Software architect and full-stack engineer with 30 years of experience spanning enterprise systems, embedded platforms, web applications, and digital transformation. Deep expertise in JavaScript, React, Next.js, API design, and cloud-native architecture. Equally strong in the room as in the codebase — a proven leader who has managed 300+ volunteers, secured $200K+ in annual government funding, presented to executives and ministers, and rebuilt relationships where previous teams had failed. The person organisations send in when the problem seems unsolvable.
Core Technical Skills
Architecture & StrategySolution architecture, system design, technology roadmaps, API design, database architecture, microservices, distributed systems, modernization strategy
LanguagesJavaScript (expert since 1998), Python, TypeScript, PHP, Java, ActionScript 1-3, ColdFusion, ASP.NET, Bash, SQL
FrameworksNext.js, React, React Native, Angular, Node.js, Express, jQuery, SCSS/SASS
Cloud & InfrastructureAWS, Docker, Cloudflare Tunnels, CI/CD, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, Kubernetes, Linux administration, systemd
AI & MLLLM deployment (Ollama), agent frameworks, prompt engineering, model quantization, ARM64 optimization, MCP protocol
Leadership & ConsultingStakeholder management, technical mentorship, client workshops, funding proposals, brand strategy, event operations at scale
Professional Experience
- Selective consulting contracts and independent projects while staying current with AI, modern frameworks, and cloud-native development
- Built and deployed a production autonomous AI agent on a Raspberry Pi 5 that writes and publishes technical content (30+ articles), manages infrastructure via Cloudflare tunnels, deploys SaaS APIs, and operates GitHub CI/CD pipelines — demonstrating practical AI agent architecture on constrained hardware
- Developed mpv-synth, an open-source media player with frame interpolation, HDR colour management, and one-click browser streaming — 13 GitHub stars, actively maintained (Lua/Python, Tauri integration planned)
- Published technical articles on Dev.to covering AI agent architecture, local LLM deployment, ARM64 optimization, and edge computing — 369 views and growing
- Oversaw operations for a digital agency, managing project delivery, client relationships, and technical quality across multiple concurrent engagements
- Oversaw a video processing platform at Nickel Media that won an Interactive Media Emmy, managing the technical team and coordinating between developers, clients, and stakeholders through to delivery
- Led the migration of the video platform to Kubernetes for horizontal scaling, coordinating between the development team, CEO, and enterprise customers to ensure zero-downtime transition
- Streamlined development workflows and established version control strategy and coding standards across the team
- Maintained and enhanced a large-scale sports management platform serving leagues and organisations across North America
- Worked across the full stack — database, backend APIs, and JavaScript frontend — to deliver new features and resolve complex bugs in a live production system
- Founded and operated a retail computer store, securing approximately $60,000 in government funding through municipal and provincial business development programs
- Profitable from the first month of operation. Won The Coast's "Best Computer Store in Halifax" award in both 2014 and 2015
- Handled every aspect of the business — funding applications, lease negotiation, space renovation, inventory management, bookkeeping, and customer service
- Delegated operations to a business partner and employee when taking on full-time development work, eventually closing the store when it was no longer compatible with concurrent employment
- Delivered bespoke digital solutions for clients through a creative talent agency, leveraging 20+ years of development experience to match business needs with the right technology
- Produced and promoted music and comedy events ranging from small bar shows to multi-day festivals across Halifax
- Directed branding strategies, UI/UX design, and full-stack development for diverse marketing initiatives and brand activations
- Built products that won multiple Editor's Choice awards at CES Las Vegas 2012
- Developed interactive game frameworks and marketing campaigns for clients including the Atlantic Lottery Corporation (ALC AskAway, Sharpshooter)
- Led smart grid development projects for the utility sector, building systems for energy monitoring and management
- Developed embedded touchscreen systems and process mapping tools for enterprise clients
