Eric Ashman

I'm

TLDR;

    You hire me to solve hard technical problems and help move the business forward

    • I can code, plan, lead teams, and turn fuzzy ideas into working systems.
    • I am comfortable moving from strategy discussions down to infrastructure, deployment, and operational detail.

    These days, more of my work is concentrated around AI infrastructure and modern systems operations

    • I help organizations think through where AI workloads should run, how they should be operated, and what has to be in place to support them properly.
    • It is more of a shift in where the work is landing than a change in what I do well.

    I am good at bridging business goals and technical execution

    • I can translate between executives, operators, developers, and infrastructure teams without losing the plot.
    • I try to keep architecture, software, and operations tied to what the business actually needs.

    My work continues to span software, platform, and engineering leadership

    • Software engineering is still a big part of the picture, whether the problem is product, platform, integration, or operations.
    • My bias is toward practical systems, clear ownership, and execution that survives contact with production.

    I keep a builder's mindset and want to understand how things actually work.

    • That curiosity is what has pulled me from classic DevOps and cloud work into newer infrastructure challenges, including AI-oriented environments.
    • It also helps in situations where the technology and the business model are taking shape at the same time.

For a mock interview with me explaining how I think about technology leadership, infrastructure, and execution today, click here or use the Interview section on the left.

About

I have been working in technology for a long time, across software engineering, systems architecture, DevOps, mobile platforms, security, and team leadership in a bunch of different industries.

Right now, a bigger share of my work is on the infrastructure side of AI. That means compute environments, distributed systems, storage, automation, governance, and the day-to-day realities behind modern AI deployments.

My recent work across Flexnode and Apex Foundry has pulled me further into platform operations, systems engineering, and how to make AI-capable environments practical and reliable. To me, it feels like the latest chapter of the same kind of work I have always done.

That mix tends to be useful because most companies do not need someone who only sees one layer of the problem. They need someone who can connect strategy, software, infrastructure, and execution.

Technology, Infrastructure, and Engineering Leader

I have been building and operating technology systems for more than 30 years, with a lot of recent focus on infrastructure for AI and other mission-critical platforms.

I help organizations work through practical technology questions. Sometimes that is product and software delivery. Sometimes it is cloud, infrastructure, security, or operations. More and more, it is about where AI workloads fit into that picture. Here is the value I tend to bring:

    Strategy and Execution: I help shape the path from idea to implementation, including architecture, sequencing, tradeoffs, and delivery.

    Operational Systems: I care about the machinery that keeps systems useful after launch: Linux, storage, networking, monitoring, automation, CI/CD, security controls, and recovery planning.

    Hands-On Engineering: I stay close to the implementation when that is the best way to solve the problem, especially for integration, telemetry, internal tooling, and platform operations.

Details

Software engineering is still at the core of how I think. I use Ruby, JavaScript, Python, Bash, and Linux tooling to build products, integration layers, automation, and the internal systems that keep operations manageable.

Over the last few years, more of my time has gone toward infrastructure and operations: distributed systems, cloud and bare-metal environments, CI/CD, telemetry, security, and the practical work of running modern platforms well.

At Flexnode and now Apex Foundry, that has overlapped more and more with AI infrastructure and adjacent systems work. It is one of the places where my background in software, architecture, and technical leadership is showing up right now.

That combination is useful when a company needs someone who can move between application concerns, platform concerns, and operational realities without getting trapped in only one layer.

Flexibility remains one of my strongest traits - I can help shape the vision, guide the team, and get directly involved wherever I can be most useful.

Resume

I have spent my career leading teams, architecting systems, and operating critical platforms. More recently, the emphasis has leaned further toward AI infrastructure and modern systems operations within that broader software and platform background.

Recent Professional Experience

Apex Foundry
Remote
Current
Chief Technology Officer

I help shape Apex Foundry's technology and infrastructure strategy, with particular focus on enterprise AI compute, operational design, and the systems required to support modern workloads well.

The work brings together mission-critical systems engineering, governance, deployment discipline, and the software needed to observe and operate complex technical environments in regulated or latency-sensitive settings.

