Files
alexa-amundson-resume/docs/alexa-amundson-resume-ultimate.md
Claude 20232bfd69 feat: add real Stripe integration, e2e tests, and Pi deployment
Replace documentation-only repo with working code:

- Stripe integration: webhook handler (8 event types), billing API
  (customers, checkout, payments, subscriptions, invoices)
- Express API server with health endpoint, structured logging
- E2E tests (Playwright): health, webhook signature verification,
  billing API validation
- Unit tests: webhook event handler coverage for all event types
- Pi deployment: deploy.sh (rsync + systemd), NGINX load balancer
  across Pi cluster, Docker support
- CI/CD: test workflow, Pi deploy workflow, updated auto-deploy
  and self-healing to run real tests before deploying
- Move resume docs to docs/ to separate code from documentation

https://claude.ai/code/session_01Mf5Pg82fV6BTRS9GnpV7nr
2026-03-04 09:00:51 +00:00

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ALEXA LOUISE AMUNDSON

AI Orchestration Engineer • Enterprise Product Leader • Revenue-Driving Technologist

📍 Location: Lakeville, MN (Open to Remote/Hybrid) 📧 Email: amundsonalexa@gmail.com | blackroad.systems@gmail.com 📞 Phone: (507) 828-0842 🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/alexaamundson 💻 GitHub: @blackboxprogramming (15 organizations, 66+ repositories) 🌐 Portfolio: lucidia.earth | blackroadinc.us 🚀 Live Platform: app.blackroad.io


EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Rare Tri-Dimensional Leader: Technical Architect + Enterprise Sales Closer + Financial Professional

I architect and build production AI systems (466K+ LOC, 145 autonomous agents), then successfully sell them to enterprise customers ($26.8M closed). FINRA-licensed (Series 7/63/65) with deep regulatory compliance expertise. Founder of BlackRoad OS, a cognitive AI operating system orchestrating 23 microservices across multi-cloud infrastructure.

The Differentiator: Most engineers can't sell. Most salespeople can't build. I do both at enterprise scale.

Core Strength: Translating complex AI/ML architectures into revenue-generating products while navigating regulated, high-compliance environments. I speak fluent C-suite (ROI, TCO, revenue impact) and fluent engineering (Kubernetes, Terraform, distributed systems).


WHAT I BRING TO YOUR ORGANIZATION

Technical Mastery

AI/ML Production Systems: 76 autonomous agents, 69 enterprise bots, multi-modal LLM orchestration Enterprise Architecture: 23 microservices, 2,119 API endpoints, SOX-compliant infrastructure Cloud/DevOps Expertise: 89 Terraform modules, 17 K8s configs, 437 CI/CD workflows, 99.9% uptime Full-Stack Development: Next.js, React, Python, Go, TypeScript — production code shipped daily

Commercial Excellence

Proven Sales Record: $26.8M closed in 11 months, 92% quota attainment, +38% territory growth Enterprise Presentations: Keynote speaker to 24,000-advisor network, LPL Due Diligence presenter Pipeline Management: Built $40M+ pipeline, 15% close rate (2.5x team average) CRM Mastery: Salesforce automation expert, eliminated 3,000 data errors to zero

Strategic Leadership

Product Vision: Defined roadmap for AI orchestration platform serving enterprise customers Cross-Functional: Bridge technical teams and business stakeholders seamlessly Compliance Expert: Series 7/63/65 licensed, SOX audit experience, zero compliance findings Thought Leadership: Conference speaker, award-winning process innovator


IMPACT METRICS DASHBOARD

Category Metric Impact
Revenue Generated $26.8M sales closed 92% quota, +38% YoY growth
Technical Scale 466,408 LOC managed 28,538 files, 297 modules
AI Automation 145 agents deployed 70% reduction in manual work
Infrastructure 23 microservices 2,119 API endpoints, 99.9% uptime
Cost Optimization 40% cloud spend reduction Intelligent auto-scaling + multi-cloud
Data Quality 3,000 → 0 CRM errors 100% data accuracy achieved
Productivity 15 hrs/week saved Team-wide automation gains
Compliance Zero audit findings SOX compliance, PS-SHA∞ verification
Code Commits 5,937 verified commits Atomic changes, immutable audit trail
Conversion Rates 15% close rate 2.5x team average

PLATFORM METRICS — BLACKROAD OS (2025 VERIFIED AUDIT)

Code & Architecture Scale

Total Lines of Code:        466,408
Total Files:                 28,538
Total Modules:                  297
Total Commits:                5,937
Microservices:                   23
Applications:                    22
API Route Domains:               79
Total API Endpoints:          2,119

AI & Automation

Autonomous Agents:               76
Enterprise Bots:                 69
Total Automations:              145
CI/CD Workflows:                437
Self-Healing Systems:            12

Infrastructure & DevOps

Terraform Modules:               89
Production K8s Configs:          17
Docker Containers:               89
Cloudflare Zones:                16
Production Deployments:           8
Railway Projects:                12
Uptime SLA:                  99.9%

Data & Compliance

Data Connectors:                  5
Daily Record Processing:    100,000+
Compliance Engines:               3
Zero Audit Findings:            100%
PS-SHA∞ Hash Verifications:  5,937+

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

BLACKROAD OS, INC. — Founder & Chief Architect

Remote • May 2025 Present

Building a production-grade enterprise cognitive AI operating system. Full ownership of product strategy, technical architecture, infrastructure operations, and go-to-market positioning across 66+ repositories spanning 15 GitHub organizations.


🤖 AI/ML & COGNITIVE ORCHESTRATION (45 Modules)

Lucidia AI Engine — Multi-Modal Autonomous Intelligence Platform

What I Built:

  • Architected production AI orchestration system managing 76 autonomous agents and 69 enterprise bots
  • Designed agent framework supporting parallel execution, state persistence, cross-agent communication
  • Built real-time LLM streaming infrastructure (Claude, GPT) with WebSocket architecture
  • Created domain-specific reasoning engines for GitHub automation, workflow optimization, code generation

Technical Implementation:

  • Agent Architecture: Event-driven system with pub/sub messaging, Redis state management, PostgreSQL persistence
  • LLM Integration: Production-grade Claude/GPT APIs with retry logic, rate limiting, cost optimization
  • Workflow Engine: DAG-based orchestration supporting conditional branching, error handling, rollback
  • Monitoring: Real-time agent health dashboards, performance metrics, cost tracking per operation

Business Impact:

  • Automated 145 previously manual workflows → 70% reduction in operational overhead
  • Reduced human intervention time from 40 hrs/week to 12 hrs/week (70% time savings)
  • Achieved 94% agent success rate on complex multi-step tasks
  • Enabled 24/7 autonomous operations with self-healing capabilities

Key Innovations:

  • 🔬 Self-Healing Agents: Automatic error detection, root cause analysis, remediation attempts
  • 🔬 Cross-Agent Collaboration: Agents delegate sub-tasks to specialist agents autonomously
  • 🔬 Learning System: Agents improve performance over time through outcome tracking
  • 🔬 Cost Optimization: Intelligent model selection (GPT-4 vs 3.5) based on task complexity

🏗️ ENTERPRISE API INFRASTRUCTURE (79 Domains, 2,119 Endpoints)

Built Comprehensive API Layer for Enterprise SaaS Operations

Finance & Accounting APIs (18 Domains, 287 Endpoints):

  • Treasury Management: Cash flow forecasting, AP/AR automation, payment processing
  • Revenue Recognition: ASC 606 compliant revenue calculation, deferred revenue tracking
  • Billing & Invoicing: Subscription billing, usage metering, invoice generation, payment reconciliation
  • Financial Reporting: Real-time P&L, balance sheet, cash flow statements with drill-down capability

CRM & Sales APIs (22 Domains, 534 Endpoints):

  • CPQ Engine (Configure-Price-Quote): Product configurator, dynamic pricing rules, quote generation
  • Partner Portal: Multi-tenant partner management, commission tracking, co-selling workflows
  • Lead Management: Lead scoring, routing, nurture campaigns, conversion tracking
  • Opportunity Pipeline: Stage management, forecasting, win/loss analysis, competitive intelligence

HR & Workforce APIs (15 Domains, 412 Endpoints):

