OUR TEAM
A GROUP OF MISFIT CHAMPIONS
Seasoned founders, former CTOs, user-focused designers, academic PhDs, and formally trained technology consultants enable us to work across any industry and discipline.
We bring all our various backgrounds together in one aligned process to create solutions that would be impossible on our own.
With research experts from Harvard, MIT, and Caltech at the helm of our projects, you can be confident that our due diligence is precise and we'll produce solutions that are unique, modern, and defensible.
Join us
THE PEOPLE
Learn more about our team of rockstars.
CEO
Product-focused founder who started AE as a bootstrapped alternative to VC funding, hoping eventually to build an agency-increasing brain-computer interface operating system. That long-term quest is his ultimate goal with AE Studio. AE tries its best to work on products and services that increase human agency. He's optimistic about the future of humanity and he invites you to play a role in creating it with him.
COO
17 years building technology products for startups and enterprises. Previously worked at Carbon 5, Intuit, and three LA-based startups. Worked on projects for Pacific Life, LiveNation, Salesforce, AutoDesk and more.
Head of Data Science
25+ years of experience using statistics and machine learning to analyze datasets in physics, finance, and online petitions. Expert in machine learning, deep learning, and distributed computing as a means of processing and analyzing large datasets. A.B. Magna Cum Laude in Chemistry & Physics from Harvard College and PhD from Cal Tech in Experimental High Energy Particle Physics.
CTO
10+ years experience building products and leading teams for early-stage startups and tech companies. Former CTO at To The Tens, co-founder of ELIX, and full stack developer and leader at several LA-based startups. Makes impactful products with web technologies & AI and loves leading and growing teams. B.S. from Yale University, focused on statistical analysis of ecological systems.
Chief Scientist
Diogo has over a decade of experience leading research across AI alignment, neurotechnology, and applied machine learning, building interdisciplinary teams and delivering production-ready systems. His publications span safe and honest AI agents, self-modeling in neural systems, and brain-computer interfaces. Before AE, he was a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard, completed his PhD in UC Irvine's Neurorehab Robotics Lab, and held industry roles in control systems and embedded engineering.
Chief People Officer
Masters degree in computer science with around 15 years of experience in software development. More than 10 years of startup experience and team management. More than five years in customer relationship and product management. Experienced in managing teams and products B2B and B2C that directly impacted more than 150,000 people monthly.
Head of Design
Aaron is a Design Engineer and Manager with 12+ years of experience across startups, enterprise, and agencies. Trained in design thinking and human-centered innovation through programs with MIT, IDEO, and NN/g, he brings a rigorous, user-focused approach to every project. Aaron bridges the gap between design and engineering, translating complex problems into intuitive, impactful experiences.
Entrepreneur in Residence
13 years building startups and technology with a start at Google. Has led startups through acquisition, implemented agile development and design thinking at Fortune 500s, designed products that got into Y-Combinator, and scaled product teams from 0-50. Helping found AE Studio in 2016, James is now back in an EIR role helping founders explore how to use emerging technologies like AI to build, launch, and scale their business.
Technical Director
Daniel has 23+ years of experience across engineering, technical leadership, and project management. He builds software applications, AI-driven solutions, and secure infrastructure across backend, frontend, mobile, cloud, and data, shifting focus as each project demands. Having been at AE since the early years, Daniel has collaborated with many teams and developed a deep appreciation for creating products that are practical, reliable, and lasting. He is driven by technology that improves people's lives and increases their agency.
Senior Data Scientist
Francisco drives innovation at the intersection of AI and business impact. Over the past decade, he has gone from leveraging supercomputers to solve partial differential equations during his PhD at Princeton, to architecting production AI solutions that have served millions of users and generated hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue. Francisco brings the rigor of academic research and the instincts of a seasoned practitioner to every problem he tackles.
Fullstack Engineer
Fullstack developer for 9+ years. Experienced with modern technologies such as React, Node.js, MongoDB, CSS3, and HTML5, plus PHP, C#, SQL, and more. Passionate about clean code, strong communication, and products delivered harmoniously in line with client expectations. Helped found AE Studio in 2016.
Director of Technical Excellence
Guilherme is a software developer and leader with 17+ years of experience in modern web and mobile technologies. Known for his mastery of JavaScript frameworks, API design, and scalable infrastructure, he bridges technical excellence with a clear product vision. A lifelong learner and natural problem-solver, Guilherme is driven by curiosity and the joy of building meaningful products. When not coding, he's likely having fun with his two kids, playing volleyball, or jumping into a video game.
Fullstack Engineer
Fabio is a Senior Full-Stack Engineer with 12+ years of experience building high-impact products. He was part of the founding team at ElectricSMS, which AE later sold to ReCharge for several million dollars. In recent years, his focus has shifted to AI-driven products, combining technical depth with strong product thinking. Fabio is passionate about clean architecture, domain-driven design, lean methodologies, and entrepreneurship.
Technical Director
Carlos is a technical project manager and full-stack developer with a BSc in Computer Science and 10+ years of experience. In over five years at AE, he has guided clients and teams in building enterprise-scale platforms and AI-powered solutions that tackle real-world challenges. Carlos balances technical depth with project leadership, emphasizing simplicity and delivering value in collaborative environments where human values guide technology. Outside of work, he is a dedicated Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner.
Fullstack Engineer
Eduardo combines deep technical expertise with a sharp product mindset, bringing 12+ years of global experience across EdTech, tourism, ISPs, and sales automation. A former COO and Technical Advisor, he goes beyond code to ensure engineering aligns with business goals, often partnering directly with stakeholders to shape product strategy. His current focus is the intersection of product and AI, building intelligent systems that automate complex workflows in grant writing, education, and business development.