Flexnode
Bethesda, Maryland
Recent
Director, Systems

At Flexnode, I worked on modular digital infrastructure for high-performance compute environments, with emphasis on systems integration, automation, and operational reliability.

That role deepened my focus on the infrastructure layer beneath modern platforms, including AI-oriented environments: dense compute, distributed storage, control systems, remote operations, and repeatable deployment patterns.

Alematech LLC
Bethesda, Maryland
June 2012 – Present
Founder and Principal Consultant

Through Alematech, I advise and deliver across software, infrastructure, and operations, increasingly for businesses that need modern data and AI-adjacent systems rather than generic off-the-shelf tooling.

I bring hands-on execution, not just recommendations. That can mean coding, automation, platform design, operations review, or acting as the bridge between business stakeholders and the engineering teams doing the work.

My consulting work has been a useful proving ground for the same patterns that matter in AI infrastructure: reliable systems, clear operational ownership, durable integration, and pragmatic delivery.

I can also draw on a broad network of specialists across software, infrastructure, data, hardware, and IT when projects need expertise beyond a single leader or team.

Some recent client projects:

  • I've built and manage a custom platform for a large regional franchisee of a fast-casual restaurant chain. It processes nightly accounting data and ensures compliance with store procedures.
  • I've built a event management and community engagement platform for a significant event company which we is being spun off into its own business and product line.
  • I manage and maintain an AI-driven training platform for cyclists being used by people worldwide to train for races.
Gravy Work
Washington D.C. Metro Area
July 2019 – October 2021
Chief Technology Officer

Think of Gravy as Indeed for the hospitality industry. Workers and employers create and maintain a profile, find each other and transact with one another through a simple and easy-to-use mobile app.

I drove the technology strategy and execution for a mobile platform designed to revolutionize the hospitality industry's staffing needs.

Knowledge to Practice - K2P
Bethesda, Maryland
March 2016 – January 2019
Chief Technology Officer

As the CTO at Knowledge to Practice, I provided the technical leadership for K2P’s team of technologists and for our innovative e-learning technology platform, bringing 21st century learning products to physicians around the world.

Knowledge to Practice (K2P) are experts and innovative leaders in clinical education. They collaborate with academic medical centers to share their expertise with clinicians around the world.

Working with the Mayo Clinic’s cardiology and internal medicine groups, they are combining interactive live courses with adaptive online learning so the Mayo Clinic can offer clinicians the ability to learn directly from world-class thought leaders and faculty in a variety of settings - anytime, anywhere.

DrFirst, Inc.
Rockville, Maryland
May 2014 – March 2016
Mobile Product Team Leader / Chief Technologist

As the Chief Technologist at DrFirst, I worked with the CTO establishing best practices in Development Operations, Mobile Application Development, Continuous Integration, and Service Oriented Architecture for the next generation of DrFirst's products.

DrFirst supplies 40,000 providers and over 290+ EMR/EHR/HIS vendors with SaaS solutions for Medication History and e-Prescribing, Secure Messaging and Clinical Data Sharing, and Patient Behavioral Education and Medication Adherence.

KoolSpan
Bethesda, MD
October 2012 – March 2014
Vice President, Engineering

As KoolSpan's Vice President of Engineering, I lead the teams developing secure mobile communications software for use with KoolSpan’s TrustChip technology.

The TrustChip simply and intuitively transforms a standard smartphone, or any computing device, into a secure communication device using a purpose-built crypto processor designed into a standard micro SD package. KoolSpan delivers a full suite of security services including key management, authentication and encryption.