  • Workforce Management (WFM): Time tracking, scheduling, PTO management, shift planning
  • Learning Management (LMS): Course catalog, enrollment, progress tracking, certification management
  • Performance Management: Goal setting, 360 reviews, performance improvement plans
  • Talent Acquisition: ATS integration, candidate pipeline, interview scheduling, offer management

IT Operations APIs (24 Domains, 886 Endpoints):

  • CMDB (Configuration Management Database): Asset discovery, dependency mapping, change tracking
  • Incident Management: Ticket creation, SLA tracking, escalation workflows, root cause analysis
  • Monitoring & Observability: Metrics collection, alerting, dashboards, log aggregation
  • Infrastructure Automation: Provisioning, configuration management, compliance scanning

Technical Architecture:

  • RESTful design with OpenAPI 3.0 specifications for all 2,119 endpoints
  • Authentication: OAuth 2.0, JWT tokens, API key management, role-based access control
  • Rate Limiting: Redis-backed token bucket algorithm, per-tenant quotas
  • Versioning: Semantic versioning (v1, v2), backward compatibility guarantees
  • Error Handling: Standardized error codes, detailed error messages, retry guidance
  • Documentation: Auto-generated API docs, Postman collections, integration guides

Performance & Reliability:

  • 📊 Average response time: <100ms (p95), <250ms (p99)
  • 📊 API uptime: 99.95% over 8-month period
  • 📊 Request volume: 12M+ requests/month across all endpoints
  • 📊 Zero security incidents, zero data breaches

Business Value:

  • 💰 Enabled $2M+ ARR potential through complete API product offering
  • 💰 Reduced integration time for enterprise customers from 90 days to 14 days
  • 💰 API-first architecture supports multi-channel distribution (web, mobile, partner integrations)

☁️ INFRASTRUCTURE-AS-CODE & DEVOPS (40 Modules)

Built Production-Grade Multi-Cloud Infrastructure with Zero-Touch Automation

Cloud Orchestration & Terraform:

  • Architected 89 Terraform modules managing Cloudflare, Railway, DigitalOcean infrastructure
  • Modular design: VPC networking, compute resources, databases, storage, CDN, DNS
  • State management: Remote state in Cloudflare KV, state locking, encrypted secrets
  • Multi-environment: Production, staging, demo with environment-specific configurations

Kubernetes Production Operations:

  • Deployed 17 production Kubernetes configurations across 23 microservices
  • Auto-scaling: Horizontal Pod Autoscaler (HPA) based on CPU/memory/custom metrics
  • Health checks: Liveness probes, readiness probes, startup probes for zero-downtime deploys
  • Resource management: CPU/memory limits, QoS classes, pod disruption budgets
  • Secrets: Sealed secrets, external secrets operator, automatic rotation

CI/CD Pipeline Architecture:

  • Built 437-workflow automation system across GitHub Actions, Railway auto-deploy
  • 369 CI workflows: Automated testing, linting, security scanning, build, deploy
  • 68 CD workflows: Canary deployments, blue/green deploys, automatic rollback
  • Self-healing: Failed deploy detection → automatic rollback → alert → root cause analysis
  • Pipeline metrics: Average deploy time 4.2 minutes, 98.7% success rate

Multi-Cloud Strategy & Portability:

  • Cloudflare: 16 zones, 8 Pages deployments, Workers, KV, D1, DNS, CDN (primary)
  • Railway: 12 microservices with PostgreSQL, Redis, auto-scaling (application tier)
  • DigitalOcean: VPS for specialized workloads, backup infrastructure (secondary)
  • Edge: 3-node Raspberry Pi cluster for edge inference (IoT/ML workloads)
  • Vendor-neutral architecture: Can migrate between providers in <48 hours

Cost Optimization Results:

  • 📉 40% cloud spend reduction through intelligent resource allocation
  • 📉 Auto-scaling policies: Scale down during off-peak (nights/weekends) → 60% cost savings
  • 📉 Reserved capacity: Committed use discounts for predictable baseline load
  • 📉 Edge caching: Cloudflare CDN reduced origin requests by 85%
  • 📉 Spot instances: Railway spot pricing for non-critical workloads → 50% savings

Reliability Achievements:

  • 99.9% uptime maintained across all production services (8-month period)
  • Zero-downtime deployments: Blue/green strategy, <1 second traffic cutover
  • MTTR (Mean Time To Recovery): 6.4 minutes average incident resolution
  • Disaster recovery: Automated backups, 15-minute RPO, 1-hour RTO

Infrastructure Monitoring:

  • Real-time dashboards: Service health, resource utilization, cost tracking
  • Alerting: PagerDuty integration, escalation policies, on-call rotation
  • Log aggregation: Centralized logging, full-text search, retention policies
  • Metrics: Prometheus + Grafana stack, custom business metrics

🔒 DATA & COMPLIANCE INFRASTRUCTURE (20 Modules)

Built Enterprise-Grade Data Platform with SOX Compliance

High-Throughput Data Connectors:

  • Developed 5 production data connectors for enterprise integrations
    • Snowflake Connector: Bi-directional sync, incremental updates, 100K+ records/day
    • GitHub Connector: Repository data, commits, PRs, issues, actions, security alerts
    • Linear Connector: Project management, issue tracking, sprint data, time tracking
    • Salesforce Connector: CRM data sync, lead/opportunity/account synchronization
    • Stripe Connector: Payment data, subscription events, revenue metrics

Technical Architecture:

  • Event-driven architecture with Kafka/Redis Streams for real-time data flow
  • Change Data Capture (CDC) for incremental updates, reducing data transfer by 95%
  • Schema evolution: Backward/forward compatible schemas, version management
  • Error handling: Dead letter queues, retry logic, data validation, reconciliation

SOX Compliance Engine (Go-Based):

  • Built custom compliance rule engine processing 50,000+ rules/day
  • Automated controls testing: Segregation of duties, access reviews, change management
  • Real-time violation detection with automatic alerting and remediation workflows
  • Audit-ready reporting: Executive dashboards, control effectiveness metrics, trend analysis

PS-SHA∞ Cryptographic Verification System:

  • Implemented blockchain-inspired infinite cascade hashing for immutable audit trails
  • Every infrastructure change → cryptographic hash → chained to previous state
  • Tamper detection: Any unauthorized change breaks hash chain → immediate alert
  • Genesis hash established → 5,937+ verified state transitions
  • Zero audit findings across all compliance reviews

Data Governance & Privacy:

  • Automated PII detection using ML models (NER + custom classifiers)
  • Data lineage tracking: Source → transformations → destination with full provenance
  • Retention policies: Automated data lifecycle management, GDPR compliance
  • Encryption: At-rest (AES-256), in-transit (TLS 1.3), field-level encryption for sensitive data

Compliance Achievements:

  • Zero audit findings in SOX compliance reviews (2 cycles completed)
  • 100% controls testing automation (previously 40% manual)
  • GDPR-ready: Data subject access requests automated (<48 hour fulfillment)
  • Audit trail: Complete immutable record of all data access and modifications

Business Impact:

  • 💼 Reduced compliance overhead from 120 hrs/month to 30 hrs/month (75% reduction)
  • 💼 Enabled enterprise sales: SOX compliance requirement satisfied for Fortune 500 prospects
  • 💼 Risk mitigation: Proactive violation detection prevented 47 potential compliance issues
  • 💼 Audit efficiency: External auditors reduced fieldwork time by 60%

🌐 HARDWARE & EDGE AI (15 Modules)

Built Distributed Edge Computing Fleet for AI Inference

Edge Compute Infrastructure:

  • Orchestrated 3-node Raspberry Pi cluster (lucidia, blackroad-pi, alternate) + Jetson devices
  • Kubernetes edge deployment: K3s cluster with edge-optimized configurations
  • Geographic distribution: Home network cluster for local-first AI processing
  • Hardware specs: 12GB total RAM, 256GB storage, ARM64 architecture

IoT Integration & Communication:

  • Built MQTT-based messaging layer for device-to-device and device-to-cloud communication
  • Protocol support: MQTT, WebSockets, HTTP/2 for different latency/reliability needs
  • Message broker: Mosquitto with TLS encryption, authentication, ACL management
  • Device management: Automatic discovery, health monitoring, remote configuration

Pi-Cortex Stack (Custom Edge Runtime):

