Ryan Lackey
ryan@venona.com

An opportunity to apply computing, communications, and cryptographic technologies to real-world problems.

• Architecting, deploying, and operating mobile voice/data networks (GSM, UMTS) and developing and deploying premium mobile data and voice applications across carrier networks
• Formation and management of start-up technical teams, including multinational distributed projects
• Payment systems design, implementation, and deployment, including anti-fraud measures, regulatory compliance, and integration with existing networks
• Entrepreneurship in the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia
• Technical defense contracting, including requirements development, winning contracts, and program management
• Conflict-zone operations, including logistics, intelligence, communications, security, and finance
• Secure facilities/infrastructure design for high reliability, availability, and maintainability
• Secure application architecture -- distribution for tamper-resistance, replication for performance and reliability, multiparty administrative control
• Designing agoric solutions to non-traditional problems
• Technical sales and sales engineering, particularly in the security and Internet arenas
• Legal and technical structuring to comply with crypto export/technology transfer, financial reporting, and taxation regulations
• Security review/penetration testing from open-source publications, vendor inquiries, or system access
• Re-engineering existing systems and processes for high security, reliability, availability, and maintainability
• Extensive involvement with the next generation of open systems financial technology, including electronic cash and automated markets
• Implementing reference versions of current research in cryptology and electronic cash

Social Media Networks, Inc. (Winter 2007 - Present)

Worked with an experienced team of advertising industry veterans to deploy new advertising technologies on social networks. Kept services running with minimum downtime despite constant functionality upgrades and a rapidly-evolving application. Improved server infrastructure, adding application-specific load balancing, reliability and monitoring improvements, and implemented MySQL sharding and replication to support data-intensive realtime operations. Evaluated mobile and mobile payments technologies, vendors, and strategies.

Blue Iraq (Winter 2004 - Winter 2007)

Founded and led a communications company operating in conflict zones and emerging markets, starting with the satellite and wireless market for DoD and Contractor customers in Iraq. Bootstrapped operations from a handful of initial clients and leased facilities. Arranged financing, vendor relationships, and deployed redundant facilities. Negotiated with the DoD and Iraqi Government, and expanded operations into other countries in the Middle East and North Africa. Developed new technology for the satellite industry, and expanded into the end-user consumer voice market.

SSI Iraq (Summer 2004 - Winter 2004)

Responsible for developing new products, business relationships, and managing major multi-site clients from initial contact throughout entire relationship, in the challenging and rapidly changing reconstruction Iraq market. Rebranded company, and developed a comprehensive marketing and technical plan to go after the US DoD/western contractor market. Built substantial relationships with DoD and Contractor customers. Transitioned to an outside contractor in order to implement this plan with external capitalization.

metacolo (Winter 2002 - Summer 2004)

Founder of a distributed global network of technical and business infrastructure, allowing Internet-based businesses to pick and choose from 16+ jurisdictions around the world for incorporation, financial transaction processing, and secure servers with reliable network bandwidth. Negotiated with local business partners, governments, and global technology providers, managed technology development, and supervised and coordinated infrastructure roll-out in multiple locations in parallel. Developed operations and marketing plans, and directed ongoing sales, publicity, and operations. Also directed consulting efforts, both leading contracts in RFID payments and cryptographic applications, and managing other contracts for network implementation, security audits, and application development.

HavenCo (Summer 1999 - Winter 2002)

Founder and CTO of a global colocation company designed to provide the best secure, reliable, high-performance colocation in a variety of regulatorily interesting jurisdictions worldwide. Participated in development of business concept, business plans, and budget from the founding of the company through the present. Responsible for all technical aspects of the company, and hired/managed development and operations staff. Developed and implemented anti-DDoS high-speed global network architecture, tamper-resistant server computer technology, and a highly manageable, high density, low marginal administration server architecture. Additionally, attracted and managed several major press contacts, including the cover of Wired Magazine and an interview with Slashdot, which helped raise HavenCo's visibility. Also negotiated aggressive discount/payment/financing terms with several vendors despite limited trading history and offshore incorporation.

Systemics AI (Summer 1998 - Spring 1999)

Co-founded an Anguillan operation to develop electronic payment systems for the Internet. Architecture and initial implementation of an anonymous privacy-protecting electronic cash system, as well as development of a schema of electronic cash systems and several novel protocols. Designed and constructed a datacenter with redundant power, redundant cooling, firewalling, and multi-site networking in a country where importation of ordinary equipment is difficult to impossible.

Venona Secure Solutions (1994 - 1998)

Conducted security reviews for a variety of clients, as well as consulted with a range of startups in the areas of applications and systems architecture for security as well as regulatory compliance. Participated in several open source software efforts and attended conferences to stay current on developments in security and open systems. Major projects included developing design requirements, specification, and implementation plans for a major electronic cash project still underway. including facilities, network infrastructure, and some of the application software.

MIT Media Lab Wearable Computing Project (1996)

As an undergraduate research student, worked to implement advanced 3-d imaging technology on a wearable platform. Developed system to distribute high-computation parts of the application over a heterogeneous farm of high-end UNIX workstations. Additionally, did general UNIX systems administration and Linux hacking to adapt Linux to a wearable embedded computing platform with video I/O and wireless communications.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Summer 1995 - Fall 1997)

Enrolled as an undergraduate/M.Eng. student from 1995 through 1997, beginning with advanced standing due to prior work. Primarily took courses in advanced mathematics, computer science, and cryptography. In-depth participation in MIT Entrepreneur's Club and $50k New Venture competition. Additionally, worked on developing user documentation and user technical support in a volunteer computer service organization. Did not complete degree due to financial pressure; left to move to Anguilla, British West Indies to participate in a startup venture.