Fullstack Engineer
Caio is a Senior Software Engineer with 10+ years of experience building and enhancing products using Node.js, Python, and React in cloud environments. He combines strong technical foundations in system design and performance optimization with a deep focus on product impact. Caio is motivated by turning complex challenges into measurable results, most recently a high-traffic page redesign that boosted revenue by 10% through A/B testing and thoughtful experimentation. He thrives collaborating across teams to deliver reliable, maintainable solutions that create meaningful user experiences.
VP of Engineering
Fullstack engineer with 15+ years of professional experience with technologies like Java, JavaScript, TypeScript, React, Redux, GraphQL, CSS, Docker, and more. Helped his previous company build various projects for the Brazilian Ministry of Health, including the electronic medical record used by thousands of people from the country.
Fullstack Engineer
Lucas is a software engineer who transforms complex technical challenges into elegant, scalable solutions. With expertise in React, Node, Ruby, and Python, he builds full-stack applications that balance performance with exceptional user experience. Lucas brings a product-driven mindset to his work, always asking how technology can deliver real impact. At AE, he is energized by collaborating with talented teammates to build robust systems with a relentless focus on accessibility and thoughtful design.
Data Science Technical Director
Fabio is a Senior Data Scientist with 10+ years of industry experience and a strong background in software engineering. He has built advanced AI systems across banking, healthcare, e-commerce, and consumer technology, delivering solutions used by millions of people at companies ranging from early-stage startups to Fortune 500 organizations. His research has been recognized through awards and international patents. Fabio is driven by bridging cutting-edge AI with practical systems that create tangible improvements in people's daily lives.
Fullstack Engineer
Mateus is a Technical Lead with 10+ years of experience across Java, Kotlin, TypeScript, React, GraphQL, and cloud infrastructure on AWS and Cloudflare. He has built AI-powered web applications integrating models like ChatGPT and Claude, and has hands-on experience with Web3 and smart contract development. Notably, he contributed to the open-source Bold Design System and helped deliver digital health projects for the Brazilian Ministry of Health, including an electronic medical record system used by thousands across the country.
Product Designer & Manager
Dylan is a product designer and manager who has shipped SaaS, consumer, and enterprise products. At AE Studio, he handles UX/UI, design systems, and research, sometimes all three on the same project. He leverages AI to move faster and can take work from concept to code when the project calls for it. Dylan adapts to what the work actually needs: fast and scrappy or methodical and thorough, depending on the problem.
Head of Hiring
Cristian is a product designer and developer with 15+ years of experience across SaaS, e-commerce, fintech, healthtech, and entertainment. He takes a holistic approach to product design, balancing the needs of users, businesses, and stakeholders to create impactful solutions. Clients have noted his strong product sense, often saying he "just gets it." Cristian is passionate about designing meaningful experiences and thrives on high-impact initiatives that resonate and drive real change.
Product Manager
André heads Client Success at AE Studio, managing partnerships like a three-year engagement with Azul Airlines where ML pricing optimization delivers measurable weekly revenue lift. A former founder and CEO, he brings an operator's instinct to client relationships, cutting through noise to focus on what actually moves the needle. André is energized by AE's model of funding frontier AI alignment research through profitable consulting work, letting him pursue both immediate business impact and deeper questions about AI safety and consciousness.
Data Scientist
Thomas is a computer scientist whose research focuses on developing elegant solutions across machine learning, natural language processing, artificial life, and meta-learning. He has a particular interest in robust first computing and robust physical computing. Outside of work, Thomas enjoys gaming, writing code for games and puzzles, reading, theater, cinema, and generally living well.
Data Scientist
Lorenzo is a machine learning researcher and systems architect at AE Studio, leading work at the intersection of AI, physics, and decentralized computing. He focuses on extending neural architectures, resolving AI system bottlenecks, and advancing AI alignment research. Lorenzo is driven by turning complex theory into practical, interpretable technology, and by building tools that make intelligence more transparent and human-aligned. Before his career in tech, he spent years as a musician performing in Brazilian, jazz, and classical ensembles.
Fullstack Engineer
Allan is a full-stack engineer with a master's degree in Computer Science and 12+ years of experience across a wide range of technologies, including Python, JavaScript, Java, React, and both relational and non-relational databases. He is currently expanding into blockchain and AI development. Allan is passionate about continuous learning, algorithms, and creative problem-solving, always eager to experiment with new technologies and find smart, practical solutions to complex challenges.
Fullstack Engineer
Peewee is a full-stack developer and designer with 15+ years of experience helping Brazilian brands strengthen their digital presence through thoughtful design and robust engineering. Prior to AE, he built a Salesforce-powered e-commerce platform for a major energy provider, working across PHP, Laravel, React, Vue, Node, and Python. At AE, he leads onboarding and creates training paths that help teammates grow. Driven by curiosity and a love for experimentation, Peewee enjoys building AI-native products that increase human agency.
Senior Data Scientist
Michael leads AE's research in AI Security and Alignment, specializing in bridging advanced research and practical engineering. His work spans fintech and neurotech, including architecting real-time fraud detection systems for a Fortune 500 bank and developing the world's leading neurodecoding algorithm. He holds a PhD in Computational Data Science from the University at Buffalo. Outside of work, Mike enjoys being a dad and husband, riding roller coasters, and developing board games.
Fullstack Engineer
Adão is a full-stack developer with 13+ years of experience building web applications using React, Next.js, TypeScript, Node.js, and PostgreSQL. He has automated internal processes that boosted staff productivity and led a small team to ship a successful SaaS product. Recently, his focus has shifted to AI-powered applications, building conversational interfaces and content creation tools with LLMs. Passionate about clean code and exploring how AI can enhance human decision-making, Adão also enjoys chess in his spare time.
Executive Assistant
Executive assistant with experience in customer relations, scheduling & email management, and employee happiness. Passionate about ordering fun things on Etsy. Former restaurant manager and punk rock drummer.