  • Developed edge-optimized AI inference runtime in Python + Rust
  • Model optimization: Quantization (INT8), pruning, knowledge distillation for edge deployment
  • Inference pipeline: Pre-processing → model execution → post-processing → result caching
  • Hardware acceleration: GPU acceleration on Jetson, CPU optimization on Raspberry Pi

Holographic Scene Control:

  • Real-time holographic projection control via MQTT commands
  • 3D scene rendering pipeline with dynamic lighting and object manipulation
  • Low-latency control: <50ms from command to visual update
  • Multi-device coordination: Synchronized displays across multiple projection surfaces

Performance Achievements:

  • <50ms latency for edge AI model inference (95th percentile)
  • 60% cost reduction vs cloud inference (savings on API calls)
  • 24/7 availability with automatic failover between edge nodes
  • Processed 1.2M+ inference requests locally in 6-month period

Edge AI Models Deployed:

  • Computer Vision: Object detection, face recognition, OCR (optimized YOLOv5, MobileNet)
  • NLP: Sentiment analysis, text classification (DistilBERT, quantized models)
  • Audio: Speech recognition, voice commands (Whisper-tiny, lightweight models)
  • Anomaly Detection: Time-series analysis, predictive maintenance

Business Value:

  • 💰 $12,000/year savings on cloud inference costs (eliminated 80% of cloud API calls)
  • 💰 Privacy compliance: Sensitive data processing at edge (HIPAA/GDPR friendly)
  • 💰 Offline capability: AI features work without internet connectivity
  • 💰 Reduced latency: 10x faster response time vs cloud round-trip

🔬 QUANTUM & RESEARCH (20 Modules)

Advanced Research Computing & Quantum Circuit Simulation

Quantum Computing Integration:

  • Integrated Qiskit and TorchQuantum frameworks for quantum algorithm development
  • IBM Quantum hardware access: Ran experiments on real quantum processors (ibmq_manila, ibmq_quito)
  • Circuit simulation: Developed quantum circuit simulators for algorithm prototyping
  • Quantum algorithms implemented: Grover's search, Shor's factorization, VQE, QAOA

Research Projects:

1. Distributed Collatz Conjecture Verifier

  • Built distributed system testing Collatz conjecture for large integers
  • Verification range: Tested 10^18 to 10^20 (trillions of numbers)
  • Architecture: Master-worker pattern, work queue, result aggregation
  • Performance: 1M+ verifications/second across distributed cluster
  • Result: No counterexamples found (contributes to mathematical knowledge base)

2. C-Based Linear Algebra Library

  • Developed high-performance linear math library in C for scientific computing
  • Operations: Matrix multiplication, decomposition (LU, QR, SVD), eigenvalue computation
  • Optimizations: SIMD vectorization (AVX2), cache-friendly algorithms, parallel execution
  • Benchmarks: 3-5x faster than naive implementations, competitive with BLAS

3. Scientific Computing Tools

  • Numerical methods: ODE/PDE solvers, finite element analysis, Monte Carlo simulation
  • Visualization: Real-time plotting libraries for scientific data analysis
  • HPC integration: MPI support for multi-node computation

Technical Impact:

  • 📚 Published algorithms now used in 3 external research projects
  • 📚 Linear algebra library: 500+ GitHub stars, adopted by university research lab
  • 📚 Quantum simulation: Contributed findings to open quantum computing community
  • 📚 Educational value: Tools used in teaching computational mathematics

Research Collaboration:

  • Active contributor to Qiskit open-source community (12 merged PRs)
  • Collaboration with academic researchers on quantum algorithm optimization
  • Technical advisor for 2 graduate student research projects

💼 TECHNICAL LEADERSHIP & OPERATIONS

Repository & Code Management:

  • Managed 66+ repositories across 15 GitHub organizations
  • Organizational structure: blackboxprogramming (primary), BlackRoad-Inc, specialized orgs
  • Code review culture: All changes peer-reviewed, automated quality gates
  • Documentation: README, CONTRIBUTING, API docs for every repository
  • Open source: 12 public repositories with MIT/Apache licenses

Version Control Excellence:

  • 5,937 verified commits with PS-SHA∞ cryptographic signatures
  • Atomic commits: Single logical change per commit, clear commit messages
  • Branch strategy: Git Flow with protected main/develop branches
  • CI integration: Automated testing on every commit, branch protection rules
  • Code archaeology: Full history preservation, blame tracking, git bisect for debugging

Operational Documentation:

  • TRUTH_SYSTEM.md: 47-page document defining hierarchical truth verification architecture
  • INFRASTRUCTURE_INVENTORY.md: Complete inventory of all servers, services, credentials, configs
  • CLOUDFLARE_INFRA.md: Multi-service Cloudflare management guide (Pages, Workers, KV, D1, DNS)
  • ACCESS_AUDIT.md: Security and access control framework, credential rotation procedures
  • RUNBOOKS: 23 operational runbooks for common incidents and maintenance tasks

Security & Access Management:

  • Multi-factor authentication (MFA) enforced across all critical systems
  • API key rotation: Automated 90-day rotation for all service credentials
  • OAuth flows: Implemented OAuth 2.0 for third-party integrations
  • Principle of least privilege: Role-based access control (RBAC) across all systems
  • Security scanning: Dependabot, Snyk, CodeQL for vulnerability detection

Monitoring & Incident Response:

  • 24/7 monitoring: Uptime Robot, PagerDuty, custom health checks
  • Incident response: <5 minute acknowledgment, <30 minute initial triage
  • Post-mortem culture: Blameless post-mortems for all incidents, action item tracking
  • MTTR: Mean Time To Recovery averaging 6.4 minutes

Technical Achievements Summary:

  • 🏆 99.9% uptime across all production services (8-month track record)
  • 🏆 Zero security breaches, zero data leaks, zero compliance violations
  • 🏆 5,937+ verified commits with immutable audit trail
  • 🏆 66+ repositories with comprehensive documentation and CI/CD
  • 🏆 15 GitHub organizations managed with enterprise-grade security

SECURIAN FINANCIAL — Internal Annuity Wholesaler / Senior Sales Analyst

St. Paul, MN • Jul 2024 Jun 2025

Competitive internal wholesaler role supporting 24,000-advisor distribution network. Drove $26.8M in annuity sales while pioneering CRM automation and financial engineering initiatives. Selected for high-visibility conference presentations and due diligence responsibilities.


💰 SALES PERFORMANCE & TERRITORY GROWTH

Revenue Achievement:

  • Closed $26.8M in annuity sales across 11-month period (Jul 2024 - May 2025)
  • 92% of annual quota attainment in first year (industry avg: 65% for Year 1)
  • Average deal size: $180K (range: $25K - $2.5M)
  • Product mix: 45% fixed indexed annuities, 35% variable annuities, 20% fixed annuities

Territory Expansion:

  • Drove +38% year-over-year growth in assigned Midwest territory
  • Expanded advisor relationships from 120 to 310 active producers (+158% growth)
  • Penetrated 4 new IMOs (Independent Marketing Organizations) generating $4.2M new pipeline
  • Cross-sell success: 35% of customers purchased additional products within 6 months

Conversion Metrics:

  • 15% close rate on qualified opportunities (team average: 6%)
  • 42% quote-to-application conversion (industry benchmark: 25%)
  • 28% demo-to-proposal conversion through consultative selling
  • Average sales cycle: 18 days (reduced from 45-day baseline)

Pipeline Management:

  • Built and managed $40M+ pipeline across 850+ opportunities
  • Pipeline velocity: $3.2M/month in new opportunities generated
  • Weighted pipeline: $12.4M at 50%+ probability
  • Win rate: 62% on competitive deals (vs 3-4 competitors)

Strategic Account Development:

  • Identified 47 "whale" advisors managing $500M+ AUM
  • Converted 12 strategic accounts → $8.9M in sales (33% of total)
  • Built executive relationships with 8 RIA firms for enterprise distribution

🎤 STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP & THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

LPL Due Diligence Presenter:

  • Selected as primary presenter for 24,000-advisor LPL Financial network
  • Presented to due diligence committees evaluating Securian product lineup
  • Delivered technical presentations on product features, underwriting, compliance
  • Result: Securian products approved for LPL platform → $50M+ distribution opportunity

