Michael R.

I build AI-powered applications and payment systems, with 20 years of hands-on experience across software engineering, infrastructure, cybersecurity, and FinTech. My current focus is AI/LLM development and payments, particularly projects where security, scalability, and real-world production requirements matter. **AI & LLM** • Agentic integrations using OpenAI and Claude • Lead developer of early AI memory application Memri.ai • AI/inference pipeline experience dating back to 2016 • Air-gapped open-weight/open-source LLM architectures for privacy-sensitive environments • Full-stack development of AI-enabled products and integrations **Payments & FinTech** • Direct experience with Stripe, Payscout, payment processing, ecommerce, and PayFac environments • PCI-DSS, SOC 1, and SOC 2 experience • Payment APIs, backend systems, infrastructure, and security architecture • Experience spanning FinTech startups through enterprise environments **Engineering** 20 years across full-stack development, APIs, cloud infrastructure, DevOps, networking, and cybersecurity. 9+ years AWS. Former EVP Technology, CTO, and Lead Developer. I’ve built and scaled products from MVP through production and acquisition, contributed to four startup acquisitions, and managed engineering teams ranging from 2 to 200 while remaining hands-on technically. If you're building an AI product, integrating LLMs into an existing platform, or developing secure payment infrastructure, I can work across the application, infrastructure, security, and business requirements rather than just one layer of the stack.