Technical Product Manager
Technical product manager with 5+ years of experience playing musical hats on under-resourced projects with other scrappy weirdos. Impatient for a future that should have arrived by now, he kills time thinking of ways to reduce the friction between ideas and software. Trained in Javascript, half still in love with Ruby on Rails, actually passionate about learning new stuff, productivity, and UX.
Fullstack Engineer
Fullstack engineer with 8+ years of experience in the HCM, analytics, and edtech industries. Focused on delivering great responsive, mobile-first layouts to products, performant features, and an overall great experience for team members, clients, and stakeholders through ownership and transparency. Recently worked on the ad systems for a US-based edtech company with over 50M monthly active users, driving success through the use of A/B testing and integration with multiple header bidder partners.
Fullstack Developer
Jean Michael is a software developer with 10+ years of experience and a passion for technology, games, and aviation. He specializes in rapid development, with a track record of over 150 projects, POCs, and tools taken from idea to deployment in just hours or days. Jean Michael thrives in fast-moving environments where creativity and technical skill come together to build something real, quickly.
Product Designer & Manager
Riteeka leads with collaboration and designs with purpose. At AE Studio, she manages cross-functional teams and crafts AI-powered solutions that transform complex challenges into elegant user experiences, from AI-enhanced educational platforms to social media and team management tools. Her background in architecture shapes a human-centered approach that balances technical excellence with thoughtful design. Riteeka delivers by immersing herself in client values and maintaining meticulous attention to detail, ensuring every product achieves meaningful impact.
Fullstack Engineer
Fullstack engineer with a bachelor's degree in computer science and 5+ years of experience developing digital products. Expert in web applications and the JavaScript ecosystem (TypeScript, React, Node.js). Experienced with Scrum and Agile methodologies as well as with MongoDB, PostgreSQL, Redis, GraphQL, Ruby on Rails, Docker, and more. Helped his previous company (in the event-tech space) pivot to virtual events during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Technical Product Manager
Spent much of his career as a fullstack developer with 15+ years of experience with PHP and JavaScript-based stacks. Has extensive experience with software in ad tech, fintech, enterprise sales, and SEO-critical websites. Multiple-time founder and member of the Summer 2017 Y Combinator batch. He loves creating and is most comfortable operating as a liaison between cutting-edge technology and smart product design.
Fullstack Engineer
Computer scientist and fullstack engineer with 8+ years of experience. Worked in different areas such as a Yellow Pages app, an agribusiness mobile and web app, and an event tools provider (e-commerce, virtual event web app). Experienced developing digital products using JavaScript and its ecosystem (Node.js, Express.js, TypeScript, GraphQL, React, Redux, Apollo Client) and also Docker, Kubernetes, PHP, MySQL, MongoDB, and more.
Fullstack Engineer
Newton is a seasoned software developer with 17 years of experience in distributed systems, with major projects spanning telecommunications and e-commerce. He is deeply proficient in Python and JavaScript, and is comfortable working within microservice architectures using Docker and a wide range of AWS services. Newton is motivated by transforming complex problems into clean, maintainable code, and values AE's fast-paced environment where new challenges continually fuel learning.
Product Designer & Manager
Product designer & manager who's also an engineer. Started his career doing a little of everything, including architecture, design, database administration, and coding in C. As a self-learner, developed in other languages and disciplines before moving to product and design management. Has managed products, projects, and teams in multiple industries and areas, most recently in data & analytics. Has experience in startups and large enterprises, leading, building, and scaling teams.
Fullstack Engineer
Jonathan is a full-stack engineer with 15+ years of experience building web and mobile applications using JavaScript, TypeScript, React, React Native, and Node.js. He specializes in AI-powered systems, including prompt engineering, conversational AI agents, and intelligent application features, and has delivered solutions across retail, warehouse management, e-commerce, and early-stage startups. Jonathan is passionate about creating rich, user-friendly experiences through cutting-edge frontend technologies and practical AI integration that solves real-world problems.
Entrepreneur in Residence
Dayson is a product designer and creative director with 12+ years of experience in product design, branding, and creative direction. He has a sharp intuition for user experience and brand cohesion, and excels at translating strategic vision into clear, tangible decisions. Dayson specializes in simplifying complexity and empowering teams to work with focus and independence. At AE Studio, he is driven by building products that balance user needs with business outcomes, and by helping grow the startups developed within the company.
Head of Product
Husam is Head of Product at AE Studio, with nearly two decades of experience building software that drives real outcomes. A former founder, he has taken products from zero to one, shipped for Fortune 100 companies, and shaped UX used by millions. His edge is ruthless prioritization, identifying the single lever that matters and driving measurable progress week after week. At AE, he partners with clients and teams to build digital products and AI that enable people to do their best work.
Tech Director / TPM
Glauco spent a decade as a startup CTO before joining AE. He doesn't just manage product. He ships it. With a background in scaling mobile and web platforms, his current focus is applied AI: building production-grade LLM workflows and evaluation loops that actually work, well beyond the hype. He combines hard engineering chops with a founder's pragmatism. When he's not coding, he's 3D printing or running a D&D campaign.
Fullstack Engineer
Wellington is a software engineer with a BSc in Information Systems and 8+ years of experience across engineering and quality assurance. In over three years at AE, he has supported clients in delivering products ranging from focused applications to enterprise-scale platforms, working with blockchain, AI, and modern web technologies. Wellington is motivated by building software that solves real problems in thoughtful, effective ways. Outside of work, he enjoys exploring technology trends and unwinding with video games.
Data Science Technical Director
Tiago is a data scientist with a master's in computer vision and 10+ years of experience across a remarkably wide range of AI projects, from computational photography and augmented reality to AI assistants, talking avatars, bioinformatic pipelines, and music generation. He brings a strong product mindset and a talent for turning complex problems into simple, effective solutions. Tiago is motivated by building products that solve real problems and make a tangible difference in people's lives.
