About the Role

As the founder and lead engineer of Nextime, I took the initiative to identify a gap in social coordination and built an AI-powered platform from the ground up. This role combined entrepreneurial vision with hands-on technical development, requiring me to wear multiple hats as product designer, software architect, team leader, and engineer.

Nextime is designed to solve the common problem of organizing group hangouts by intelligently recommending activities, generating personalized invitations, and facilitating group decision-making. The platform leverages artificial intelligence to understand user preferences and suggest optimal meeting times and activities.

Key Responsibilities & Achievements

• Conceived and validated the product vision through user research and market analysis, identifying key pain points in social coordination
• Architected and developed a full-stack application using Python Flask for the backend API and Expo React Native for cross-platform mobile frontend
• Implemented AI-powered recommendation engine that analyzes user preferences, schedules, and historical data to suggest personalized hangout options
• Built intelligent invitation generation system using natural language processing to create engaging, customizable invitations
• Designed and implemented real-time communication features using WebSocket architecture, enabling instant updates and notifications for group members
• Integrated Firebase for authentication, real-time database management, and cloud storage, ensuring scalability and security
• Created comprehensive data models to handle complex relationships between users, groups, events, and preferences
• Recruited and onboarded a diverse team of developers and designers, establishing collaborative workflows and agile development practices
• Led sprint planning, code reviews, and technical decision-making while fostering a culture of innovation and continuous improvement

Technical Skills Developed

Impact & Learning

This experience has been transformative in developing my ability to think strategically while executing tactically. I learned to navigate the challenges of resource constraints, technical trade-offs, and team dynamics while maintaining focus on delivering value to users.

About the Role

At IM4, I contributed to a culturally significant project: an immersive Augmented Reality mural designed to celebrate and preserve Indigenous culture through interactive digital storytelling. This role required me to bridge the gap between cutting-edge technology and meaningful cultural representation, working closely with Indigenous communities and artists.

The project combined physical art with digital interactivity, creating an experience where viewers could touch specific elements of the mural to trigger AR content, stories, and multimedia experiences. This work demanded both technical innovation and cultural sensitivity.

Key Responsibilities & Achievements

• Developed the core interactive system integrating ESP32 microcontrollers with Bare Conductive paint to create touch-sensitive mural elements
• Engineered custom firmware for ESP32 devices to accurately detect touch events and communicate wirelessly with the AR application
• Built responsive web and mobile interfaces that seamlessly triggered AR experiences based on physical interactions with the mural
• Implemented real-time data processing algorithms to filter environmental noise and ensure reliable touch detection in public spaces
• Collaborated with UX designers to create intuitive user flows that made the technology invisible and the cultural content central
• Led weekly cross-functional meetings with management, designers, and cultural consultants to align technical capabilities with artistic vision
• Conducted thorough data analysis on user interaction patterns, leading to refinements that improved engagement by 18%
• Created comprehensive technical documentation and training materials for installation and maintenance teams
• Presented interactive media demonstrations to stakeholders, effectively communicating complex technical concepts to non-technical audiences
• Managed project timelines and deliverables while maintaining code quality and system reliability

Technical Skills Developed

Impact & Learning

This role taught me the importance of technology serving a greater purpose beyond just functionality. I learned to balance technical constraints with creative vision, work sensitively with cultural content, and create technology that enhances rather than overshadows the human experience.

About the Role

As a Quality Assurance Engineer at the FAISAL (Facial Analysis and Intelligent Systems) Lab at Simon Fraser University, I played a critical role in ensuring the accuracy and reliability of computer vision and image processing systems. This position required meticulous attention to detail and a systematic approach to identifying and resolving data quality issues.

The lab's research focused on advanced facial analysis technologies, and my work was essential in maintaining the integrity of the data pipeline that fed into machine learning models and research outputs.

Key Responsibilities & Achievements

• Conducted comprehensive statistical analysis on large-scale image datasets, identifying patterns, anomalies, and quality indicators
• Developed and implemented data profiling methodologies to assess dataset completeness, accuracy, and consistency
• Created detailed quality reports with visualizations and statistical insights that informed research decisions and model improvements
• Designed and executed systematic testing procedures for image processing pipelines, ensuring end-to-end data quality
• Identified and documented inconsistencies, errors, and edge cases in facial detection and analysis algorithms
• Collaborated with researchers and developers in weekly meetings to review findings and propose data quality improvements
• Managed multiple concurrent testing processes while meeting strict academic research deadlines
• Built automated scripts to streamline repetitive quality checks, improving efficiency and reducing human error
• Maintained detailed documentation of testing procedures, anomalies discovered, and resolutions implemented
• Contributed to improving data collection protocols based on quality assessment findings

Technical Skills Developed

Impact & Learning

This role was foundational in developing my analytical and quality-focused mindset. I learned the critical importance of data integrity in machine learning systems and gained valuable experience in academic research environments. The attention to detail and systematic thinking I developed here continues to benefit all my technical work.

About the Role

Throughout my academic journey at Simon Fraser University, I've maintained a position at London Drugs, where I've developed crucial interpersonal and operational skills that complement my technical expertise. This role has taught me the importance of customer-centric thinking, efficient operations, and team leadership—skills that directly translate to building better software products.

Working in a fast-paced retail environment while pursuing a demanding engineering degree has honed my time management, communication, and problem-solving abilities under pressure.

Key Responsibilities & Achievements

• Deliver exceptional customer service by actively listening to customer needs and providing knowledgeable product recommendations
• Utilize consultative selling techniques to effectively upsell and cross-sell products, consistently meeting sales targets
• Manage warehouse inventory distribution across the store, ensuring optimal stock levels and product availability
• Process online orders with 15-minute fulfillment guarantee, requiring efficient time management and accuracy
• Train and mentor new recruits on company procedures, customer service best practices, and system operations
• Handle customer inquiries, concerns, and complaints with professionalism and effective problem resolution
• Maintain product knowledge across diverse categories including electronics, health products, and general merchandise
• Collaborate with team members to achieve store objectives and maintain high customer satisfaction ratings
• Adapt quickly to changing priorities and busy periods while maintaining quality of service
• Utilize point-of-sale systems and inventory management software efficiently

Skills Developed

Impact & Learning

While this role may seem unrelated to software engineering, it has been invaluable in developing my soft skills and understanding of end-user perspectives. The customer service experience directly informs how I approach UX design and user research. The operational efficiency I learned translates to writing clean, efficient code. And the training experience has prepared me for mentoring junior developers and leading teams.

This role demonstrates my strong work ethic, ability to balance multiple commitments, and understanding that great technology must ultimately serve people's needs.