Stephen D Robinson, Ph.D.
Stephen is an experienced technology entrepreneur, software architect, hands-on developer, and IT consultant for Fortune 500 companies. His experience ranges from leading the development of mission-critical business applications for NetJets Inc. (a world leading corporate jet aircraft company), inventing and patenting a novel security and authentication system for the wireless industry, to founding an outdoor enthusiast website that was awarded featured project of the month by Google. He received his B.Sc. (Hons.) in Electrical Engineering at Durham University in the UK. He continued his research in control theory and was awarded his Ph.D. for the design and development of a neural network controlled autonomous robot. In 1997 he was invited to Yale University as a postdoctoral research fellow and subsequently won the university-wide Yale Entrepreneurial Competition.
Cognitation Inc. - Managed Software Development Services
www.cognitation.com
Founded Cognitation to provide high quality software development services to clients. In the first 18 months, generated 4x growth in total sales across all areas with a 5x growth in staff to 30 fulltime positions. Responsible for all areas of production including system architecture, technical oversight, team sourcing and technology selection for projects in Ruby on Rails, CakePHP, PHP, .NET. Teamed with existing management to provide strategy and execution in advancing sales and marketing through new client outreach, technical presentations, radioblogs, and continued business development.
Business:
- Assisted with all business strategy and enabled the company’s revenue to grow four fold in under two years.
- Account manager for clients on a range of projects including manufacturing, e-commerce, and new ventures.
- Setup and ran remote web application development groups (including a four month visit to South America).
- Created and directed multi-step HR process selecting from 2,000+ candidates per month.
- Providing interim-CTO services for a VC funded startup company currently in stealth-mode.
- Presented at IBM on framework comparison and selection between Ruby on Rails, CakePHP and J2EE.
Technology:
- Overall technical responsibility for all aspects of web application development across all client projects.
- Architected and mentored all project development teams in Ruby on Rails, CakePHP, PHP and .NET.
- Directed overall strategy for DB design, SOA, webservices & Ajax functionality.
- Research and PoC development evaluating new systems and products for use within the organization.
- Scrum master for multi-person, geographically dispersed teams to provide agile remote collaboration.
- Defined and directed process and docs for requirements, specifications, architecture, scalability and security.
Dream Staffing LLC - Software Development Staff Augmentation
www.dreamstaffing.com
Founded Dream Staffing to provide screened programmers from North and South America at reasonable rates. Our selection process helps clients find the right person to work with. At Dream Staffing, we know first hand the challenges in finding the right people and based upon a collective 20 years of programming experience, our process is tailor designed to select quality developers from the global talent pool. Using a custom 11 step process, we test candidates for experience and intelligence. We use active programmers to screen active programmers.
WikiWalki - Community Trail Website
www.wikiwalki.com
Based off a proof of concept built over the summer of 2006, founded WikiWalk.com with the goal of sharing exercise paths with other outdoor enthusiasts. Site was awarded the featured Google project for September 2006. Brought on a new development partner and are launching a new interface to accommodate the growing needs of the community. The site is showing continued growth both in usage and trail coverage.
Business:
- Created one of the first trail mapping sites and was awarded Google’s featured project of the month.
- Business development reaching out to groups of users and customizing the service to match their needs.
- Recruited development talent to join the project and build out capabilities.
- Over 1000 active users who are developing an extensive trail network of over 1500 trails.
Technology:
- Architected in Ruby on Rails using Mongrel and Apache deployed on a vmware platform with Ubuntu linux.
- Extensive use of the Google Maps API and event handling to enable users to directly draw trails on the map.
- Created import and export capabilities to a range of GPX file formats.
- Ongoing development rounding out feature set for widest range of free trail based services.
eRequirements - Online Requirements Management System
www.erequirements.com
From the experience of multiple client engagements, created eRequirements as a best practice process for gathering, documenting, and collaborating on the requirements and specifications for software development.
Process:
- Developed best practices process built on academic research, hands on experience, & iterative refinement.
- Implemented a range of process methodologies including Agile, Waterfall, JAD and six-sigma.
- Used on projects including: Johnson & Johnson (Skillman NJ), Yale University.
- Online service is used world wide and undergoes constant improvement through integrating user feedback.
Technology:
- Architect of web application using open source; Tomcat, Tapestry, Java, Spring, Hibernate, & MySQL.
