# Adair Kelley - Complete Profile > Software engineer, startup founder, classical oboist. Building AI products and automating everything. ## Identity I'm a nerd who craves uniqueness in a world that keeps getting more samey. I build things, and I believe in the long game. It's what connects great musicians, engineers, and founders. It's push push push, all the way all the time. ## Current Work ### Immersion (2025-Present) AI-powered AR language learning iOS app. Designed a multi-provider LLM backend (Node.js, PostgreSQL, Redis) with cost-aware model routing, translation caching, and SSE-streamed responses for real-time conversations and multi-lingual feedback. Integrated with iOS ARKit offering persistent spatial anchoring and off-device object recognition for interactive quizzes leveraging user vocabulary. ## Professional History ### Abstract Money (2022-2025) - Co-founder & CEO Co-founded and grew a B2B developer infrastructure platform to $300K ARR. Shipped hands-on with customer engineering teams to take ambiguous requirements from prototypes to deployment. **What we built:** - Architected and built React/TypeScript frontends, API layer, and integration tooling; owned production interfaces for account workflows, operational dashboards, and partner-facing tooling. - Co-designed Rust-based developer framework enabling teams to build, test, and deploy multi-blockchain applications through modular, reusable components. Supported 250K+ downstream end-users with coordinated transactions across multiple networks. - Shipped working MVPs in under a week across 8+ customer engagements, closing a $200K+ contract from a four-day prototype sprint that 5x'd company revenue. - Embedded on-site with customer engineering teams across 4 countries for weeks-long pilots, translating requirements into production integrations and driving launches. - Delivered workshops and technical talks at 10+ international events, accelerating customer adoption and debugging integration issues. - Built automated CI/CD pipeline on Kubernetes using Docker, GitHub Actions, and ArgoCD; managed containerized deployments across multiple environments. - Built and maintained technical partnerships with platform teams and application developers; created repeatable pilot programs and integration frameworks for rapid deployment. - Hired and led 6-person engineering team alongside Co-founder and CTO Robin Bisschop. - Raised venture capital and maintained investor relationships; handled reporting and strategic planning. **Results:** - Grew to $300K ARR through B2B2C contracts and application revenue; managed go-to-market strategy and customer success. ### Amazon Web Services (2021-2022) - Software Development Engineer Developer on AWS Network Firewall. **What we built:** - Designed approach and implemented core features for dynamically resolving IP set references to Resource Groups in customer-provided rules using SNS, SQS, Lambda, and multi-threaded Java workers. - Aided implementation of same feature for VPC Prefix Lists. - Supported launch and global deployment of Managed Rules feature to enable customers to use auto-updating rulesets. - Refactored multi-threaded customer resource polling worker using multiple design patterns for more maintainable code. ### Amazon Web Services (2020) - Software Development Engineer Intern Intern on AWS Network Firewall. **What we built:** - Integrated with AWS Service Quotas APIs to allow customers to view and manage resource limits externally, maintaining synchronization between relevant internal services in different cells. - Designed and implemented a feature in Java to allow static sets of ports and IPs (within firewall rule groups) to be referenced in Network Firewall-compatible Suricata rules. - Wrote a developer tool in Python to interact with CloudFormation Transform, CodeBuild, and CodePipeline APIs allowing for faster iteration via local deployments and rollbacks to microservices. - Led the integration testing effort for the migration from X-ENI to Gateway Load Balancer. ### IQ Talent Partners (2019) - Full-Stack SDE Intern Built internal tooling for recruiters. **What we