James W. Farnham IV (jwf4)

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ABOUT ME

Personal Summary: Driven by curiosity and clarity, I focus on solving tough problems early—using technology, collaboration, and practical experimentation to move ideas forward in meaningful ways.

For nearly three decades, I’ve worked across software, hardware, and operations as a Developer, Engineer, Operations Manager, and entrepreneur. I’m at my best turning ambiguity into direction—designing proof-of-concepts, validating ideas, and helping teams focus on what truly matters.

As a full-stack technologist, I’ve led projects from early sketches through working systems, blending cloud platforms, embedded systems, and practical engineering judgment. I enjoy learning new tools—especially AI—and applying them thoughtfully to real business problems, not noise.

Equally important to me is how work gets done. I value strong relationships, open communication, and building teams that trust one another. I take pride in mentoring people, aligning work to individual strengths, and creating environments where collaboration and ownership thrive.

I’ve learned the most during difficult periods—tight budgets, shifting priorities, and limited resources. These experiences reinforced the importance of steady leadership, tact, and persistence. By staying calm, creative, and focused, I’ve helped teams continue delivering results even when conditions were far from ideal.

Outside of work, I value family, curiosity, and experiences that challenge perspective—because the same mindset that navigates storms applies just as well to building resilient systems and teams.

Education:

Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics and Statistical Analysis
Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS

Certifications:

AWS Cloud Practitioner - Acheived 12/2019

Recent Highlights:

Led the creation of the EVO-CORE platform, defining a streamlined, cost-effective in-car video solution through rapid prototyping and system-level design.
Designed and built AI-driven prototypes using OpenAI and Whisper, including a personal recording tool to extract and summarize actionable items.
Developed proof-of-concept solutions leveraging AWS Bedrock LLMs to evaluate practical, production-ready AI use cases for Digital Ally.
Initiated and guided internal proof-of-concept efforts to assess emerging technologies early and reduce risk before production investment.

Technical Skills

Core Platforms & Systems

Amazon Web Services (Bedrock, EC2, S3, RDS, Lambda, API Gateway, CloudWatch, IAM, Serverless)
AI & LLM Prototyping (OpenAI, CoPilot, Whisper, AWS Bedrock)
System Architecture, Feasibility & Proof-of-Concept Design

Application & Backend Development

Node.js, JavaScript, TypeScript
RESTful API Design & Integration (JSON)
SQL, Data Modeling, Relational Databases
CI/CD Pipelines, Git, GitHub

Embedded, Hardware & Rapid Prototyping

Embedded Systems (Arduino, Espressif, Raspberry Pi)
PCB Design & Electrical Circuit Design
3D Modeling & Rapid Prototyping (FDM / SLA Printing)
Telemetry, Sensors, and System Integration

Supporting Technologies

Vue.js, Express.js, Electron
Linux Environments & Application Debugging
Media Processing & Automation (FFmpeg)

28+ Years Work Experience

20+ Full Web Applications

25+ PCB Designs

5 Patents as Inventor

1 Companies Sold

WORK EXPERIENCE

Digital Ally Inc. Lenexa, KS Jan 2014 – Present

Vice President of Engineering (2024 – Present)

Lead engineering across software, hardware, manufacturing, and IT, aligning execution with business priorities, budgets, and operational constraints.
Partner with executive leadership to evaluate tradeoffs, prioritize initiatives, and guide engineering decisions during periods of financial pressure.
Provide steady leadership through organizational change, maintaining delivery momentum and team morale.

Director of Software (2019 – 2024)

Led software engineering teams delivering cloud platforms, embedded systems, and internal tools for law enforcement and commercial customers.
Drove development of EVO GovCloud and FleetVu Manager through hands-on leadership and architectural guidance.
Mentored engineers, shaped development practices, and balanced delivery with long-term system sustainability.

Web Application Manager(2016 – 2019)

Built and scaled cloud-based evidence management and video platforms using AWS services and modern web technologies.
Led early adoption of cloud-native architecture, APIs, and telemetry pipelines.

Web Application Developer (2014 – 2016)

Developed and maintained web applications supporting evidence management, customer workflows, and internal operations.
Worked closely with product and operations teams to translate requirements into reliable, production systems.

Consulting Engineer SmartMed USA From: June 2012 To: Dec 2013

Created the schematics, designed the printed circuit boards (PCBs), populated the PCBs, tested the circuits, wrote the embedded software, and developed the web application associated with SmartMed's first product, the StatPAP.
Developed bi-level, flow-based breathing algorithms to allow the StatPAP, with less parts, to emulate more complicated ventilators lowering the product's cost.
Helped to implement SmartMed's engineering quality control process before submitting to the FDA.
Wrote custom embedded libraries in C/C++. Developed telemetry solutions using both WiFi and cellular technology.

President and Lead Engineer Zebo Corporation From: Nov 2010 To: June 2012

Oversaw the engineering and development of the Zebo product line.
Programmed the database-driven Zebo web application portal to which all Zebo products send their data.
Worked with several radio technologies including Sub-1GHz systems, WiFi, and ZigBee as well as various cellular technologies with emphasis on M2M communications and reliable remote telemetry.
Assisted with the creation of Zebo's accounting system, customer service process, and pertinent legal documents.
Assisted marketing by creating marketing materials, preparing and giving demonstrations, and organizing strategies.

Operations Manager The Farnham Company From: Nov 2001 To: Nov 2010

Organized and maintained the properties TFC managed from an operating perspective.
Created TFC's web-based, database-driven business management application. It included work request tracking, scheduling, contact managing, work order billing, and team coordinating.
Scheduled proper maintenance and inspections for the building's systems, resolved tenant issues, and handled emergencies.
Managed projects of different sizes from conception to completion. Defining the project's scope, scheduling resources, gathering bids, and reporting were involved with most of these projects.
Supervised and trained maintenance employees employed by TFC.

Continued on my resume... Download Resume

Some of the Web Applications and Products I've created.
Click on the links below for details.