- Wrote java eCommerce components connecting to secure billing provider (LinkPoint payments service).
- Installed OpenSSH libraries, requested, installed, and configured SSL certificate under Tomcat.
- Auto generation of both PDF and HTML documents using Castor, XML, and XSLT.
- System admin with multi-year uptime, wrote backup scripts, usage reports webalizer, setup security.
NetJets Inc, USA - Contract and Risk Management Application
Led the technical team that architected, designed, and developed the custom built NetJet’s Contract Management System: a web based business application supporting the contracts and insurance divisions. Second only to the real-time flight scheduling system, this multimillion dollar system has developed into a central mission-critical business application that has been expanded for use in both the U.S. and European divisions.
Business and Requirements:
- Architect and technical manager for mission-critical contract system for leading private jet aircraft company.
- Engaged in multiple initial and ongoing meetings at major US sites gathering requirements solving issues.
- Expanded from initial legacy contracts db, insurance web system, and other business processes integration.
- Led Switzerland visit to contracts department for requirements gathering for extension of the original system.
- Prepared & presented multiple presentations covering technical, process, and business issues.
Architecture & Development:
- Initial deployment utilized previous RAD environment: VB, COM+, XML, XSLT, T-SQL and SQL Server.
- Built secure DMZ connector using encrypted XML over HTTP for defense-in-depth requirements.
- Side-by-side integration of legacy and new code stack : Tomcat, Tapestry, Java, Spring, Hibernate & MySQL.
- Coupled Java and legacy MS technologies at web and database tiers using ISAPI redirector dll for IIS.
- Used Middlegen to auto generate the hibernate mapping files and java classes from legacy database.
- Built web services SOA connector using Apache Axis using spring-aware wrapper.
- Applied software skills: MVC, VB, COM+, XML, XSLT, SQL Server, T-SQL, UML, DTS.
Radiuz Networks LLC - World’s First Cooperative Wi-Fi Sharing Platform
Co-founded Radiuz Networks an innovative technology startup, to provide a “cooperative WiFi network”, that allows members to join consumer-grade wireless routers into a secure, worldwide roaming network. Filed and was awarded a patent for the technology that was subsequently sold at auction.
Business Development:
- Co-founded world’s first cooperative WiFi network to critical acclaim with 1000+ world wide users. Partnership talks in silicon valley with Yahoo’s corporate acquisitions department and the VC Mayfield.
- Gave multiple presentations to leading VCs: Benchmark, Mayfield, Draper Fischer Juvetson, & Graylock.
- Full preparation and presentation of technical due diligence of all aspects of the developed technology.
- Filed provisional and full patent whilst coordinating with legal council on full patent application process.
- Recruited advisors including : Reed Hundt (Chairman of the U. S. Federal Communications Commission appointed by Bill Clinton), Bill Arbaugh (security expert that first broke the WEP protocol).
- Assisted in business plan development, marketing, and technology development plan.
Technology Development:
- Researched and sourced best in class scalable open source enterprise server stack (Linux, Java & MySQL).
- Built out web app (Tomcat, Struts, Hibernate, & MySQL), RADIUS server, & client wizard software.
- Developed java middleware using Eclipse IDE, Hiberclipse, Sysdeo plugin, implemented DAO design pattern.
- Integrated and extended ‘freeRadius’ RADIUS server deployment (programmed ‘C’ extensions to core code).
- Prototyped innovative technology to provide VPN roaming on consumer grade WPA routers.
- Created public Google Map interface using both free and for fee geo-coding system and REST web-services.
- Best practices: CVS source control, unit testing, ACID transactional integrity & backup support.
- Applied software skills: Java, Struts, Eclipse IDE, Log4j, JUnit, JMeter, Hibernate, SSH & bash.
Johnson & Johnson, USA - Requirements Analysis for New Products
Multiple client engagements with the consumer products division located in Skillman, New Jersey, from requirements and specification analysis to application development of a web-based business application to manage online sources.
Business Intelligence Network:
- Designed & developed subscription management system for a ‘Fortune 50’ company.
- Built custom multi-tier MVC framework on MS platform using XML, XSLT, COM & VB.
- VB COM+ components captured the business logic creating an XML server API for front-end integration.
- Used XSLT for transformations of XML to HTML, used XSD for validation and wrote HTTP/XML translator.