2024 Winter Sales Conference — Keynote Speaker:

  • Delivered 2 keynote presentations to 450+ attendees (internal wholesalers, regional VPs)
  • Topic 1: "Salesforce Automation: From 3,000 Errors to Zero" — Technical case study
  • Topic 2: "KPI Optimization Through Data-Driven Sales" — Analytics framework
  • Audience feedback score: 4.8/5.0 (highest rated session at conference)
  • Post-conference: Consulted with 6 regional teams on implementing automation strategies

Process Innovation Leadership:

  • Led cross-functional task force (Sales Ops, IT, Compliance) on CRM transformation
  • Presented business case to SVP Sales: Projected $2.4M annual productivity gains
  • Championed adoption of click-to-dial technology across 85-person sales organization
  • Change management: Trained 45 wholesalers on new automation workflows

Industry Visibility:

  • Quoted in internal "Wholesaler Excellence" newsletter (3 features)
  • Mentored 4 junior wholesalers on consultative selling techniques
  • Contributed to product development: Provided advisor feedback influencing 2 product enhancements

🔧 CRM AUTOMATION & DATA QUALITY

Salesforce Transformation Initiative:

Problem Statement:

  • Salesforce contained 3,000+ data quality errors (duplicates, missing fields, invalid data)
  • Manual data entry consuming 15 hours/week per wholesaler
  • Pipeline reporting unreliable due to data inconsistency
  • Lost opportunities due to delayed follow-up (no automated reminders)

Solution Architected:

  • Click-to-dial automation: Integrated RingCentral with Salesforce for one-click calling
  • Record cleanup workflows: Built automated deduplication and data validation rules
  • Activity capture: Automatic call logging, email tracking, meeting notes sync
  • Smart workflows: Automated task creation based on deal stage, reminders, escalations

Technical Implementation:

  • Salesforce Flow Builder: 23 automated workflows, 47 validation rules
  • Apex triggers: Custom code for complex business logic (e.g., territory assignment)
  • API integrations: RingCentral API, Outlook API, LinkedIn Sales Navigator
  • Data migration: Cleaned 15,000+ records, merged 890 duplicates, enriched 4,200+ incomplete records

Results Achieved:

  • 3,000 errors → 0 errors (100% data quality improvement)
  • 15 hrs/week → 3 hrs/week in manual data entry (80% time savings)
  • 25% increase in rep productivity (more selling time, less admin)
  • Pipeline forecast accuracy: 92% (up from 67%)
  • Response time: <2 hours for inbound leads (down from 18 hours)

Adoption & Scalability:

  • Trained 85 wholesalers on new automation workflows
  • Created video tutorials, quick reference guides, FAQ documentation
  • Led 12 "office hours" sessions for troubleshooting and optimization
  • Expansion: Automation framework rolled out to 3 additional business units

Recognition:

  • Featured in Securian's "Innovation Spotlight" internal case study
  • SVP Sales commendation for "transformative impact on sales operations"
  • Invited to present at Securian Technology Summit (200+ IT professionals)

📊 FINANCIAL ENGINEERING & ANALYTICS

Rate Calculator — Dynamic Pricing Model:

Business Challenge:

  • Annuity pricing highly sensitive to interest rates, equity markets, inflation
  • Manual rate updates (bi-weekly) were time-consuming and error-prone
  • Advisors needed real-time competitive pricing for client proposals
  • Delayed pricing updates cost estimated $1.2M annually in lost sales

Solution Built:

  • Developed Excel-based automated pricing model with live data feeds
  • Integrated data sources:
    • Bond yields: 10-year Treasury via FRED API (Federal Reserve Economic Data)
    • Inflation: CPI data via Bureau of Labor Statistics API
    • Equity: S&P 500 returns via Yahoo Finance API
    • Competitive rates: Web scraping of competitor rate sheets (12 competitors)

Model Features:

  • Real-time pricing: Rates update automatically every 4 hours during market hours
  • Scenario analysis: "What-if" modeling for rate changes, market volatility
  • Competitive positioning: Side-by-side comparison with top 12 competitors
  • Historical trends: 5-year rate history with predictive forecasting (ARIMA model)
  • Advisor tools: One-click export to client proposal template

Technical Implementation:

  • Excel + VBA: 2,400 lines of VBA code, Power Query for API integration
  • Data validation: Automated error checking, outlier detection, data quality alerts
  • Performance: Sub-second recalculation across 450+ product SKUs
  • Distribution: Deployed to 85 wholesalers via SharePoint with auto-update

Business Impact:

  • 💵 $2.8M additional revenue attributed to faster pricing (6-month period)
  • 💵 2-day reduction in average quote turnaround time
  • 💵 18% increase in quote volume (easier for advisors to generate quotes)
  • 💵 Competitive win rate: +12% (better pricing intelligence)

Competitive Analysis Dashboard:

  • Built automated dashboard tracking 12 competitor products across 8 key metrics
  • Alert system: Email notifications when competitor changes rates (daily monitoring)
  • Market intelligence: Identified competitor pricing patterns, seasonal trends
  • Strategic value: Informed product management team on competitive positioning

Decision Support Tools:

  • Created financial projection calculators used by 50+ advisors for client presentations
  • Retirement income analysis: Monte Carlo simulation for portfolio sustainability
  • Tax efficiency modeling: Comparing annuities vs alternatives (bonds, CDs, mutual funds)
  • Advisor feedback: 4.7/5.0 average rating on tool usability and value

Analytics Leadership:

  • Designed KPI dashboard for sales leadership (pipeline, conversion, quota attainment)
  • Cohort analysis: Identified high-performing advisor profiles for targeted recruiting
  • Predictive modeling: Built logistic regression model predicting close probability (78% accuracy)
  • Data storytelling: Monthly analytics presentations to Regional VP team

AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL — Financial Advisor / Advisor in Training

Minneapolis, MN • Aug 2023 May 2024

Accelerated through advisor training program, achieving #1 ranking on training team within 90 days. Combined systematic prospecting with workflow automation to deliver 400% pipeline growth potential. Earned prestigious Thought-Leadership Award for process innovation.


📈 BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT & PIPELINE GROWTH

Pipeline Expansion & Growth Strategy:

  • Identified $14M pipeline gap in inherited client base through comprehensive portfolio analysis
  • Developed multi-channel acquisition strategy: referrals (40%), cold calling (30%), networking (20%), digital (10%)
  • Generated $18.6M new pipeline400% GDC (Gross Dealer Concession) growth potential
  • Segmented prospects into 4 tiers based on AUM potential, engagement level, product fit

Asset Risk Mitigation:

  • Conducted risk assessment across 120-client inherited book
  • Identified $8.4M at-risk assets (clients approaching age milestones, life events, competitor pressure)
  • Proactive outreach campaign: Personalized financial reviews, product recommendations, relationship deepening
  • Reduced at-risk assets by 50% ($4.2M retained) through strategic intervention
  • Client retention rate: 94% (company avg: 82% for new advisors)

Prospecting Performance:

  • Completed 2,400+ outbound calls over 9-month period (avg: 267 calls/month)
  • 10% appointment conversion rate (company avg: 5% for trainees)
  • Call metrics: 45-minute avg call time, 72% contact rate, 3.2 touches to conversion
  • Multi-channel approach: Phone + email + LinkedIn InMail for warm-up sequences

Sales Execution:

  • #1 ranking on training team within first 90 days (cohort of 12 advisors)
  • Closed $4.8M in new assets during training period
  • Product mix: 40% managed accounts, 35% insurance, 25% annuities
  • Cross-sell ratio: 2.4 products per client (company target: 1.8)

Strategic Prospecting Tactics:

  • Built referral system: 28% of clients provided qualified referrals (3x company avg)
  • Identified niche market: Healthcare professionals (doctors, dentists) → specialized financial planning
  • Created educational seminars: "Financial Planning for Medical Professionals" (15 attendees/session)
  • Result: 35% seminar-to-appointment conversion, 20% close rate on seminar leads

🏆 PROCESS AUTOMATION & THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

Sales Training Thought-Leadership Award:

  • Earned prestigious company-wide award for workflow automation innovation
  • Recognized for "exceptional contribution to sales training excellence and operational efficiency"
  • 1 of 8 awards given annually across 12,000+ advisor organization

Call Note Automation System:

Problem Identified:

  • Advisors spending 1-2 minutes per call manually typing CRM notes
  • Inconsistent note quality leading to poor follow-up, compliance risk
  • Lost productivity: 2,400 calls/year × 1.5 min = 60 hours/year wasted per advisor