Fullstack Engineer, Technical Product Manager
Nicolas is a Full-Stack Engineer and Technical Product Manager at AE Studio with nearly a decade of software development experience. His background in Information Systems, including thesis research on water quality monitoring using remote sensing and machine learning, gives him a rare blend of technical depth and product-driven thinking. Passionate about open-source technologies and continuous learning, Nicolas believes great products emerge from empathy, rigorous problem-solving, and a deep understanding of both technology and people.
Data Scientist
Mobo is a data scientist with a remarkably broad range of experience, from building knowledge graphs from movie scripts and training image models on architectural floor plans, to quantitatively modeling engineer activity through interaction graphs and productivity prediction. He holds a PhD in Statistical Physics from Harvard, where he applied analytic combinatorics to biomolecular interactions, and a B.S. in Physics from MIT, where he studied supersymmetry breaking as a model of dark matter.
Research Associate
Research associate with an academic background in international relations and law with 10+ years of experience in translation and language editing. Previously headed a university's international affairs office for more than three years and worked in web development for two years. Experienced in establishing and managing a wide range of international projects, including work under the UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme.
Developer
Gustavo is a developer with a strong foundation in computer theory and hands-on experience across the stack, building production systems with frameworks like Flask and Next.js. He thrives on turning complex requirements into clear, maintainable code and diving into ambiguous problems until they're elegantly solved. Gustavo is motivated by the puzzle of problem-solving and the opportunity to grow every day, and values AE for its community of highly skilled, collaborative people he can always count on.
Fullstack Engineer
Evangelist of the DevOps and Agile cultures of effectiveness, narrowing focus, automation, and most importantly stop starting and start finishing. People-focused leader, experienced in coaching and mentoring in a diversified work environment. Fullstack engineer with over 15 years of development experience, solving problems using KISS, SOLID, TDD methodologies. Worked with various technologies such as Node.js, .NET, React, PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server, MongoDB, AWS, Docker, and Kubernetes.
Executive Assistant
Executive assistant, passionate about managing day-to-day interactions with team members and helping them create a connection, giving them resources and opportunities to further their goals. Has a background in audiovisual production and is currently studying web development. Passionate about creating content, mindful thinking, and nature.
Software Engineer
Flavio is a software engineer with 9+ years of experience across Java, JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, React, React Native, AWS, and Docker. He previously served as tech lead for one of the largest AI customer support companies in South America, working with major insurance companies, banks, and retailers, and has also delivered full-stack projects for high-level Brazilian government agencies. Outside of work, Flavio loves playing music casually at bars and restaurants with friends.
Senior Software Engineer
Thalys is a Senior Software Engineer with deep expertise across the Apple ecosystem and a strong product mindset. He has built large-scale applications used by millions across the U.S. and Brazil, working across the full stack from early prototypes to polished releases. Thalys combines technical depth with an eye for design and usability, and is driven to create products that connect technology, creativity, and human experience in meaningful ways.
Fullstack Developer
Stéfano is a computer scientist and full-stack engineer with 14+ years of experience building complex products across the web and mobile ecosystem. Skilled in JavaScript, TypeScript, Node.js, React, and Next.js, he has worked on large-scale news platforms, ERP systems, and e-commerce solutions. His recent focus has been on applied AI, creating natural-language interfaces, intelligent media-classification workflows, and interactive AI avatar experiences designed to support literacy and speech development.
Software Engineer
Jeff is a Full Stack Engineer specializing in backend development, automation, and scalable system design. He builds and integrates cloud-based APIs, internal tools, and automation workflows that improve operational efficiency and enable business growth. Jeff brings a practical, results-driven approach to technical challenges, and enjoys bridging the gap between technical execution and business development, translating complex requirements into reliable, high-impact software solutions that serve both immediate needs and long-term goals.
Software Engineer
Daniel is a Senior Software Engineer with a decade of experience designing, building, and scaling digital products end-to-end. He specializes in turning complex requirements into clear, maintainable solutions while collaborating closely with product and design teams. Known for his thoughtful engineering approach and high quality standards, Daniel consistently delivers reliable, user-focused systems, driven by a commitment to clean architecture, continuous improvement, and meaningful impact.
Data Scientist
Jose is a mechatronics engineer and data scientist with a master's in electrical engineering and 10+ years of experience in AI, robotics, and computer vision. At AE, he develops machine learning, NLP, and LLM-powered products that deliver real impact for clients. Jose is motivated by the challenge of transforming emerging technologies into reliable, user-centered solutions, and by building tools that make a meaningful difference.
Program Director
Troy is a Program Director who brings bold ideas to life across AI, data, and digital experiences. His recent work includes LLM-powered climate intelligence tools, AI-driven fan experiences, and blockchain activations for global brands. With a background in engineering and product management, Troy thrives working closely with teams and founders, blending curiosity, creativity, and technical rigor to build products that feel ahead of their time while delivering real-world impact. He's energized by the intersection of emerging technology and meaningful human experiences.
Fullstack Engineer
Fullstack engineer with more than 7 years of experience, especially in Node.js and React. As a tech lead and senior developer, he brings experience from working on many large projects, from hospital ERPs to security systems for energy companies, as well as big CRMs with over a million operations per week. Other projects include migrating NFTs from Terra to Polygon and other Web3 projects.
Cloud DevOps Engineer
Thiago is a Cloud DevOps Engineer and IT professional with 12+ years of experience in software development and DevSecOps across telecommunications, education, and healthcare. He has built and maintained cloud infrastructure spanning multiple providers, with expertise in CI/CD pipelines, finops, observability, and security for web-based applications. Thiago's versatility across technologies, roles, and projects allows him to contribute meaningfully at any stage of the software development lifecycle.