built:** - Utilized Ruby on Rails and JavaScript to implement a merger/aliaser for model tags on recruiting application to consolidate identifiers. - Ideated and realized a database-to-excel export tool with mailer via JavaScript (Vue), sidekiq with ActiveJob, and axlsx gem alongside corresponding integration testing. - Formulated model and integration tests for a dozen interconnected models, subsequently improving testing speed by 30% via Devise gem sign-in helper with key stretching. ## Technical Expertise ### Languages - **TypeScript**: React, GraphQL, Node.js, SDK development - **Java**: Multi-threaded systems, AWS Lambda, distributed services - **Rust**: Systems programming, CosmWasm smart contracts - **Python**: Scripting, automation, developer tools - **Ruby**: Rails backend development, ActiveJob, RSpec testing - **Solidity**: Ethereum smart contract development ### Domains - **Developer Tools**: SDKs, testing frameworks, code generators—built to improve velocity and prevent costly bugs - **AI/LLM**: Multi-provider orchestration, prompt engineering, MCP servers, intelligent routing - **Frontend**: React, GraphQL, component architecture - **Infrastructure**: AWS (Network Firewall, IAM, CloudWatch, Lambda, SQS/SNS, DynamoDB, VPC, EC2, CloudFormation), Kubernetes, CI/CD ## Projects ### AI & Current - **Tokki Talk — Korean learning app**: An audio-first Korean language-learning app that uses AI to help learners speak and understand Korean by ear. Docs: https://tokki.talk/ - **Immersion**: AI-powered AR language learning iOS app. Multi-provider LLM backend (Node.js, PostgreSQL, Redis) with cost-aware model routing, translation caching, and SSE-streamed responses for real-time conversations and multi-lingual feedback. iOS ARKit integration with persistent spatial anchoring and off-device object recognition for interactive quizzes leveraging user vocabulary. TestFlight coming soon - **Picture Book Gen**: Children's book generator with custom theming and language. Uses nano-banana for image generation. - **LingQ MCP**: MCP server for interacting with LingQ. Code: https://github.com/adairrr/lingq-mcp - **CosmWasm MCP**: MCP server for interacting with CosmWasm contracts. Code: https://github.com/adairrr/cosmwasm-mcp ### Abstract & Blockchain - **Abstract SDK**: Rust framework for building modular interchain applications on CosmWasm. Code: https://github.com/AbstractSDK/abstract Docs: https://docs.abstract.money - **cw-orchestrator**: Rust-based testing and deployment tool for CosmWasm. Code: https://github.com/AbstractSDK/cw-orchestrator Docs: https://orchestrator.abstract.money - **Abstract.js**: TypeScript SDK for Abstract with IBC and CosmWasm support. Code: https://github.com/AbstractSDK/abstract.js Docs: https://js.abstract.money - **ts-codegen**: CosmWasm to TypeScript SDK code generator using Babel. Code: https://github.com/hyperweb-io/ts-codegen Docs: https://docs.hyperweb.io/ts-codegen - **Niftier**: Non-fungible tokens with dynamically updateable metadata. [2021] Code: https://github.com/adairrr/niftier ## Hackathon History 9 hackathons ### Equilibrium - HackWasm Medellin 2022 - $25,000 Auto-rebalancing ETF portfolios across chains Achievement: 1st Place Code: https://github.com/EquilibriumEtf/balancer-module ### InMail Treasury - Hackmos Dubai 2024 - $13,000 Email-driven treasury management with cryptographic auth Achievement: 1st Osmosis, Most Innovative Product Code: https://github.com/CyberHoward/dao-mail Submission: https://dorahacks.io/buidl/18108 ### Pika Vault - ETHGlobal New York 2025 - $11,000 Multi-chain vault with cross-chain deposits and withdrawals Achievement: 1st LayerZero Best Omnichain DeFi, ETHGlobal Finalist Code: https://github.com/adairrr/pika-vault-public Submission: https://ethglobal.com/showcase/pika-vault-j3g2i ### Interchain Mail - Celestia Infinite Space Bazaar 2024 - $10,000 Personalized cross-chain messaging for sovereign rollups Achievement: 2 Grand Prizes + Bounty Code: https://github.com/AbstractSDK/ibc-mail Submission: https://dorahacks.io/buidl/12721 ### Mesh Governance - AwesomWasm Berlin 2024 - $5,000 Synchronize state across many