Solution Developed:

  • Created templated call note system with pre-filled fields, dropdown menus
  • Integrated with Salesforce for automatic population of client data, call reason, next steps
  • Voice-to-text functionality: Dictate notes directly into CRM during call
  • Smart categorization: Automatic tagging of topics discussed (retirement, insurance, estate planning)

Results & Adoption:

  • ⏱️ 1-2 minutes → 15 seconds per call (87% time savings)
  • ⏱️ 40 hours/month saved across training team (12 advisors)
  • ⏱️ Consistency: 100% of calls logged with complete notes (up from 65%)
  • ⏱️ Compliance: Zero note-related compliance findings (down from 3-4/year)

Knowledge Transfer:

  • Presented automation system at National Advisor Training Conference (450 attendees)
  • Created training materials: Video tutorial, quick-start guide, FAQ document
  • Trained 12 peer advisors on implementation, customization
  • Adoption: System rolled out to 3 regional training programs (150+ advisors)

🤝 CLIENT RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT

Portfolio Management:

  • Managed 85+ client relationships with personalized financial planning approach
  • Client demographics: 45% pre-retirees (age 55-65), 35% retirees (65+), 20% accumulation (35-54)
  • Average portfolio size: $420K (range: $50K - $2.8M)
  • Client meeting cadence: Quarterly reviews for top tier, semi-annual for others

Financial Planning Expertise:

  • Comprehensive plans created: Retirement income, tax planning, estate planning, insurance analysis
  • Software proficiency: Naviplan (financial planning), Morningstar (investment research), eMoney (client portal)
  • Holistic approach: Coordinated with CPAs, estate attorneys, insurance specialists for integrated planning

Product Knowledge & Recommendations:

  • Expert-level proficiency across all Ameriprise product lines:
    • Annuities: Fixed, variable, indexed — matching products to risk tolerance and income needs
    • Mutual Funds: Asset allocation, tax-efficient investing, rebalancing strategies
    • Insurance: Life, disability, long-term care — needs analysis and product selection
    • Estate Planning: Trusts, beneficiary planning, legacy planning

Client Satisfaction & Retention:

  • Client satisfaction score: 92% (measured via quarterly surveys)
  • Net Promoter Score (NPS): 68 (industry excellent: 50+)
  • Referral rate: 28% of clients provided qualified referrals
  • Zero client complaints, zero compliance issues

Compliance Excellence:

  • 100% compliance record across all client interactions, transactions, documentation
  • Suitability reviews: Every recommendation documented with needs analysis, product comparison
  • Regulatory knowledge: Series 7, 66, insurance licenses — all maintained in good standing
  • Compliance audits: 3 internal audits conducted, zero findings

Value-Added Services:

  • Monthly market commentary emails to all clients (45% open rate)
  • Quarterly educational webinars on financial planning topics (avg 25 attendees)
  • Tax season support: Coordinated with CPAs on tax-efficient strategies
  • Life event support: Proactive outreach during client life changes (retirement, inheritance, etc.)

EXP REALTY — Real Estate Agent (Pemberton Homes Team)

Remote • Aug 2022 Aug 2023

Delivered high-performance real estate services on competitive team, leveraging negotiation expertise and systematic prospecting to achieve 10% conversion rate on cold outreach.

Negotiation & Deal Structuring:

  • Structured competitive offers using escalation clauses to win bidding wars (72% success rate)
  • Strategic use of appraisal contingencies to protect clients while remaining competitive
  • Negotiated $847K total savings for buyer clients through skillful price reductions
  • Dual agency experience: Represented both buyer and seller in 4 transactions

Lead Generation & Conversion:

  • Maintained 10% conversion rate on 1,000+ cold calls to FSBO (For Sale By Owner) and expired listings
  • Call strategy: Value proposition focused on market expertise, pricing strategy, marketing reach
  • CRM discipline: All prospects tracked in KW Command, systematic follow-up sequences
  • Multi-touch approach: Phone + email + direct mail for maximum engagement

Market Analysis & Pricing:

  • Conducted 30+ Comparative Market Analyses (CMAs) for pricing strategy
  • Market expertise: Minneapolis-St Paul metro, southern suburbs (Lakeville, Burnsville, Apple Valley)
  • Pricing accuracy: 96% of listings sold within 5% of list price
  • Market timing: Average days on market: 14 days (market avg: 28 days)

Client Acquisition & Pipeline:

  • Built personal pipeline of 40+ qualified buyers and sellers through networking and referrals
  • Sphere of influence marketing: Monthly newsletters, market updates, personal touches
  • Referral rate: 35% of transactions came from referrals and repeat clients
  • Client satisfaction: 4.9/5 average rating on Zillow, Google reviews

Transaction Management:

  • Managed 18 transactions from contract to close (14 buyer-side, 4 listing-side)
  • Total transaction volume: $4.2M over 12-month period
  • Transaction coordination: Worked with lenders, title companies, inspectors, contractors
  • Close rate: 94% (contracts to successful close)

Real Estate Skills:

  • MLS proficiency: Advanced search, market reports, listing management
  • Contract expertise: Purchase agreements, addendums, contingencies, disclosures
  • Marketing: Professional photography, virtual tours, social media advertising
  • Technology: DocuSign, Dotloop, KW Command CRM, Matterport virtual tours

ENTERPRISE HOLDINGS — Customer Experience Representative

Bloomington, MN • Jun 2019 Aug 2019

Summer position demonstrating early sales excellence and customer service capabilities.

Upsell Performance:

  • Achieved 63% upsell conversion rate on vehicle upgrades and add-ons (highest in region)
  • Product mix: Premium vehicles (40%), insurance/CDW (30%), GPS/accessories (30%)
  • Average upsell value: $38 per transaction (region avg: $22)

Sales Recognition:

  • Three monthly sales awards in 3-month period (awarded to top 10% of representatives)
  • Regional ranking: #4 out of 85 representatives in upsell performance (Q2 2019)
  • Perfect attendance, zero customer complaints

Customer Satisfaction:

  • Maintained 95%+ CSAT scores while driving revenue growth
  • Balanced approach: Customer needs first, strategic upselling second
  • Problem resolution: Handled 20+ challenging situations with positive outcomes

Process Improvement:

  • Developed upsell scripts adopted by 20+ team members
  • Script features: Benefits-focused language, objection handling, assumptive close
  • Training contribution: Mentored 3 new hires on upsell techniques

TECHNICAL SKILLS & EXPERTISE

Programming Languages & Frameworks

Expert Level (Production Experience):

  • Python: FastAPI, Django, Pandas, NumPy, Scikit-learn, Pytest — 50K+ LOC
  • TypeScript/JavaScript: Next.js 16, React 18, Node.js, Express — 80K+ LOC
  • Go: Microservices, CLI tools, concurrency patterns — 15K+ LOC
  • Bash: Infrastructure automation, deployment scripts, system administration — 10K+ LOC
  • SQL: PostgreSQL, complex queries, query optimization, database design — Advanced

Proficient:

  • C: Systems programming, linear algebra library, performance optimization
  • Python Data Science: Jupyter, Matplotlib, Seaborn, statistical analysis
  • GraphQL: Schema design, resolvers, Apollo Server
  • HTML/CSS: Semantic HTML5, CSS Grid/Flexbox, responsive design

AI & Machine Learning

LLM & AI Orchestration:

  • Claude API (Anthropic): Production integrations, streaming, function calling, prompt engineering
  • OpenAI API (GPT-4/3.5): Chat completions, embeddings, fine-tuning
  • LangChain: Agent frameworks, chains, memory systems, tool integration
  • Anthropic SDK: Official Python/TypeScript SDKs, best practices
  • Vector Databases: Pinecone, Chroma, pgvector for semantic search

ML Frameworks & Tools:

  • TensorFlow/Keras: Neural network architectures, model training
  • PyTorch: Deep learning, transfer learning, model optimization
  • Scikit-learn: Classification, regression, clustering, pipelines
  • Hugging Face: Transformers, model deployment, fine-tuning
  • Model Optimization: Quantization (INT8), pruning, ONNX conversion

Quantum Computing:

  • Qiskit: Quantum circuit design, algorithm implementation, IBM Quantum hardware
  • TorchQuantum: Quantum machine learning, variational circuits

Frontend Development

Modern Web Stack:

  • Next.js 16: App Router, Server Components, Server Actions, Streaming SSR
  • React 18: Hooks, Context, Concurrent Features, Suspense, Error Boundaries
  • Tailwind CSS 4: Utility-first design, custom themes, responsive layouts
  • State Management: Zustand, Redux Toolkit, Jotai, React Query (TanStack)
  • UI Libraries: shadcn/ui, Radix UI, Headless UI, Lucide Icons

Real-Time & Interactive:

  • WebSockets: Real-time chat, live updates, bi-directional communication
  • Streaming: Server-Sent Events (SSE), chunked transfer encoding
  • Animation: Framer Motion, CSS animations, micro-interactions

Backend Development

API & Microservices:

  • FastAPI: Async endpoints, Pydantic validation, OpenAPI docs, WebSocket support
  • Node.js/Express: RESTful APIs, middleware, authentication, error handling
  • API Design: RESTful principles, OpenAPI 3.0, versioning, rate limiting
  • Authentication: JWT, OAuth 2.0, session management, RBAC

Databases & Data:

  • PostgreSQL: Advanced queries, indexes, performance tuning, replication
  • SQLite/D1: Embedded databases, Cloudflare D1 for edge data
  • Redis: Caching, pub/sub, rate limiting, session storage
  • Snowflake: Data warehousing, ETL, analytics queries
  • Data Modeling: ERD design, normalization, denormalization strategies

DevOps & Infrastructure

Containerization & Orchestration:

  • Docker: Dockerfile optimization, multi-stage builds, Docker Compose
  • Kubernetes: Deployments, Services, ConfigMaps, Secrets, HPA, Ingress
  • K3s: Lightweight K8s for edge and development environments

Infrastructure as Code:

  • Terraform: 89 production modules, state management, workspaces
  • Cloudflare: Pages, Workers, KV, D1, DNS, CDN configuration
  • Railway: PostgreSQL, Redis, auto-deployment, environment management

CI/CD & Automation:

  • GitHub Actions: 437 workflows, matrix builds, caching, secrets management
  • Git: Advanced workflows, rebasing, cherry-picking, bisect, submodules
  • Automation: Bash scripting, Python automation, cron jobs, webhooks

Cloud Platforms & Services

Cloudflare (Expert):

  • Pages: 8 production deployments, custom domains, redirects, headers
  • Workers: Serverless functions, edge computing, KV integration
  • KV: Key-value storage, 8 namespaces, TTL management
  • D1: SQLite at edge, migrations, replication
  • DNS: 16 zones, DNSSEC, load balancing, failover
  • CDN: Cache rules, purge strategies, image optimization

Railway (Expert):

  • 12+ production projects, PostgreSQL, Redis, auto-scaling
  • Environment variables, health checks, custom domains
  • Cost optimization, resource management

DigitalOcean:

  • VPS management, firewall rules, backups, monitoring
  • Load balancers, block storage, snapshots

AWS (Familiarity):

  • EC2, S3, Lambda, RDS, CloudFront, Route 53

Security & Compliance

Security Practices:

  • PS-SHA∞: Custom cryptographic verification system for immutable audit trails
  • Authentication: Multi-factor (MFA), OAuth 2.0, JWT, API keys
  • Encryption: TLS 1.3, AES-256, field-level encryption, secrets management
  • Vulnerability Scanning: Dependabot, Snyk, CodeQL, penetration testing

Compliance & Auditing:

  • SOX Compliance: Controls testing automation, audit trail, segregation of duties
  • GDPR: Data subject access requests, right to erasure, privacy by design
  • Audit Logging: Comprehensive activity logs, tamper detection, retention policies
  • Access Control: RBAC, principle of least privilege, credential rotation

Data & Analytics

Data Engineering:

  • ETL Pipelines: Extract-Transform-Load for Snowflake, PostgreSQL
  • Data Connectors: Custom connectors for GitHub, Linear, Salesforce, Stripe
  • Change Data Capture (CDC): Real-time data sync, incremental updates
  • Data Quality: Validation rules, deduplication, reconciliation

Analytics & BI:

  • Excel: Advanced formulas, VBA (2,400 LOC), Power Query, pivot tables
  • Data Visualization: Dashboards, KPI tracking, trend analysis
  • Statistical Analysis: Regression, hypothesis testing, A/B testing
  • Predictive Modeling: Logistic regression, time series forecasting (ARIMA)

Business & CRM Tools

Salesforce (Expert):

  • Flow Builder, Apex triggers, validation rules, custom objects
  • API integrations (REST/SOAP), data migration, deduplication
  • Reporting: Custom reports, dashboards, forecasting
  • Automation: Workflows, Process Builder, click-to-dial integration

Project Management:

  • Linear: Issue tracking, sprint planning, roadmap management
  • GitHub Projects: Kanban boards, automation, milestones
  • Notion: Documentation, wikis, knowledge management

Communication:

  • Slack: Workspace administration, bot integration, workflows
  • Zoom: Webinars, screen sharing, recording, breakout rooms

Hardware & IoT

Edge Computing:

  • Raspberry Pi: Cluster orchestration, K3s deployment, GPIO programming
  • NVIDIA Jetson: AI inference, CUDA optimization, TensorRT
  • MQTT: IoT messaging, pub/sub patterns, broker configuration (Mosquitto)
  • IoT Protocols: HTTP/2, WebSockets, CoAP, MQTT

CASE STUDIES — MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS

🏗️ Case Study 1: Zero-to-Production AI Platform (BlackRoad OS)

Challenge: Build production-grade enterprise AI operating system from scratch with cognitive orchestration, multi-cloud infrastructure, SOX compliance, and self-healing capabilities.

Approach:

  1. Architecture Design (Weeks 1-4):

    • Designed microservices architecture with 23 services, clear boundaries
    • Selected technology stack: Next.js, FastAPI, PostgreSQL, Redis, Kubernetes
    • Created PS-SHA∞ verification system for immutable audit trails
  2. Infrastructure Foundation (Weeks 5-12):

    • Built 89 Terraform modules for multi-cloud orchestration
    • Deployed 17 Kubernetes configurations with auto-scaling
    • Established CI/CD pipeline with 437 automated workflows
  3. AI Orchestration Layer (Weeks 13-24):

    • Developed Lucidia AI Engine managing 76 autonomous agents
    • Integrated Claude/GPT APIs with streaming, function calling
    • Built agent framework with state management, error handling
  4. Enterprise Features (Weeks 25-32):

    • Created 2,119 API endpoints across 79 domains (Finance, CRM, HR, IT)
    • Implemented SOX compliance engine with automated controls testing
    • Built 5 data connectors for enterprise integrations (Snowflake, GitHub, Linear)

Results:

  • 466,408 LOC production system deployed across 16 zones
  • 99.9% uptime achieved from day one
  • 40% cloud cost reduction through intelligent optimization
  • Zero security incidents, zero compliance violations
  • $2M+ ARR potential through complete API product offering

Key Lessons:

  • Infrastructure-as-Code from day one prevents technical debt
  • Automated testing (437 CI/CD workflows) enables rapid iteration
  • PS-SHA∞ verification system provided confidence for aggressive deployment pace

💰 Case Study 2: $26.8M Sales Performance (Securian Financial)

Challenge: As first-year internal wholesaler, achieve quota in competitive annuity market while supporting 24,000-advisor distribution network and pioneering CRM automation.

Approach:

  1. Territory Analysis (Month 1):

    • Segmented 24,000 advisors into tiers based on AUM, product affinity, engagement
    • Identified 120 high-potential advisors for focused cultivation
    • Built $40M+ pipeline across 850 opportunities
  2. Relationship Building (Months 2-6):

    • Systematic outreach: 200+ advisor meetings, 400+ discovery calls
    • Consultative selling: Needs analysis → product recommendation → proposal → close
    • Strategic account development: 12 "whale" accounts → $8.9M sales (33% total)
  3. CRM Transformation (Months 4-8):

    • Identified Salesforce pain points: 3,000 data errors, 15 hrs/week manual entry
    • Built automation: Click-to-dial, record cleanup, activity capture
    • Result: 3,000 → 0 errors, 80% time savings, 25% productivity increase
  4. Financial Engineering (Months 7-11):

    • Developed Excel rate calculator with live market data feeds
    • Enabled real-time competitive pricing, scenario analysis
    • Result: $2.8M additional revenue, 2-day faster quote turnaround

Results:

  • 💰 $26.8M total sales (92% quota in Year 1 vs 65% industry avg)
  • 💰 +38% territory growth year-over-year
  • 💰 15% close rate (2.5x team average)
  • 💰 $40M+ pipeline built and managed
  • 🎤 Selected as LPL Due Diligence presenter (24K advisor network)
  • 🏆 Winter Sales Conference keynote speaker (450 attendees)

Key Lessons:

  • Technology (CRM automation) + relationships = outsized results
  • Financial engineering (rate calculator) provides competitive advantage
  • Thought leadership (conference speaking) builds credibility and pipeline

🔧 Case Study 3: Salesforce Transformation (3,000 Errors to Zero)

Challenge: Salesforce CRM plagued by 3,000+ data quality errors, consuming 15 hrs/week per wholesaler in manual data entry, unreliable pipeline reporting, and delayed follow-up.

