Chief Technology Officer

Founding Architect  ·  Security-First Platform Leader

Security-first platform leader specializing in zero-to-one SaaS, regulated systems, and high-scale cloud architectures. 20+ years building and operating production systems across AI-assisted workflows, distributed infrastructure, and compliance-driven environments.

My relationship with technology started at age 7 — a Commodore 128, a lot of curiosity, and no off switch. I hold a B.S. in Information Technology and an A.S. in Information Technology and Sociology. I’ve since built, scaled, and exited companies; led engineering organizations of up to 28 people; invented and filed multiple patents; and architected production systems across virtually every layer of the modern stack.

I am currently CTO and Founder of Coverity.io and Fractional CTO of GeoStack. I speak six languages and build embedded systems in my spare time.

EXPERTISE

Architecture & Platforms
Security-first SaaS · Azure, AWS, GCP · OpenStack · Ceph · Lustre · Distributed systems & APIs

Engineering Leadership
Zero-to-one product development · Team building · Cross-functional delivery · Vendor management

Data, AI & Trust
Fraud detection · AI-assisted document analysis · Compliance · Risk & auditability

PATENTS

Awarded
US10567255B2 — Method and system for scoring quality of traffic to network sites

Pending — Coverity.io
Geospatial dispatch · Secure notary workflows · AI document verification · Audit-ready lifecycle management

Pending — Lights-On!
Automated sensor-based light animation for displays and miniatures

CONNECT

Los Angeles, CA
Available for CTO advisory, architecture consulting, and technical leadership engagements.

linkedin.com/in/califrangis

Book Consulting

MY APPROACH

Security-first. Architecture-led. Delivery-focused. I build systems that are auditable, scalable, and designed to outlast the team that built them.

01

Security First, Always

Every architecture decision starts with security. Data isolation, access control, audit trails, and lifecycle management are not afterthoughts — they are foundational requirements that shape every design choice from day one.

02

Teams as Pods, Not Silos

I build cross-functional pods where each member owns the whole, not just their lane. This breaks down inter-team friction, accelerates knowledge distribution, and produces engineers who understand the system end-to-end.

03

Zero-to-One Delivery

I have built companies from inception to production to exit. The hardest problems are rarely technical — they are organizational, architectural, and prioritization challenges. I’ve navigated all of them, and I deliver.

04

Mentor First, Execute Second

The most powerful leaders learn from their teams as much as they teach. I create environments where knowledge distributes naturally across every team member — so the system doesn’t depend on any single person, including me.

Work Experience

January 2025 – Present

Coverity.io

CTO & Founder

Los Angeles, CA  ·  AI / RegTech / SaaS

coverity.io

Security-first, AI-assisted notary and transaction management platform for regulated real-estate and financial workflows. Built on C#/.NET, Azure Functions, SQL Server, and Azure Blob Storage.

  • Founded and led technology strategy for a security-first SaaS platform modernizing notary and real-estate workflows.
  • Architected and delivered a production MVP in 4 months, spanning scheduling, document handling, access control, and audit-ready storage.
  • Designed core platform using C#/.NET, Azure Functions, SQL Server, and Azure Blob Storage, emphasizing scalability and compliance.
  • Implemented AI-assisted document review and analysis pipelines using asynchronous processing patterns.
  • Built API-first integrations enabling financial institutions and brokerages to submit and manage requests programmatically.
  • Defined security architecture covering data isolation, lifecycle management, and regulated access models.
  • Led early fundraising efforts, vendor selection, and team formation while remaining principal architect.
  • Filed multiple patents: geospatial dispatch modelling, secure notary workflow systems, AI-assisted document verification, and audit-ready document lifecycle management.

2024 – Present

GeoStack

Fractional CTO & Founder

Geospatial Data & Mapping Platform

Geospatial data and mapping platform powering location-aware applications at scale.

  • Serve as fractional CTO providing technical leadership, architecture oversight, and platform strategy.
  • Advise on scalable AI data architecture, API design, and cloud deployment models.
  • Guide engineering roadmap, security posture, and technical decision-making aligned with business goals.
  • Operate as executive technical partner to founders, bridging product vision, architecture, and delivery.

August 2014 – 2025

DataDirect Networks

Director of IT Open Systems

Los Angeles, CA  ·  Enterprise Storage

Privately-held data storage company (DDN Storage), founded 1998. World leader in high-performance storage for AI, HPC, and enterprise workloads.

  • Led architecture and operations for enterprise-scale infrastructure and cloud support platforms.
  • Designed and architected OpenStack-based cloud solutions and Lustre filesystem integrations across Azure, AWS, and GCP.
  • Developed core APIs for OpenStack ↔ Lustre and early Ceph integrations.
  • Directed multi-site data center design, migration, and post-acquisition consolidation initiatives.
  • Managed contractors, vendors, and internal teams across networking, systems, and facilities.
  • Served as senior technical authority for business continuity, disaster recovery, and distributed systems design.
  • Promoted from automation/process optimization leadership to senior architecture role based on demonstrated impact.