Nokia
Silver Spring, MD
September 2009 – October 2012
Director, Advertising Technology, Location & Commerce
Responsible for the development and implementation of the Nokia/NAVTEQ Media Solutions location-based mobile marketing and content delivery platform acquired from Acuity Mobile where I was VP of Engineering. The patented Embedded Mobile Advertising Platform (EMAP) enables the delivery of targeted content - advertisements, coupons, offers, news, etc. - directly to any mobile device based on the end-user's interests and location. Platform delivers content across all major platforms including iOS, Android, Symbian, Windows Mobile, and the mobile web. Also responsible for post-click content delivery for the Location Point Advertising platform, a Nokia product for delivering location-aware ads to users of maps, apps, and mobile web sites. The core platform is based on Acuity Mobile's technology which was acquired by NAVTEQ, a division of Nokia in September, 2009.
NAVTEQ
Silver Spring, MD
September 2009 – October 2012
Director, Advertising Technology, Location & Commerce
Acuity Mobile
January 2008 – September 2009
Vice President, Engineering
Acquired by Nokia/NAVTEQ in 2009, Acuity Mobile is a leading provider of mobile marketing solutions. Our patented Embedded Mobile Advertising Platform (EMAP) enables the delivery of targeted content - advertisements, coupons, offers, news, etc. - directly to any mobile device based on the end-user's interests and location. First developed in 2000 and awarded several patents in 2003, the EMAP Platform is a highly intelligent, secure solution that learns user preferences and ensures relevant and timely delivery of marketing offers and content. Led by an experienced management team and co-founded by Barry Glick, the founder of MapQuest, Acuity Mobile has an in-depth understanding of the concerns faced by marketers and content owners. The EMAP platform was developed to address those concerns and harness the power of mobile media to drive business.
Proteus
January 2002 – September 2007
Chief Technology Officer
As the CTO for Proteus, Inc., Eric leads the company's team of developers and engineers in designing and creating innovative solutions for media companies. Proteus' specialty is in using wireless technologies such as SMS, WAP, and J2ME to create the interactive television experiences of the future. With clients such as AT&T Wireless, Sprint, HBO, Cingular, Fox Sports, Univision, and ABC Television, Proteus technology is powering their wireless marketing and information campaigns during major media events each week.
Mars Music
January 2000 – June 2001
VP, Technology and Production
Eric also served as the Vice President of Production and Technology for MarsMusic.com, Eric managed the New York City production center for the Florida superstore retail chain. He handled the management of the technology infrastructure and the day-to-day production of web-based content on the site which is one of the premier destinations for musicians on the Internet.
USWeb DC
September 1996 – January 2000
Co-Founder
An enthusiastic entrepreneur, Eric was a co-founder and the Managing Partner for USWeb/CKS's Washington, DC practice, where he handled the oversight, operation, management and strategic direction of the division. After starting the DC location in 1996, he grew the division from just four individuals to over 100 strategists, programmers, and creative staff in less than three years. Eric was critical in the winning and development of clients such as Tower Records, Dsports.com, America Online's Shop@AOL, USAToday, USAirways and First USA's Wingspanbank, helping to grow his office's revenues to over $15 million annually by the year 2000.
Discovery Channel Online
June 1995 – September 1996
Senior Systems Engineer
Was a member of the launch team for Discovery Channel's flagship web site, one of the first large media concerns on the Internet. Helped maintain network and systems for major Internet publishing group. Coordinated technology purchases, system configurations, and Web server maintenance within the Digital Laboratories. Worked with SGI, Sun Sparc, Windows 95/ NT, Netscape Enterprise Server.

Skills

I combine software depth with infrastructure fluency. These are the areas I lean on most often when the work involves product delivery, platform operations, and increasingly, AI-oriented systems.

Infrastructure and Operations

Linux Systems Administration
GPU, Bare-Metal, and Edge Operations
AWS and Hybrid Cloud Architecture
Docker and Container Delivery
CI/CD, Automation, and Observability
Security, Governance, and IT Leadership

Software and Integration

Ruby on Rails and Internal Platforms
APIs, Control Planes, and Web Interfaces
JavaScript and Front-End Integration
Python and Systems Tooling
Shell Automation and Deployment Tooling
Databases and Distributed Data Services

Contact

Reach out if you are working on a software, infrastructure, platform, or AI-related problem that could benefit from experienced technical leadership.

Location:

Remote, with availability across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic from the Washington, DC area