Approach:

  1. Problem Diagnosis (Week 1):

    • Audited Salesforce data: 890 duplicate records, 4,200 incomplete records, 2,000+ invalid fields
    • Surveyed 45 wholesalers: Pain points, workflow inefficiencies, feature requests
    • Calculated cost: 15 hrs/week × 85 people × $75/hr = $498K annual productivity loss
  2. Solution Design (Weeks 2-3):

    • Click-to-dial integration with RingCentral for one-click calling
    • Automated record cleanup workflows using Salesforce Flow Builder
    • Activity capture: Automatic call logging, email tracking, meeting sync
    • Smart workflows: Task creation, reminders, escalations based on deal stage
  3. Technical Implementation (Weeks 4-8):

    • Built 23 Salesforce Flows, 47 validation rules, custom Apex triggers
    • Integrated RingCentral API, Outlook API, LinkedIn Sales Navigator
    • Migrated data: Cleaned 15,000 records, merged duplicates, enriched incomplete data
    • Testing: UAT with 12-person pilot group, iteration based on feedback
  4. Rollout & Training (Weeks 9-12):

    • Created training materials: Video tutorials, quick-start guides, FAQ docs
    • Led 12 training sessions for 85 wholesalers (live + recorded)
    • Established support: Office hours, Slack channel, dedicated helpdesk
    • Change management: Executive sponsorship, success metrics, celebration

Results:

  • 3,000 errors → 0 errors (100% data quality improvement)
  • 15 hrs/week → 3 hrs/week manual data entry (80% time savings = $398K/year saved)
  • 25% productivity increase (more selling time vs admin time)
  • Pipeline forecast accuracy: 92% (up from 67%)
  • Response time: <2 hours for inbound leads (down from 18 hours)
  • 100% adoption across 85-person sales organization

Recognition:

  • 🏆 Featured in Securian "Innovation Spotlight" case study
  • 🏆 SVP Sales commendation for "transformative impact"
  • 🏆 Invited to present at Securian Technology Summit (200+ IT professionals)

Key Lessons:

  • Data quality is foundation for sales effectiveness
  • Automation frees sellers to focus on high-value activities (relationships, deals)
  • Change management and training critical for adoption
  • Quantify impact ($398K savings) to secure executive buy-in

🚀 Case Study 4: 40% Cloud Cost Reduction (Multi-Cloud Optimization)

Challenge: BlackRoad OS infrastructure costs growing rapidly with scale. Need to reduce cloud spend by 40% while maintaining 99.9% uptime and supporting growth.

Approach:

  1. Cost Analysis (Week 1):

    • Audited all cloud spending: Cloudflare ($1,200/mo), Railway ($3,800/mo), DigitalOcean ($600/mo)
    • Identified waste: Over-provisioned resources, idle services, inefficient data transfer
    • Baseline: $5,600/month total cloud spend
  2. Optimization Strategy (Week 2):

    • Auto-scaling policies: Scale down during off-peak (nights, weekends)
    • Reserved capacity: Committed use discounts for predictable baseline load
    • Edge caching: Cloudflare CDN to reduce origin requests
    • Edge inference: Raspberry Pi cluster to eliminate 80% of cloud AI API calls
    • Right-sizing: Match resource allocation to actual usage patterns
  3. Implementation (Weeks 3-8):

    • Auto-Scaling: Kubernetes HPA based on CPU/memory/custom metrics
      • Weekday scaling: 3-12 replicas based on load
      • Weekend scaling: 1-3 replicas (80% cost savings during low traffic)
    • Edge Caching: Configured Cloudflare CDN cache rules
      • Static assets: 30-day cache, 95% hit rate
      • API responses: 5-minute cache for high-traffic endpoints
      • Result: 85% reduction in origin requests
    • Edge AI: Deployed inference models to Raspberry Pi cluster
      • 80% of AI requests processed locally (no cloud API charges)
      • Savings: $12,000/year on cloud inference costs
    • Reserved Capacity: Railway reserved instances for baseline load
      • 30% discount on guaranteed minimum capacity
    • Database Optimization: Query optimization, connection pooling, read replicas
      • 60% reduction in database compute costs
  4. Monitoring & Iteration (Weeks 9-12):

    • Cost dashboards: Real-time spend tracking, anomaly detection
    • Performance monitoring: Ensure optimizations don't impact latency/reliability
    • Continuous tuning: Adjust scaling policies based on traffic patterns

Results:

  • 💰 $5,600/mo → $3,360/mo (40% reduction = $2,240/mo saved = $26,880/year)
  • 💰 Edge AI: $12,000/year additional savings on inference costs
  • 💰 Total annual savings: $38,880
  • 99.9% uptime maintained (no degradation in reliability)
  • Latency: <100ms p95 (no performance impact)
  • Scalability: Auto-scaling supports 10x traffic growth without manual intervention

Breakdown by Initiative:

  • Auto-scaling: $1,120/mo saved (weeknight/weekend scale-down)
  • Edge caching: $480/mo saved (reduced origin requests)
  • Edge AI: $1,000/mo saved (local inference vs cloud APIs)
  • Reserved capacity: $380/mo saved (committed use discounts)
  • Database optimization: $280/mo saved (query efficiency)

Key Lessons:

  • Auto-scaling provides immediate 20-30% savings with no downside
  • Edge computing (CDN + local AI) dramatically reduces data transfer and API costs
  • Reserved capacity makes sense for predictable baseline load
  • Continuous monitoring catches cost anomalies before they escalate

PUBLICATIONS, SPEAKING & THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

Conference Presentations

2024 Securian Winter Sales Conference | St. Paul, MN | December 2024

  • "From 3,000 Errors to Zero: A Salesforce Transformation Case Study"
  • "Data-Driven Sales: KPI Optimization for Wholesalers"
  • Keynote speaker to 450+ internal wholesalers and regional VPs
  • Audience feedback: 4.8/5.0 (highest rated session at conference)

LPL Financial Due Diligence Presentation | Multiple Cities | 2024-2025

  • "Securian Annuity Product Suite: Technical Deep Dive"
  • Primary presenter to due diligence committees across 24,000-advisor network
  • Result: Securian products approved for LPL platform → $50M+ distribution opportunity

Ameriprise National Advisor Training Conference | Minneapolis, MN | March 2024

  • "Call Note Automation: Saving 40 Hours/Month Through Workflow Innovation"
  • Presented workflow automation system earning Thought-Leadership Award
  • Attended by 450+ financial advisors and training staff

Securian Technology Summit | St. Paul, MN | October 2024

  • "CRM Automation for Sales Excellence"
  • Invited presenter to 200+ IT professionals on Salesforce transformation
  • Cross-functional audience: IT, Sales Ops, Compliance, Leadership

Awards & Recognition

🏆 Ameriprise Sales Training Thought-Leadership Award (2024)

  • Company-wide recognition for workflow automation innovation
  • 1 of 8 awards given annually across 12,000+ advisor organization
  • Criteria: Exceptional contribution to sales training excellence and operational efficiency

🥇 3× Enterprise Holdings Top Sales Award (2019)

  • Monthly recognition for top 10% upsell performance
  • Regional ranking: #4 out of 85 representatives (Q2 2019)
  • 63% upsell conversion rate (highest in region)

🎤 2024 Winter Sales Conference — Highest Rated Speaker (December 2024)

  • 4.8/5.0 audience feedback score (highest rated session)
  • 450+ attendee conference, 12 total speakers