ML Engineer
Florin is an ML Engineer with a strong software engineering background and a PhD in service-oriented computing. Since joining AE in 2022, he has transitioned from software development into data science, bringing 18+ years of end-to-end product engineering experience, from iOS and web architecture to deploying on-device time-series models for EEG and BCI applications. His work spans open-source neural tooling, closed-loop neural simulation, and applied reinforcement learning, with a current focus on alignment interventions during LLM pre-training.
Senior Data Scientist
Pedro is a seasoned data scientist with 10+ years of experience developing end-to-end ML solutions that drive business growth. Product-focused by nature, he has built dozens of ML-powered products across revenue management, transportation, e-commerce, bioinformatics, and fraud detection. An advocate of agile development, Pedro brings a dynamic, energetic approach to his work. Outside of work, he can be found hiking, traveling, or on the occasional scuba dive.
Chief of Staff
Philip does operations and executive assistance, with a focus on impact. He engages quite a bit with the effective altruism community and believes transformative AI may come rather soon, leading to an awesome or a disastrous future unless work is done to align these systems.
Design Director
Chris is a product design leader and serial startup founder with 12+ years of experience helping enterprise companies like BetterUp and Stormforge turn ambitious ideas into successful, scalable products. He has led design initiatives across AI tools, social platforms, and data-driven software that have secured funding, improved retention, and driven measurable business growth. Chris brings a rare blend of entrepreneurial instinct and design craft to every product he touches.
Senior Data Scientist
Keenan conducts AI alignment research at AE Studio, collaborating with Princeton's Michael Graziano on the Attention Schema Theory project and exploring novel approaches to model interpretability. His background spans an impressive range: as an undergraduate he wrote noise cancellation algorithms used in LIGO's first gravitational wave detection, later studied superconducting qubits and graphene at UC Berkeley, and spent 9 years building distributed systems at Salesforce. At AE, Keenan is energized by the opportunity to focus on technical research he believes can meaningfully reduce AI risk.
Program Director
Adam is a Program Director at AE Studio with a background spanning product management, web development, and design. Before joining AE, he co-founded a tech consultancy and worked across software engineering, brand development, and user experience. He studied Art at Yale University, where he first explored emerging technologies including VR. Adam brings a multidisciplinary perspective to every engagement, leading projects for clients across entertainment, design, and manufacturing.
Technical Product Manager
Andrew is a hands-on, creatively driven engineer and product lead who gravitates toward problems without obvious answers. With a decade of experience across engineering, data science, automation, and product development, he thrives in complex, ambiguous spaces that call for experimentation and novel thinking. Andrew has a genuine love for design, and strives to build systems that are both technically solid and genuinely enjoyable to use.
Program Director / TPM
Antonio has spent 20 years building and leading engineering teams that deliver. Starting as a software engineer and later becoming a founder with a successful exit, he brings deep technical expertise to leadership. Antonio focuses on using technology to achieve business outcomes, shipping products, scaling systems, and driving measurable impact. He is guided by a fundamental belief that technology should serve the business, and specializes in transforming teams into engines of execution.
UX/UI Design Engineer
Bruno is a UX/UI Designer and Design Engineer with a background in Information Systems and Graphic Design. With 15+ years of experience and three companies founded throughout his career, he brings a blend of branding, product design, and technical execution to his work. Bruno is motivated by building things that truly work and create value, and at AE, he thrives being surrounded by highly capable people where every day brings an opportunity to sharpen his craft.
CFO
Doug is a seasoned financial leader with 20 years of experience with successful startups and venture capital, and with the distinction of being named LA's CFO of the Year. Focused on a future defined by AI and frontier technology, Doug has always been driven by a passion to build great businesses with a greater purpose.
Eric brings over a decade of experience building relationships and partnerships across industries. Most recently he worked in the public sector as a creative technologist in public libraries, wearing many hats, from community building and educational programming to transforming monolingual libraries into bilingual community spaces and introducing the public to AI for creative pursuits. Before that, he spent years in education and tutoring, with a parallel career acting in commercials for brands like HP and YouTube. A Colorado transplant, Eric heads to the Rocky Mountains to boulder every chance he gets, often with his dog Finn.
Research Scientist
Ethan is a data scientist on AE's alignment team. He began his career in data science consulting for Fortune 500 companies and now focuses on mitigating the intentional misuse of large language models. Based in Atlanta, Ethan is driven by a clear and compelling mission: helping the world smoothly adapt to the presence of artificial superintelligence.
Software Engineer
Gabriel is a software engineer with 15+ years of experience across e-commerce, gaming, banking, social media, ed-tech, and news. Throughout his career he has worn many hats, from Team Lead and Product Owner to Marketing Coordinator, giving him a well-rounded perspective on what it takes to bring a digital product from idea to production. That breadth of experience makes him a uniquely versatile contributor at every stage of the development lifecycle.
Senior Software Engineer
Guilherme is a senior software engineer with 10+ years of experience building reliable, scalable products across fintech, government, startups, and global companies. He enjoys creating clean, maintainable solutions and is motivated by tough problems and the chance to learn something new every day. At AE, he appreciates being surrounded by talented developers and a culture that encourages growth. Outside of work, he's driven by the same thing that shaped his career: a lifelong love for puzzles.
Fullstack Engineer
Igor is a fullstack software engineer with 10+ years of experience across agencies, YC-backed startups, and large-scale platforms. Grounded in software architecture, OOP, and SOLID principles, he adapts quickly to new stacks and environments. His deepest expertise is in back-end development with Node.js, NestJS, and TypeScript, though technology is never a constraint. Igor is energized by breaking down complex business logic into scalable, maintainable systems, and by exploring how AI-assisted development can accelerate delivery and collaboration.