- Worked on-site at QNX (BlackBerry's embedded OS division) in Oshawa, Ontario, implementing the QNX API in a Porsche in-car touchscreen system — integrating BlackBerry devices seamlessly into the vehicle experience
- Integrated directly with QNX's development team: requesting changes to API nodes, reporting bugs, and ensuring the system operated with the reliability required for safety-critical automotive software (speedometers, instrumentation, in-vehicle infotainment)
- Navigated the constraints of embedded automotive development — limited resources, hard real-time requirements, and strict safety standards — while delivering a responsive user experience on the vehicle's touchscreen hardware
- Designed and developed 3D interactive educational software for K-12 science curriculum
- Built eCommerce platforms and content management systems for the education market
- Pioneered asynchronous web UI technologies using JavaScript in 2000-2001, building single-page web applications years before the term "SPA" existed
- Developed GIS/mapping software on ESRI ArcIMS and ArcGIS with functionality comparable to Google Maps, before Google Maps existed
- One of the earliest advocates for JavaScript as a primary development language, building data-driven web apps that updated without page reloads when most developers used JS only for image hover effects
- Specialised in Flash development, data modeling, and interactive web design for clients in the Vancouver market
- Built SQL Server and MS Access database systems with telephony integration for a transport logistics company
- Designed and implemented MS Access database systems for enterprise operations
Leadership & Stakeholder Management
Chairman of the Board — Halifax Pop Explosion (2008 — Jul 2015)
Led the board, staff, and stakeholders of a major 5-day music festival through a period of growth and revitalisation. Responsible for an office of ~20 staff, 300+ volunteers, nearly 100 bands in 170 performances, across 20 venues, for an audience of 30,000 attendees. Managed approximately $200,000 in annual government funding from tourism, entertainment, education, culture, and heritage bodies at municipal, provincial, and federal levels. Built and maintained long-standing corporate sponsorship partnerships, designed brand activations that delivered value for sponsors, and served as spokesperson with media, public, and government. Known as the person brought in to solve the hardest problems — rebuilding relationships with partners and stakeholders where previous situations had gone wrong.
Chairman of the Board — Collide Conference (May 2012 — Jul 2015)
Ran a technology conference in partnership with FITC, offering seminars on every aspect of the digital workspace from coding to marketing. Designed and built the scheduling system that coordinated nearly 50 music industry professionals taking over 500 individual meetings with nearly 100 musicians and music-adjacent businesses across 2 days. The logistics of scheduling that volume of meetings efficiently was a custom system of my own design.
Board of Directors — Music Nova Scotia, East Coast Music Association, Halifax Urban Folk Festival, Gridlock Festival, The Halifax Council for the Arts
Notable Clients
Toyota, Subaru, Marriott, Haynes, EON-Energy, Ace Hardware, Atlantic Lottery Corporation, Nova Scotia Liquor Commission, Nike, Peterbilt Trucks, Research In Motion (BlackBerry), QNX, Porsche
Selected Projects
mpv-synth — Open-source media player (
github.com/AJCrowley/mpv-synth)
A modern media player built in Lua and Python featuring frame interpolation, automatic HDR colour management, a filmstrip timeline, and one-click browser streaming. Tauri integration planned for a future release. 13 stars on GitHub, actively maintained.
Autonomous AI Agent on Raspberry Pi 5 (
github.com/AJCrowley/arm-pi-ai-optimization)
Production AI agent running on ARM64 hardware (8GB Pi 5) that autonomously manages email, writes and publishes technical articles, deploys SaaS applications, monitors services, and maintains infrastructure through Cloudflare tunnels. Demonstrates practical agent architecture, context window management, and task decomposition on constrained hardware with quantized LLMs.
Domain Availability SaaS & API
Full-stack SaaS application with Next.js frontend and Express API backend, performing real-time domain availability checking across 500+ TLDs using RDAP (the IETF replacement for WHOIS). Deployed on Raspberry Pi behind Cloudflare tunnels with zero infrastructure cost.
Education
Penwith College — Computer Science (1993 — 1996)