📈 #1 Training Team Ranking — Ameriprise Financial (2024)

  • Achieved #1 ranking on training team within first 90 days
  • Cohort of 12 financial advisors in competitive training program

🗣️ National Speech & Debate — Minnesota State Finalist

  • Competitive speaking circuit finalist at state level
  • National tournament qualifier

Technical Writing & Documentation

BlackRoad OS Technical Documentation (2025)

  • TRUTH_SYSTEM.md: 47-page architectural document defining PS-SHA∞ verification system
  • INFRASTRUCTURE_INVENTORY.md: Comprehensive inventory of 66 repos, 15 orgs, all infrastructure
  • CLOUDFLARE_INFRA.md: Multi-service Cloudflare management guide (Pages, Workers, KV, D1, DNS)
  • ACCESS_AUDIT.md: Security and access control framework, credential rotation procedures
  • 23 Operational Runbooks: Incident response procedures for common scenarios

Open Source Contributions (2024-2025)

  • Qiskit: 12 merged pull requests to quantum computing framework
  • GitHub Discussions: Active contributor providing technical guidance to community
  • Stack Overflow: 47 answers, 890 reputation, focused on Python, Kubernetes, Terraform

Media & Features

Securian "Innovation Spotlight" Case Study (2024)

  • Featured case study on Salesforce transformation initiative
  • Distributed to 500+ sales and operations staff
  • Highlighted as example of technology-driven sales excellence

Securian "Wholesaler Excellence" Newsletter (2024-2025)

  • Quoted in 3 features on sales performance, automation, thought leadership
  • Monthly internal newsletter distributed to 200+ wholesaling organization

Mentorship & Teaching

Ameriprise Financial — Peer Training (2023-2024)

  • Trained 12 peer advisors on workflow automation and CRM efficiency
  • Led office hours sessions for troubleshooting and optimization
  • Created video tutorials, quick-start guides, FAQ documentation

Securian Financial — Knowledge Transfer (2024-2025)

  • Led 12 "office hours" sessions for Salesforce automation adoption
  • Consulted with 6 regional sales teams on implementing automation strategies
  • Mentored 4 junior wholesalers on consultative selling techniques

University Guest Lectures (2024)

  • Guest lecturer at University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management
  • Topic: "AI Orchestration and the Future of Enterprise Software"
  • Class: Technology Strategy and Innovation (MBA program)

STRATEGIC VALUE PROPOSITION

What Makes Me Unique?

The Rare Tri-Hybrid:

Most engineers can't sell. Most salespeople can't build. Almost nobody is FINRA-licensed with deep compliance expertise.

I do all three at enterprise scale.

What I Bring to Your Organization:

1. Technical Depth + Commercial Acumen

  • I architect production systems (466K LOC, 23 microservices) AND close enterprise deals ($26.8M)
  • I speak fluent C-suite (ROI, TCO, market positioning) AND fluent engineering (K8s, Terraform, distributed systems)
  • I understand what customers will buy, then build it with technical excellence

2. Speed of Execution

  • BlackRoad OS: Zero to production in 8 months (466K LOC, 99.9% uptime, zero incidents)
  • Salesforce transformation: 3,000 errors to zero in 8 weeks
  • Sales performance: #1 ranking in 90 days, $26.8M in 11 months

3. Compliance & Risk Management

  • Series 7/63/65 FINRA licenses → understand regulated industries intimately
  • SOX compliance expertise → zero audit findings across multiple cycles
  • PS-SHA∞ verification system → immutable audit trails for enterprise confidence

4. Thought Leadership & Communication

  • Conference keynote speaker (450+ attendees, 4.8/5.0 rating)
  • Award-winning innovator (Thought-Leadership Award)
  • Can present to technical teams AND executive boards with equal fluency

5. Systems Thinking + Business Impact

  • Every technical decision evaluated against commercial impact
  • Cost optimization: 40% cloud spend reduction while maintaining 99.9% uptime
  • Revenue enablement: CRM automation → $398K/year productivity gains → more deals closed

Ideal Roles:

VP of AI/ML Product — Lead product strategy for AI-powered enterprise software Head of Technical Sales / Solutions Engineering — Bridge engineering and revenue teams Chief Technology Officer (Growth-Stage) — Technical leadership for scaling startups Director of AI Orchestration — Build and scale cognitive AI systems Principal Solutions Architect — Design enterprise AI/ML solutions for customers Founder / Co-Founder (Technical) — Build AI-first products from zero to scale

What I'm Looking For:

Company Stage: Growth-stage startups (Series A-C) or innovative enterprises Industry: AI/ML, Enterprise SaaS, FinTech, RegTech, Developer Tools Role Type: Leadership position combining technical architecture and business impact Location: Remote-first or hybrid (Minneapolis-St Paul area) Culture: Fast-paced, high-autonomy, metrics-driven, customer-obsessed


EDUCATION

University of Minnesota Twin Cities

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Strategic Communication Advertising & Public Relations

Relevant Coursework:

  • Data Analytics & Consumer Insights
  • Consumer Psychology & Behavioral Economics
  • Strategic Planning & Campaign Development
  • Digital Marketing & Social Media Strategy
  • Marketing Research & Statistical Analysis
  • Public Relations & Crisis Communication

Extracurricular:

  • Speech & Debate Team (National qualifier, Minnesota State Finalist)
  • Student Government Association
  • Marketing Club (VP of Events)

PROFESSIONAL LICENSES & CERTIFICATIONS

FINRA Securities Licenses

Securities Industry Essentials (SIE) — Foundational securities knowledge Series 7 — General Securities Representative (full broker-dealer license) Series 66 — Uniform Combined State Law (combines Series 63 + 65)

  • Series 63: Uniform Securities Agent State Law
  • Series 65: Uniform Investment Adviser Law

Insurance Licenses

Life & Health Insurance License — Minnesota state license Annuities Certified — Variable and fixed annuity products

Real Estate License

📋 Real Estate License — Minnesota (currently inactive)

Technical Certifications (Self-Study)

  • AWS Certified Solutions Architect — In progress (anticipated Q2 2026)
  • Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) — Studying (anticipated Q3 2026)

REFERENCES

Available upon request.

References include:

  • Executive leadership (SVP Sales, Regional VPs)
  • Technical collaborators (open source community, research partners)
  • Clients and customers (advisors, enterprise buyers)
  • Peers and direct reports (sales colleagues, technical team members)

📧 Primary Email: amundsonalexa@gmail.com 📧 Company Email: blackroad.systems@gmail.com 📞 Phone: (507) 828-0842 📍 Location: Lakeville, MN (Open to remote/hybrid)

💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/alexaamundson 💻 GitHub: @blackboxprogramming

  • 15 organizations managed
  • 66+ active repositories
  • 5,937+ verified commits

🌐 Portfolio Sites:

🚀 Live Products:


CLOSING STATEMENT

I build production AI systems that generate revenue.

Most engineers focus on technical elegance. Most salespeople focus on quota. I optimize for business impact — the intersection of technical excellence and commercial success.

My track record:

  • Built 466K LOC production platform achieving 99.9% uptime from day one
  • Closed $26.8M in enterprise sales while pioneering automation saving $398K/year
  • Earned FINRA licenses and navigated SOX compliance with zero audit findings
  • Spoke to audiences of 450+ on technical and commercial topics (4.8/5.0 rating)

What I'm looking for: An organization that values builders who can sell and sellers who can build. A role where technical depth meets commercial impact. A team that moves fast, measures everything, and obsesses over customer value.

What you get: Someone who can architect your AI platform, present it to your board, sell it to your customers, and ensure it complies with SOX/GDPR/industry regulations. All while shipping code daily and hitting revenue targets.

Let's build something extraordinary together.

Alexa Amundson amundsonalexa@gmail.com | (507) 828-0842


Resume last updated: December 22, 2025 Available for immediate start: January 2026 Open to: Full-time permanent, contract-to-hire (6+ month contracts) Location preference: Remote-first (open to quarterly travel for key meetings) Compensation expectations: Competitive base + equity (early-stage) OR performance bonus (growth-stage)


Specializations: AI Product Management • Enterprise SaaS Architecture • Revenue-Driving Engineering • Regulated Industry Expertise • Technical Sales Leadership • SOX Compliance • Multi-Cloud Infrastructure • Cognitive AI Orchestration