Fullstack / PM
Jarbas is an AI Product Builder and Technical Program Manager with 20+ years of experience turning complex technical challenges into deliverable products. A hands-on CTO and people-oriented leader, he aligns engineering teams with business objectives and has a strong track record of coaching diverse teams to ship production-ready solutions. His technical expertise spans Python, TypeScript, LLM frameworks, and AWS cloud architecture, with a firm belief that finishing projects matters as much as starting them.
Senior Full Stack Engineer
Jonatas is a seasoned engineering leader with 20+ years of experience designing and scaling large distributed systems. His expertise spans backend, frontend, and cloud infrastructure, with strong hands-on experience in modern AI technologies including LLM APIs, vector databases, RAG architectures, and advanced prompt engineering. Passionate about mentorship and continuous improvement, Jonatas thrives in collaborative environments and is driven by empowering teams to deliver reliable, scalable, and innovative solutions.
TPM
Luckas is a tech generalist with almost 20 years of experience across roles such as Software Developer, Product Manager, CTO, and Product Director, leading teams of up to 20 people. Background in graphic design and a master's in design focused on human factors. Has helped build systems from DNA sequencing tools to large e-learning and event tech platforms reaching millions of users.
Marketing Manager
Luiz is a Growth and Technology leader with a decade of experience driven by curiosity and a passion for innovation. He has served as the key marketing leader at multiple startups across diverse markets, combining creativity, bold thinking, and data to generate measurable results. With expertise spanning brand building, omnichannel strategy, and core growth functions, Luiz thrives collaborating with exceptional people who share a purpose of using technology to increase human agency and improve the world.
Quality Assurance Analyst
Manoela is a Quality Assurance Analyst with experience in manual and automated testing, API validation, database analysis, and UI testing. She works with tools like Postman, Docker, and PostgreSQL to improve coverage, reliability, and efficiency across products. Manoela enjoys collaborating with developers and product teams to ensure smooth, user-friendly releases, and is always exploring new tools and methods to strengthen QA processes and overall product quality.
Mariana supports Melanie as her executive assistant, focusing on process improvement, mapping workflows, resolving issues, automating tasks, and creating documentation. She completed a PhD in Transportation Engineering researching electric heavy-duty trucks before shifting into operations. A competitive chess player for over a decade and a longtime martial artist across jiu jitsu, muay thai, boxing, judo, and karate, she brings discipline and rigor to everything she takes on. Originally from Curitiba, Brazil and now based in LA, Mariana is an avid reader continually working to bring more patience and structure to her days.
QA
Natalia is a QA and Validation Specialist for life science companies with 9+ years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. She focuses on ensuring data integrity, regulatory compliance, and the delivery of secure, reliable, high-quality software solutions. Outside of work, Natalia enjoys traveling, good coffee, and crafts.
Software Engineer
Nilton is a software engineer with nearly 15 years of experience building full-stack web and hybrid applications across a wide range of industries. He is motivated by learning new technologies, making himself useful, and seeing his work create real-world impact. At AE, Nilton values the culture and the chance to collaborate with talented people in an environment that encourages growth and high-quality work. Outside of engineering, he enjoys skateboarding, traveling, and exploring good TV shows.
Noah is a data scientist who studied astronomy in college before earning a master's in data science. Since then he's worked across a wide range of domains, most recently in finance and applying large language models. He's drawn to edge computing and building custom ML models, and brings genuine curiosity to every problem he tackles. Originally from New Jersey and now based in NYC, Noah keeps himself sharp with coffee, running, reading, and cooking, and has been known to passionately defend the correct order of pizza and ice cream.
Data Scientist
Senior data scientist with 8+ years of experience delivering transformative machine learning and AI solutions across industries. Holds a PhD and MSc in Data Science, with expertise spanning Deep Learning, Time Series Analysis, Natural Language Processing, and Interpretable Machine Learning. Has developed and implemented advanced data science solutions for a Fortune 500 retailer, government agencies, and industry organizations.
Pedro is a product designer and manager who founded a branding studio in 2013 and led more than 280 projects with multidisciplinary teams. Across his career he has worn many hats: project manager, people ops, art director, brand strategist, and web designer. He even ran a coffee shop in Florianópolis for two years, which turned him into a dedicated coffee snob. He brings that blend of entrepreneurial range and design craft to AE. Originally from Içara, Brazil and based in Floripa since 2006, Pedro is always evolving his self-awareness and sharpening his illustration skills.
TPM
Peter has been working on AI since it was called "big data." He has partnered with organizations from startups to Fortune 50s across the public and private sectors, delivering solutions in machine learning, end-to-end IoT, 3D visualization, and SaaS. Along the way, he has founded and exited two businesses in consulting and machine learning, and advised others. Outside of work, Peter plays music and rides motorcycles.
Software Developer
Lupi is a Senior Full-Stack Developer and project lead with a strong background across EdTech, HR, and large-scale consumer platforms. At AE Studio, he has led end-to-end delivery on platforms for SmartSuite, Alpha School, Instill, and others. He previously led Ads and Subscriptions engineering at Quizlet and held full-stack and QA roles at ArcTouch and ADP. Lupi holds a Computer Science degree from UFRGS and is driven by a commitment to high-quality software, sharp product execution, and effective cross-team leadership.
Lead Research Manager
Stijn is Lead Research Manager at AE Studio. Trained as a neuroscientist, he earned a PhD in brain imaging and Alzheimer's diagnosis before leading large-scale neuroimaging projects as a postdoc at McGill. His work now centers on AI alignment and large language models, studying how models learn, forget, and adapt, and designing techniques to make them safer and more interpretable. Stijn thrives at the intersection of neuroscience and AI, and values AE's collaborative, impact-driven research culture.
