Software Engineer · Applied AI
I'm Ashton, a Buffalo-based engineer with four years of experience building and shipping full-stack, cloud-native applications — much of it in financial technology. I take ideas from prototype to production, and today I bring AI and automation to banking as an Applied AI Engineer at Tompkins Bank & Trust.
4 years
Shipping full-stack, cloud-native software
Fintech
Payments, banking and transaction systems
SOC 2 · PCI
Led audits through to compliance
AI in production
Shipped LLM features that automate manual review
Oct 2026 — Present
Batavia, NY
Identify and deliver practical AI and automation across the bank — intelligent assistants, machine learning applications and workflow automation that cut manual effort and sharpen decision-making. Own the path from rapid prototype to production, with MLOps, monitoring and responsible-AI governance built in, and lead build-vs-buy evaluations and integration of third-party AI services.
Jun 2024 — Oct 2026
Williamsville, NY
Led development of AWS-native, serverless payment software from prototype to production, including the full-stack platform and integrations behind RTP, Push2Card and debit card transactions. Shipped LLM-powered features that automated manual review and data extraction, led the company through PCI and SOC 2 audits, and supported infrastructure as a stand-in to the CISO.
May 2022 — Mar 2024
Williamsville, NY
Spearheaded a new full-stack application for member management of local union clientele. Worked closely with customers to turn business requirements into delivered features, and introduced Agile and SCRUM to development and operations.
Bachelor of Science, Computer Science
GPA 3.5 · Magna Cum Laude · Buffalo, NY
Capstone: Wi-Fi Based Localization
Jan 2022 — Jun 2022Managed a team of five building MLMap, an Android app that uses Wi-Fi based localization and mapping to route people to rooms throughout campus buildings.
Replaced an hours-long manual eCheck process by programmatically creating X937 files, letting the company process thousands of checks daily. Built a custom C# driver and DigitalCheck scanner integration for a fully automated pipeline.
C# · Go · Java · AWS Lambda · DynamoDB · S3 · React
Designed and shipped LLM features in production payment software, integrating third-party model APIs to automate manual review and data-extraction workflows.
LLM APIs · Go · AWS
A robust, packet-driven integration with TSYS Sierra to move funds via debit card, alongside OPN and Shazam APIs supporting Real-Time Payment and Push2Card channels.
Go · AWS
Spearheaded a new full-stack application for managing local union members, translating customer requirements directly into delivered features.
React · Django · Docker · MSSQL Server
Managed a team of five building an Android app that uses Wi-Fi based localization and mapping to route people to rooms throughout campus buildings.
Kotlin · MQTT · Docker · MapBox · Android Studio
Languages
Go, C#, TypeScript / JavaScript, Java, SQL, Rust, C, PHP, HTML, CSSAI & developer tooling
LLM API integration, RAG, MCP, Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, Codex, ChatGPTCloud & infrastructure
AWS (Lambda, S3, DynamoDB, RDS, Aurora, EC2, ECS, SAM, CloudWatch, CloudFormation), Azure, Entra, Intune, Docker, NGINX, LinuxFrameworks & data
React, SvelteKit, TailwindCSS, Django, Vite, PostgreSQL, MSSQL Server, DynamoDBPractices
Agile, SCRUM, Kanban, Jira, Git / GitHub, SOC 2, PCI DSS, encryption