ISRAEL AYOKUNNU

Professional Summary

Product-centric software engineer and technical leader with over a decade building full-stack platforms across fintech, healthtech, edtech, transport, and media. I've owned 30+ serverless microservices, designed sub-second analytics engines, and established delivery practices across distributed teams.

I am deeply committed to social enterprise and sustainability, building technology that prioritizes people and the planet over pure profit maximization. I specialize in scalable infrastructure, cost optimization, and engineering platforms for a good cause.

Key Skills

Professional Experience

• Designed and built the Engagement Hub - Capacity Engine, Pacing Engine, Creative Canvas (Tiptap + S3), and Google Keep-style draggable checklists
• Architected Analytics Engine v2.0 - "Analytics Flat" pattern enabling sub-second report rendering with hardened async Excel export pipeline (SQS → Lambda → S3 → SES)
• Led complete Knacklab → Mashoorah architecture migration resulting from brand acquisition, including VPC peering, and multi-account AWS infrastructure (CDK, Cognito custom domains, SSO)
• Infrastructure Cost Optimisation: Engineered custom Microsoft Graph/Google Calendar integrations to eliminate $10.7K/yr SaaS vendor fees, drove a 35x cost reduction via S3/CloudFront frontend refits, and reduced AWS data transfer costs by 80% through strategic VPC endpoint topologies

• Led feature development with design thinking - wireframing and prototyping in Figma before engineering, shaping product direction across web, mobile, and creator tools
• Built the real-time messaging system - DMs, group chats, unified chat orchestrator with hybrid state sync and terminal state reconciliation
• Created custom SSR engine ("Shadow Router") bridging Next.js static export with dynamic SEO injection, powering a 6-entity SEO stack with JSON-LD structured data
• Built community system with nested topics, threaded posts, access control, and unread tracking
• Built notification orchestration - dedicated redirects, unread count badges with memoized derivation across multiple data buckets
• Developed React Native mobile app (Expo) for iOS and Android
• Owned Billing API (Ruby on Rails + Stripe) - store, donations, and payment processing end-to-end
• Established Quality-First Delivery Practice - structured weekly cadence, feature flags by default, cross-platform verification protocol

• Mobile App Core Development: Led development for core mobile features, establishing critical architectural services that underpinned subsequent application functionality
• UI/UX Revamp: Directed a comprehensive redesign of the mobile application in collaboration with design operations, establishing standards that significantly improved consistency and aesthetics
• Hybrid Engineering: Developed robust cross-platform applications utilising frameworks including Ionic, Angular, and Python
• Pipeline Optimisation: Built Python automation scripts to streamline development workflows, asset generation, and deployment pipelines

• Rapid Progression: Promoted from Full-Stack Developer to Head of Engineering within 7 months, leading the entire technical division
• Platform Architecture: Architected and scaled 30+ serverless microservices - auth, email, analytics, sessions, assessments, surveys, scheduling, notifications, file uploads, and API gateway
• Architectural Leadership: Spearheaded all macro architectural decisions spanning from frontend component libraries to distributed microservice infrastructure
• CI/CD & DevOps: Pioneered the integration of automated CI/CD pipelines, streamlining zero-downtime deployment processes
• Backend Optimisation: Engineered backend services integrating Redis and RabbitMQ for data caching and efficient asynchronous message processing
• Delivered full EN/AR internationalisation with RTL layout support across all platform surfaces

• Enterprise Profiles: Spearheaded the strategic design and prototyping of UI/UX for enterprise profiles using JavaScript and AngularJS, directly enhancing deal flow vetting for emergent businesses
• Platform Optimisation: Took the lead in reimagining platform landing pages from scratch, resulting in a significant uptick in user engagement and conversion metrics
• Team Synergy: Collaborated proactively with cross-functional departments to ensure smooth implementation of new features within the ASP.NET MVC architecture

• Real-Estate Platform: Developed a user-centric property listing platform complete with a comprehensive management dashboard
• Language Learning App: Engineered a mobile application leveraging real-time video chat, enabling users to connect and learn based on preferences
• E-commerce Optimisation: Enhanced responsiveness and reduced load times for enterprise Shopify stores, resulting in improved conversion rates
• Client Delivery: Maintained a strong track record of successful full-stack deliverables and mentorship on cross-platform architectures (Angular/Ionic/Capacitor)

Ventures & Independent Products

• Eelrides - Sustainable transport platform (11 NestJS microservices, Next.js 14 frontend). Authored serverless migration playbook achieving 97% infrastructure cost reduction. 26,000-word strategy dossier.
• Finalmash - AI video reframing tool (live, deployed). Client-side MediaPipe face detection, FFmpeg in browser, "Zero-Choice UX."
• Polished - AI workplace communication tool (live, deployed). Next.js 15, Cognito auth, Stripe monetization.
• Reelly - Nollywood and African cinema review platform. Netflix-style content management, search relevance boosting, admin dashboard.
• ChefFromChat - AI-powered recipe generator and grocery intelligence platform. TanStack Query, Amazon Associates monetization.
• Primal Journal - Academic publishing platform with CrossRef integration. 9 backend microservices, CI/CD pipeline.
• ThesisOS - AI academic writing environment. Full product spec, feature matrix, pricing model, implementation plan.
• EndoGuard - PCOS digital health safety system. Submitted as ARU enterprise module coursework.
• Assemblage - Product incubation studio cataloguing 85+ software products across business, consumer, and developer tools.

Education

Community & Leadership

• Campaign Lead - ARU × Change Please Foundation: Led £10K crowdfunding campaign for social enterprise combating homelessness through barista training. Delivered keynote at Iftar event (90+ attendees).
• Founder - ARU Chapter, Plant-Based University Europe: Built 50,000-word intelligence toolkit, campaign strategy, and organisational playbook.
• President - Impact Lab (ARU Society): Led student society focused on social impact. Developed Python automation tools for stakeholder discovery; designed professional brand identity and pitch materials.