Fullstack Engineer
Will is a systems architect and full-stack engineer who turns complex ideas into clear, reliable products. He works at the intersection of clean architecture, DevOps, and AI-driven automation, with expertise in Node.js, React, .NET, AWS, and modern data stacks. William values clarity over complexity and progress over perfection, bringing calm focus, steady curiosity, and creative energy to every project he takes on.
Data Scientist
Yuri is a Data Scientist with a strong academic foundation in programming and mathematics from top Brazilian universities, and 3+ years of AI research experience including publications at leading venues. He brings 4+ years of industry experience working with startups and Brazil's largest bank. His expertise spans classical data science, computer vision, image generation, language models, and sound processing, a breadth that allows him to tackle complex challenges at AE with both depth and versatility.
Greg is a data scientist who previously worked as an AI/ML scientist at General Motors, leading skunkworks projects using LLMs and bringing deep expertise in quantitative and financial risk forecasting and discrete choice modeling. He holds a PhD in math from the University of Michigan, where he studied monstrous moonshine. He's focused on growing as a leader and is a firm believer that inspiring confidence, in yourself and others, can reopen doors that self-doubt closes. Greg grew up in Southern California and now lives in Detroit, where he keeps a close eye on ergonomics, health, and good salmon nigiri.
Pedro is a full-stack developer with about eight years in software, following three years as a data analyst. Most of his experience spans logistics, healthcare, and manufacturing, and he's worn many hats along the way: data analyst, backend developer, product manager, and full-stack engineer. He's currently sharpening his skills in agentic AI. Born and raised in Porto Alegre, Brazil, Pedro runs his life out of Notion as a second brain, organizing everything from recipes to documentation, and has lately fallen down a YouTube rabbit hole of aquarium and paludarium builds.
Edson is a fullstack engineer with over 12 years in software development. He started out wearing many hats across Delphi, Java, PHP, and JavaScript, moved into mobile development with React Native, and more recently has focused primarily on frontend work, largely in retail systems, agribusiness, and survey fraud. He's keen to get better at applying AI from planning through implementation. Born and raised in Rondonópolis, Brazil, one of the hottest places to live. Edson once played bass in a local band, journals daily in Obsidian, and politely declined an invitation to front a black metal band.
Erick is a senior data scientist who previously worked in Trust and Safety at TikTok. He's eager to grow in AI research and brings a community-minded streak to the team: he helps run an LA birding group that connects people to accessible nature and volunteers mentoring low-income high-school students. Based in Los Angeles, Erick competes in a 24-year-old party game, is working on his photography, bouldering, and writing, and is happy to make the case for nachos as a top-tier food.
James is a technical strategy and execution lead who previously worked at Two Sigma, a quantitative hedge fund, as a technical program manager, and before that at Tesla. He's excited to dig deeper into AI alignment and is a fan of using Claude Code to prototype in hours what once took a week. A former British Junior Chess Champion, James hails from Leeds in the UK and now lives in Jersey City with his wife and two young daughters. His go-to indulgence is dark chocolate, 85% being the sweet spot.
Aidan is a data scientist who studied economics at the University of Waterloo and has since gathered varied experience: an encrypted messaging startup (before it became a WhatsApp feature), data science consulting, fraud-prevention modeling, and a product-side DS role. He brings that breadth and a playful curiosity to the team. Originally from Canada and now living in Redondo Beach, Aidan can ride a unicycle and juggle at the same time, leans on weightlifting to sleep and focus better, and is currently working on his salsa dancing.
Grant is a senior data scientist who spent roughly seven years in the U.S. national security space working on insider-threat analysis and fraud detection, and talking colleagues out of using LLMs for jobs the technology wasn't yet fit for. He nearly pursued a career in international development before finding his way to data science. A former competitive Super Smash Bros player, Grant is from Cary, North Carolina, where he once again lives. He sets weekly goals with his wife, is working to make time for sci-fi and fantasy writing, and takes his tsukemen broth thick.
Fernando is a senior data scientist who has built data science and algorithms for a sports-tech startup doing football GPS tracking, conducted machine learning research for crypto trading, and handled general data science for a fintech. He's working on systems thinking and pairs daily with Claude Code (named Hex), treating it like a fellow engineer to move faster from idea to code. From the state of Paraná and now living in São Joaquim, Santa Catarina, Fernando is an avid Football Manager player who's quick to note he's far better at the game than the real thing.
Julius is a senior data scientist whose work has centered on machine learning with satellite and aerial data and document processing. He likes to build his own tools, including a workspace management tool, and is focused on getting better at quickly evaluating new tech to decide what's worth adopting. From Bloomington, Indiana and now based in San Diego, Julius is a dedicated birder, would love to meet more local birders on the team, and is unwavering in his belief that peanut butter is, by far, the best food.
Pedro is an AI alignment research PM with a deep background in data and trust and safety. For over a decade he built trust-and-safety products and led Google's privacy and regulatory compliance programs, and before that spent 15+ years as a client-facing solution architect designing data analytics and global IT governance projects. He also leads a community educating parents about social media, AI, and smart devices. Born in Brasília, raised in San Francisco, and now living in New York, Pedro has been surfing and practicing capoeira for over 25 years.
Lorenzo is a fullstack engineer with a wide-ranging build history: a foodtech company launched during the pandemic, backend work on an encrypted messaging app, a new website for a South African TV company ahead of the World Cup, an automated extraction system for foreclosure properties in Brazil, and a legal-notice system that helps lawyers hit deadlines. He's drawn to Rust, real-time systems, and algorithmic trading. Born in São José dos Campos and living in Florianópolis since 2017, Lorenzo was a professional yoyo player as a teenager, traveling to compete.
