James Benjamin Harris

• Exploring advanced embedded technologies related to data capture and AI perception in complex, real-world environments.

After 20 years in technology, I’m dedicating time to family as a girl dad while remaining active in applied research and technical work.

• Working on open-source projects in computer vision, finance, and embedded systems.
• Providing periodic advisory work with early-stage founders on architecture, data strategy, and product design.

• Financial Impact & Research: Directed research demonstrating the platform's automated computer vision could reduce municipal code enforcement staffing needs by 50%, projecting millions of dollars in scalable savings for city governments.
• Designed a scalable, cloud-native architecture using Django, React Native, Node, Kubernetes, Kafka, Tegola, and PostgreSQL.
• Built a geospatial database with PostGIS and a real-time data flow with NiFi and Kafka.
• Managed an image-annotation team and workflows using CVAT.
• Trained instance segmentation models and evaluated object-detection models using state-of-the-art architectures.
• Engineered 3D printed parts for an affordable data collection platform and built deployed public-facing geospatial maps.

• Financial Impact: Saved $250K in the first year alone through data governance policy implementations (a >200% ROI on annual salary), while designing automation systems projected to conservatively save an estimated $150K–$200K annually in subsequent years.
• Led multiple high-impact AI projects (NuisanceAI, Eviction Prediction, Fire Risk) across city government.
• Developed a solar-powered AI camera system to measure tennis-court usage; validated in pilot and transitioned to Parks & Recreation for production.
• Designed and implemented a central data repository (Dremio) and established enterprise data governance policies.
• Significantly contributed to Tulsa achieving "What Works Cities" Silver certification, improving the overall score by 80%.

• Financial Impact: Architected a scalable CPC+ Measure Engine that initially generated $1M+ annually. Adjusting for natural yearly value decay, it still generated over $3M across 3.5 years while requiring only 8 weeks of maintenance per year for two staff—delivering an estimated 2,700%+ ROI against base compensation.
• Designed and implemented the engine supporting a population of over one million members.
• Built a nine-node Elasticsearch cluster for advanced data analysis.
• Implemented data-quality validation frameworks and authored twenty-two formal validation reports.
• Developed data strategies for transitioning to cloud-based MPP systems.

Tulsa Data Science (TDS) is a volunteer-driven organization partnering with government and community organizations to solve applied problems using data science.

• Founded and managed the Tulsa Data Science Meetup.
• Led and mentored multidisciplinary teams on complex civic data projects.
• Organized monthly meetups, hands-on workshops, and hackathons focused on machine learning and civic tech solutions.
• Cited as an exemplary initiative by Mayor G.T. Bynum and actively assisted the City of Tulsa in obtaining the Engaged Cities Award.

• Financial Impact: Pitched and implemented a management control system yielding $3M in initial savings. Accounting for annual depreciation in cost-saving value, this generated an estimated $12.2M over 5 years—delivering an estimated 3,800% ROI against total 3-year compensation.
• Pioneered early advanced analytics by executing the company's first successful machine learning project and developing the initial physics-based model for drill string slip—foundational work that predated and foreshadowed the organization's broader strategic expansion into ML-driven drilling technologies.
• Architected and developed online/offline data collection applications and APIs.
• Built real-time and batch data-processing systems utilizing Kafka, Flink, NiFi, SSIS, and SQL Server.
• Conducted supervised-learning experiments and exploratory research in reinforcement learning and genetic programming.
• Contributed to the formulation of the company's enterprise data governance strategy.

• Held progressively responsible roles across federal, healthcare, academic, and private-sector environments.
• Developed and maintained enterprise applications using C#, VB.NET, and SQL Server.
• Engineered systems and infrastructure (Windows Server, SharePoint, Active Directory).
• Managed network design, security, and operations (Cisco IOS/CatOS, VLANs, wireless, firewalls).
• Responsible for the automation, monitoring, and backup of sensitive systems and data.
• Gained initial exposure to business analytics at CNI around 2011, building my first reports using Cognos BI.

Harvard Innovation Lab

VRNE.CO

Accepted into the Harvard Innovation Lab program and successfully awarded a grant to further develop civic tech solutions.

Chief Technology Officer

SPBX.com

Designed an analytics platform linking personal belief systems to political candidates; led probabilistic modeling, system architecture, and demand-based budgeting analysis.

Research Lead

Engineers Without Borders | Rio Bravo, Guatemala

Designed and executed qualitative and quantitative research on water quality perceptions. The final results directly supported the successful fundraising of nearly $100K for vital infrastructure improvements.

Founder & Chairman

OKC Ultimate

Founded a nonprofit organization promoting ultimate frisbee; led incorporation, governance, budgeting, and event execution.