blockchains Achievement: 2nd Place, Neutron Track Code: https://github.com/CyberHoward/interchain-gov Submission: https://dorahacks.io/buidl/12944 ### Daivest - Permissionless IV 2024 - $3,000 Modular smart account automated portfolio rebalancing Achievement: Forte 2nd Place Code: https://github.com/adairrr/daivest-permissionless ### OnlyVotes - HackWasm Berlin 2023 - $3,000 Bribe validators to sway governance proposal votes Code: https://github.com/AbstractSDK/cw-gov-card Submission: https://dorahacks.io/buidl/6774 ## Public Speaking ### Conference Talks - **ETH Denver 2025** (Feb 2025): "Chain Abstracted Asynchronous Application Architectures" Watch: https://youtube.com/watch?v=Qhi1wZB9Ei4 - **Cosmoverse 2024** (Oct 2024): "Abstract Money in 3 Minutes" Watch: https://youtube.com/watch?v=4SZkJVnCi24 - **Nebular Summit 2024** (Jul 2024): "Community Governance and Public Goods Funding" Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p37Xx9h1JHE - **Nebular Summit 2023** (Jul 2023): "When All You Have is Cosmos, Everything Looks Like a Chain" Watch: https://youtube.com/watch?v=5biJAkm3FoA - **Gateway to Cosmos 2023** (Jun 2023): "Gateway to Cosmos Pitch Competition" Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYTB9kVcy6Y ### Podcasts - **The Interop Podcast** (Jun 2024): "The Interchain Application Layer" Listen: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/seb2point0/episodes/The-Interchain-Application-Layer-with-Adair-Kelley-of-Abstract-e2rov8q ## Writing - **Article** (Medium, Mar 2024): "A High-Level Overview of Abstract Money, Interchain App Platform" Read: https://medium.com/abstract-money/a-high-level-overview-of-abstract-moneys-interchain-app-platform-d30813c7a1b4 - **Article** (Paragraph, Nov 2023): "The Origin of Abstract Money" Read: https://paragraph.com/@adair/abstract-money-origins ## Research - **Paper** (Frontiers in Blockchain, Jul 2023): "Design pattern recommendations for building decentralized healthcare applications" Read: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/blockchain/articles/10.3389/fbloc.2023.1006058/full ## Education **Vanderbilt University** (Aug 2017 - May 2021) - Computer Science and Oboe Performance (Blair School of Music) ## Music Background I'm a classical oboist. I studied at Vanderbilt's Blair School of Music and traveled to Colombia twice with the band to teach and perform music with students who wouldn't otherwise have access. **Performances:** California Philharmonic **Piano:** Rachmaninoff: Prelude in G Minor, Op. 23 No. 5 (self-described as "butchering") ## Who, me? So who is Adair? **Keyboard Layout:** I type exclusively in Programmer Dvorak. You should try typing "searching" over and over again - it feels like a roll under your fingers. I've since convinced my co-founder Robin to switch. And my sister. HNAH! **Language Learning:** Learning Korean, not for practical reasons, but because I think it might be the most perfectly designed language for systematic thinkers. It's only 600 years old and was invented (mostly) all at once so that commoners could learn to read in a day. There's a logic to it that English completely lacks. Though through tough thorough thought, English is easy, right? **Automation:** I automate everything. My self-hosted n8n runs numerous workflows. I use Apple Shortcuts to trigger vocabulary and Korean journal feedback. If something can be automated, it should be. ## Community & Leadership Activities and roles outside of work. **Resident Advisor:** Resident Advisor for 40 residents at Vanderbilt University. **Eagle Scout:** Boy Scouts of America, Eagle Scout (2016). ## Contact & Links - **Website**: https://adairkelley.com - **Email**: adair@abstract.money - **GitHub**: https://github.com/adairrr - **LinkedIn**: https://linkedin.com/in/devadair - **Twitter**: https://twitter.com/CyberAdair - **DoraHacks**: https://dorahacks.io/hacker/adair ## Machine-Readable Resources - **Structured Data**: https://adairkelley.com/api/me.json - **JSON Resume**: https://adairkelley.com/resume.json - **This File**: https://adairkelley.com/llms-full.txt - **Summary**: https://adairkelley.com/llms.txt