Sam is a senior data scientist on AE's alignment team. He has worked at an EV company and several biotech and healthcare companies as a data scientist and AI engineer, and recently completed the Supervised Program for Alignment Research (SPAR), quantifying the gap between open- and closed-source models in the U.S.–China AI race. An obsessive Claude Code user, he brings momentum and focus to his work. From the California Bay Area and now living in New York City, Sam is a huge Liverpool FC fan working on his surfing and his Diplomacy game.
Chris is a product manager who most recently led engineering teams at several startups, including SendGrid, DataRobot, and Wallaroo.AI. He brings a builder's perspective and a constant appetite for learning, he reads widely and tries to understand as much as he can about people and the world around him. Based in Denver, Colorado, Chris is currently picking up Rust, likes to hike and road bike, and has a standing order for lamb saag.
John is an alignment technical program manager who ran his own small agency for many years, working on projects across the non-profit, business, and scientific research worlds. He holds master's degrees in philosophy and in chaplaincy and interreligious studies, and is fascinated by theories of digital consciousness. A strong advocate for digital privacy tools, John brings a thoughtful, interdisciplinary lens to his work. Originally from the U.S. Southwest, he now lives in North Idaho near the Canadian border. He owns an adventure van.
Matt is a senior data scientist whose work has spanned natural language understanding for Amazon Alexa and AI text summarization for radiologists at Rad AI. Lately his favorite agency-boosting tool has become Claude Code. He brings broad technical range and an even broader set of hobbies, including miniature painting, renaissance music, sim racing, and rapier fencing. Matt grew up in Golden, Colorado and now lives in Irvine, California, where he's trying to learn how to wrench on cars and is loyal to one particular Thai restaurant back in Boulder.
Tori is executive assistant to AE's CEO, supporting Judd and the office with logistics and operations. She spent four years at TikTok doing QA and cross-functional policy work, with earlier stints in HR and teaching across Spain and the US. Since then she's immersed herself in AI alignment, joining the LA AI Safety group, taking BlueDot Impact courses, and pursuing a lot of self-directed study. Born and raised in Nashville and now based in Los Angeles, Tori recently completed her first silent meditation retreat, is an avid surfer, and starts each day with meditation and a little time touching grass.
Mahault is a research manager with a PhD in cognitive computing who collaborates across an unusually wide span of fields: robotics, philosophy, mathematics, and marketing. She has spent years in AI as a developer, manager, and researcher, and has led multiple tech coalitions focused on AI safety and AI equity. She brings honest self-assessment and a habit of prioritizing her current weak spot until it improves. Born in France and now living in Montreal, having traveled all over the world, Mahault is a level-3 druid whose culinary ambition is, simply, to stop burning food.
André is a product manager on AE's airlines work, bringing nearly 20 years in aviation across network planning, revenue management, pricing, and strategic decision-making. An economist with a master's in economics, he specializes in turning data into practical business outcomes. He's now focused on growing in AI alignment. Based in Santana de Parnaíba in greater São Paulo, Brazil, André still carries a paper notebook, since the pages can be rearranged and his thoughts rarely arrive in order. And, as he'll tell you, he isn't ignoring you, he's just 85% deaf in his right ear.
Thiago is a senior PM and former Head of Product with 13+ years in tech, having started as a product designer and frontend developer before moving into product management. He has built and scaled products from early-stage startups to growing B2B SaaS companies, including a restaurant loyalty program, a CRM for game publishers, a route-optimization tool, and an all-in-one platform for law firms, validating product-market fit and driving adoption and revenue. Originally from Blumenau and now in Florianópolis, Brazil, Thiago plays trombone in a ska-punk band and runs his life and work out of Notion.
Christelle is an executive assistant and AR specialist who previously served as the backbone of the prequalification process at a construction company while mastering the art of executive support. She brings sharp organization and follow-through to the team, grounded in a habit she swears by: maintaining a detailed to-do list and schedule that lets her allocate her energy deliberately. Originally from Pampanga, Philippines, Christelle is working on learning to ride motorcycles, has a soft spot for boba and doughnuts, and will happily admit she's still not friends with vegetables.
Nerissa is a lead product designer and PM with 8+ years in tech. She has designed a debit card for co-parents managing shared expenses and the RAVE inflight entertainment system now flying on Turkish Airlines, LATAM, and more. Over two years of founder life she built passion projects including Swiftly, Date Night, and Loop. She brings that mix of polish and scrappy product instinct to AE. Born in the Philippines and raised in LA, where she still lives, Nerissa runs on sticky notes, is currently into Basque pintxos, and is teaching herself to sew.
Matheus is a data scientist who studied computer science and has worked across a bit of everything in the field, most recently focusing on large language models. He's currently teaching himself CUDA and brings a builder's curiosity to his work. Originally from Minas Gerais, Brazil and now based in Campinas, Matheus credits meditation with keeping him grounded, has a weakness for Brazilian barbecue, and will cheerfully admit he played World of Warcraft for years only to discover he was never very good at it.
Marco works in sales and brings an unusually varied background to the role. He holds a degree in psychology and a Juris Doctor, and has worked as an HR person at the National Food Authority and as an office clerk in his university's guidance office, occasionally drafting legal documents for friends in exchange for pizza and beer. He lives and thrives on documents and spreadsheets. Based in Taguig City in Metro Manila, Philippines, Marco protects his focus with time blocking, dreams of getting into coding, and has a soft spot for katsudon.
Stacey is an alignment data scientist with a deep résumé in applied AI. She has worked on AI engineering projects for climate and alignment, served as a CTO and AI engineer, helped start a nonprofit for better AI outcomes, made Weights & Biases great for AI development, and built one of the first ML-augmented large-scale photo search systems at Flickr back in 2013. She studied Symbolic Systems and neuroscience at Stanford. Born in Moscow and now based in Berkeley, Stacey is fluent in Russian and is currently into guitar, surfing, gardening, and meditation.
LET'S TALK
We'll bring the team that ships.
