music in a more immersive and higher fidelity way, that is more scalable than existing methods... essentially an engagement techology like color tv vs. black-and-white.

Designing this "synesthetic" algorithm and building a truly full-stack system was an obsession I pursued for 3 years (still haunts me): Music Theory, Sensory psychology, Optics, AI/ML & data strategy, Wireless communications, IoT hardware, firmware, mobile app, portable high-power energy systems, and hybrid flex-rigid PCB design, mechanical/industrial design and thermal management. Not to mention all the cool marketing, branding and business building around it! It was also my first independent foray into building consumer electronics... dangerously fun!

AMPL / EMBUE

Smart Building IoT SHaaS

Developed a proprietary line of 7 wireless smart building sensors, based on the zigbee protocol, for HVAC and energy management purposes, with thousands of units manufactured and installed, plus offshore supply chain established. Learned a lot about embedded systems here, and the importance of firmware, especially in battery-powered wireless applications! Lots of lessons hear around scaling mechanics and operational overhead.

Global Fire Products

Fire Safety Technology Licensing

Developed two pieces of Intellectual Property related to explosion arresting and flame radiation sensing, with my Master's thesis supervisor at WPI - learned a lot about combustion, explosions, and electromagnetism, attended a few conferences internationally and at Princeton, and granted authorship on two patents.

This was a rare opportunity to experience how technology first gets conceived of and commercialized, literally from a lab into the real world and how the technology lifecycle and market timing are some of the biggest factors to consider when trying to innovate.