April 2011 – August 2014

Live Nation Entertainment

Sr. Manager, Endpoint Compliance

Hollywood, CA  ·  Contract

Global entertainment company managing ticket sales and live events for major artists worldwide.

  • Led an 18-person technical team delivering a company-wide Windows XP → Windows 7 migration, improving coordination, communication, and delivery effectiveness.
  • Designed and implemented SCCM-based pre-check and compliance-readiness tooling, deployed across all endpoints prior to migration.
  • Owned and modernized the Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) environment, including upgrade from 2007 to 2012 R2.
  • Executed enterprise-wide Windows 7 Enterprise rollout to desktops and laptops, enforcing standardization and PCI compliance across the domestic fleet.
  • Developed in-house imaging and migration solutions to accelerate deployment while reducing operational risk.

June 2005 – August 2010

AuthentiClick

Chief Technology Officer

Los Angeles, CA  ·  Acquired 2010

Co-founded web analytics company specializing in click-traffic fraud detection and traffic quality intelligence for online advertising optimization.

  • Co-founded and led technology for a platform focused on click fraud detection and traffic quality intelligence.
  • Designed and implemented machine-learning-driven scoring systems for identifying invalid and malicious traffic.
  • Sole inventor of US Patent 10,567,255 B2 — Method and system for scoring quality of traffic to network sites.
  • Architected high-volume data ingestion and scoring pipelines using C# and SQL Server.
  • Built standardized APIs enabling real-time partner and client integration.
  • Led and scaled a 28-person engineering organization, owning infrastructure and operational reliability.
  • Company exited via merger/acquisition in 2010.

January 2004 – June 2005

Tax Credit Company

Director of Engineering

Los Angeles, CA  ·  Experian Subsidiary

Experian subsidiary, 25 years in designing and executing tax credit strategies for enterprise companies.

  • Led engineering for enterprise tax-credit systems, overseeing end-to-end application design and delivery.
  • Built internal billing and reconciliation systems with integrations to QuickBooks and reporting platforms.
  • Applied GIS-based geocoding (ArcGIS) to optimize program eligibility, reducing staffing costs by $500K and resulting in a company patent.
  • Managed full SDLC and led a small engineering team delivering production systems.

2001 – 2003

World Link Media

Director of Engineering

Los Angeles, CA  ·  Broadcast / Direct Response

First sales representation organization dedicated to the Infomercial and Direct Response Media Business, established 1997.

  • Led engineering team modernizing broadcast scheduling and internal line-of-business systems.
  • Delivered workflow and reporting improvements that increased profitability and reduced ad pre-emptions by 17%.
  • Integrated Nielsen viewership data to improve demographic prediction and inventory utilization.

2000 – 2001

FirstLook

Manager of QA

Los Angeles, CA

  • Managed QA and performance engineering teams supporting large-scale web platforms.
  • Helped develop early interstitial web advertising technology, creating new publisher revenue models.
  • Established automated testing frameworks and performance standards.

1998 – 2000

Walt Disney Co

DevOps Engineer

Burbank, CA

  • Built internal deployment and imaging systems for consumer software across Mac and PC platforms.
  • Designed early DevOps-style build and deployment pipelines and introduced Scrum-based workflows before the methodology was mainstream.

Skills & Technologies

  • Security-First SaaS Architecture
  • Distributed Systems & APIs (REST, GraphQL)
  • Azure (Functions, Storage, SQL)
  • AWS & GCP
  • OpenStack & Ceph
  • Lustre Filesystem
  • Zero-to-One Product Development
  • Engineering Leadership & Mentorship
  • Fraud Detection & Traffic Scoring
  • AI-Assisted Document Analysis
  • Compliance-Driven Workflows
  • Risk & Auditability
  • Data Center Design & Migration
  • Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery
  • C# / .NET
  • SQL (MS SQL, MySQL)
  • Python
  • JavaScript
  • C++ & Embedded C
  • Azure / Office 365 / Okta
  • Carbon Black
  • SCCM
  • Juniper / Cisco IOS
  • NoSQL
  • GIS / ArcGIS
  • Project Management
  • Vendor & Partner Management
  • Cross-Functional Delivery

Education

B.S., Information Technology

A.S., Information Technology & Sociology

Languages Spoken

  • English
  • French
  • Dutch
  • German
  • Spanish
  • Greek

Certifications

Certifications are an important component of every engineer and are key to understanding the depth of their knowledge. This list is ever-growing.