My Experience
Software Engineer
City of Austin
Developing robust, scalable solutions for municipal infrastructure and public services.
Sr. Software Engineer
careforge.ai
Leading the development of a 24/7 AI-powered mental health platform dedicated to helping veterans thrive.
IT Tech Support Specialist
City of Austin
Supported public sector operations across Travis County, EMS, CapMetro, Fire, APD, and dispatch teams, helping keep critical systems and day-to-day technical workflows running smoothly.
Software Engineer Intern
IBM
Built software using IBM's MERN-based technology stack and led an Agile team of 4 to deliver project work collaboratively and on schedule.
With over 4+ years of professional experience across diverse stacks (React, Node, Python, C++, Java), I specialize in utilizing AI as a force multiplier—speeding up development and architectural drafting by 3x.
Recognition & Published Work
Outstanding Islander Graduate
Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi (College of Engineering)
Selected as a record-breaking graduate for technical resourcefulness, robotics leadership, and practical automation work. Recognized for improving CASA workflow speed by 60% with custom software.
Read Feature ArticlePublished Analysis: Using AI to Land Jobs
A practical research-style strategy for using modern AI tools to strengthen recruiting workflows, personal branding, and job search execution.
View PDFPublished Analysis: ChatGPT’s Data Collection
An ethics-focused analysis of rapid AI adoption, large-scale data collection, privacy tradeoffs, and responsible product development.
View PDFTechnical Arsenal
Systems I've Shipped
Featured
CareForge AI
Problem: Veterans need access to supportive mental health resources outside normal care windows.
System: A 24/7 AI-powered counselor and health coach platform built with ReactJS, Gatsby, FastAPI, and PostgreSQL.
Impact: Helps make mental health support more available, responsive, and scalable for veteran-focused care.
Visit Platform
Stellar Inventory
Problem: Inventory operations need faster item tracking without forcing teams through slow manual lookup workflows.
System: A Bluetooth-enabled inventory platform built with React Native, NodeJS, and MongoDB.
Impact: Gives operators a cleaner path to track assets and keep business workflows moving.
Visit PlatformPower Apps
EMS Deployment Gateway
Problem: Chiefs needed a faster way to monitor active deployments across personnel, positions, fleet, and finances using reliable operational data.
Fix: I built a custom Power Apps application that connects to our Inventory ETL SQL database, surfaces vehicle VIN details, and centralizes deployment tracking in one operational dashboard.
EMS RA CAD Events App
Problem: FDM RMS was being phased out, so the team needed an internal replacement without losing critical operational functionality.
Fix: I reverse engineered the existing workflow and rebuilt the experience as a Power App for internal use, preserving the process in a modern, maintainable solution.
EMS Lecture Workshop Power App
Problem: The process depended on a legacy spreadsheet-based workflow that was manual, outdated, and time-consuming to manage.
Fix: I replaced that old Excel-driven process with a modern Power App that fit into the team's current flow and made the operation hands off for roughly 70% of the time.
Public Tools
Free Utility APIs
Small, URL-driven tools for quick everyday workflows: QR generation, color conversion, and practical developer output without accounts or setup.
QR Generator API
Problem: People often need quick QR codes without accounts, dashboards, or paid tooling.
System: A free public QR generator that accepts text or links from the UI or URL parameters.
Impact: Makes a small, useful web utility available directly from amadolazo.com.
Open Tool
Color Converter API
Problem: Designers and developers often need quick color conversions while moving between CSS, design systems, and docs.
System: A free URL-driven tool that converts HEX into RGB and HSL with named recommended colors.
Impact: Makes color handoffs cleaner for public tools, landing pages, and interface experiments.
Open Tool
Color Picker
Problem: Sometimes you need to discover the color first before converting it into developer-ready values.
System: A visual picker with animated previews, HSL sliders, quick palettes, and copyable HEX, RGB, and HSL output.
Impact: Speeds up visual color selection for UI experiments, dashboards, and public tools.
Open ToolOther Projects
Currently Building
AI-Assisted Operator Tools
Using AI to accelerate planning, drafting, debugging, and workflow design while keeping human judgment in the loop.
Emergency Services Workflows
Building practical Power Apps and SQL-backed interfaces that help operational teams track people, vehicles, deployments, and internal processes.
Public Web Utilities
Shipping small, free tools like the QR Generator API that solve real everyday problems with minimal friction.
Operating Principles
The rules behind how I design, ship, and maintain software.
Build For Operators
Great software respects the people using it under pressure. Interfaces should reduce steps, surface the right data, and make the next action obvious.
Automate The Boring
Legacy workflows often hide the highest leverage. I look for repeated manual steps, brittle handoffs, and spreadsheet work that can become reliable systems.
Use AI With Judgment
AI is a force multiplier, not a substitute for ownership. I use it to move faster while still reviewing architecture, edge cases, and long-term maintainability.
Keep The System Understandable
Readable code, clear data flows, and simple interfaces are operational advantages. Complexity is only worth it when it pays rent.
Life Beyond Code
Balance is the key to sustainable engineering.
When I'm not architecting AI solutions or debugging complex systems, you'll find me exploring the outdoors or traveling. I believe that stepping away from the screen provides the clarity needed to solve the toughest technical challenges.
A moment from my travels in New Mexico — 2024
Freelance Services
Bespoke web solutions tailored to your unique needs.
Portfolios
Professional, minimalist, and AI-optimized portfolios designed to sell your skills. Perfect for engineers & creatives.
Startups
Fast MVPs, scalable frontend architecture, and robust API integrations to launch your idea quickly.
Businesses
SEO-ready, high-conversion landing pages and informative sites to grow your local presence and authority.
Ecommerce
Secure, modern online stores with seamless payment integration and intuitive inventory management.
Let's build something beautiful.
Open for discussions about software engineering, AI integration, or just to say hi.