- Designed the database schema and T-SQL stored procedures to interact with the XML server components.
Innovative Skin Care Project:
- Extensive analysis of customer needs, deriving software requirements specifications.
- Contracted to lead onsite requirements gathering at Neutrogena division in LA California.
- Designed kiosk system, bringing cutting edge laboratory imaging technology to customer base.
Requirements Specification for their Library:
· Primary client-facing analyst. Defined & led the software requirements specification process
· Brought KM experience to help analyze a library ‘one-stop shop’ research intranet site.
Yale University, Center for Language Study, USA - Design of Education Software
Provided training for the requirements specification process, assisted in guiding software development, and recommended a migration path from a Microsoft approach toward an enterprise-ready open source stack.
Consulting Services:
- Used eRequirements process to create a 24 page SRS for centralized web app for outsourced development.
- Worked with their development team to gather requirements for a tutoring project to be build internally.
- Trained their development team in Java technologies to extend the Sakai project (sakaiproject.org).
- Introduced best practice processes, technology selection, and assisted architecting ongoing projects.
YellowPen Inc, USA - Online Research Management Application
Winner of Yale University’s prestigious Y50K Business Plan competition (2000). YellowPen was selected from a field of over 40 business plans by a panel of seasoned venture capitalists, corporate executives, and business lawyers. Founded the company on prize money and raised further funding to develop and sell research management technology.
Business:
- Co-authored patent application describing presentation, application and data layers.
- Participant at Enterprise Edition launch at the Special Librarian’s Association conference in Los Angeles, CA
- Responsible for daily operations including accounting, payroll and contractual negotiations.
Technology:
- Managed all aspects of the technology requirements specification, design and build out.
- Client Server application communicating over proprietary encrypted XML over HTTP.
- Developed the Wise installer package and deployed onto multiple VMWare test platforms.
- Programmed client VB, VC++ utilizing ATL, Win32 and COM & IDL.
- Developed middleware IIS with VC++ under COM+, T-SQL, ADO & SQL Server DB design.
- Deployed hosted version at co-location center with packaged version for workgroups using DE SQL.
Yale University, New Haven, USA - Post Doctoral Fellow : 1997 – 2000
Invited to Yale University, USA for a post-doctoral fellowship. Research focused on the dynamics, modeling and control of airborne autonomous agents, including a small-scale helicopter platform, including multi-agent coordination.
Post-Doctoral Research Areas:
- Development of algorithms to model and estimate parameters for the control of a helicopter platform.
- Multi-processor system (hardware & software), to sense, model, and calculate control outputs in real-time.
- Built & programmed multiprocessor flight CPU, in C, for automatic stabilization control.
- Produced short film to publicize project and edited international workshop proceedings.
- Work formed part of a successful funding application to the National Science Foundation.
Thompson Marconi Sonar, Fleet, UK - Design Engineer : 1997
Analog circuit design and development of firmware for an embedded micro controller requiring UK security clearance.
Technology:
- Designed & developed military standard circuit board to stringent time & quality constraints.
- Responsible for manufacture of hardware, firmware to ISO 9000 standards.
Durham University, Durham City, UK - Undergraduate and Graduate Student : 1990 – 1996
B.Sc. degree in engineering, specializing in software, electronics, and control theory at Durham University, UK in 1993. Awarded a Ph.D. in 1996 for designing and developing an intelligent autonomous robot, implementing a novel neural network control algorithm for mapping unstructured terrain.
Ph.D in Autonomous Robotics:
· Thesis title: ‘The Design & Development of an Intelligent Autonomous Robot.’
· Developed GUI based robot simulation package using C on UNIX platform (X Windows).
· Designed chassis, electronics (AMD29K), firmware (FPGAs) and software using C.
· Lectured software, electronics and control systems to undergraduates.
B.Sc in General Engineering:
· Final year specialized in electronics, telecom, software, hardware and control theory.
· Strong emphasis on business strategy, commercial awareness and presentation skills.
Achievements:
- Awarded United States Patent 7263076 “System and Method for Managing a Wireless Network Community”.
- Awarded Google Code’s featured project of the month September 2006 for www.wikiwalki.com.
- Coauthored patent application. “System for Storing, Searching, Structuring and Sharing Information Objects Over a Computer Network”.
- Winner of Yale University’s Y50K business plan competition (Year 2000).