Phil Scales

BANZAI LABS

BANZAI LABS

Banzai Labs has created more than 90 original iOS with top selling and featured titles across every category of the iTunes app store.

• Startup type: Company
• Status: Active
• Stage: Growth

As Founder and CEO of Banzai Labs Phil has consulted for several startups and established technology companies, including Rocksteady Networks, Tengo Internet, Bluespace, Kapow Technologies and Internal Machine Industries, designing and developing new products and services. He also developed the ONRatings Social Reviews Platform that poweres CareerVote.com, BanzaiApp.com and Blogzai.com. In addition to web applications he develops applications for the iPhone, including the iPhaser, www.iPhaser.com.

Previously, as Chief Architect and Senior Director of R&D for Kapow Technologies he founded, as part of 2-person team, Kapow's Austin R&D, sales and support center. He developed the OnDemand Service business model and sales/marketing strategy for mobile and digital media, developed the first Kapow OnDemand product, and brought in business in the mobile and media/entertainment fields. Within 2 quarters of launch it was a profitable enterprise, accounting for 25% of new revenue, with customers in the mobile, media, business intelligence and web 2.0 markets.

Prior to joining Kapow, as Director of Mobile Applications for Volantis Content Services, he Architected and Managed the Mobile Video Platform giving content providers the ability to manage, syndicate and deliver transcoded video to thousands of mobile devices. He also designed mobile media and entertainment applications for ABC and CBS, and developed carrier products for AT&T and other international mobile operators.

Employer:	Banzai Labs, Inc
Position:	Founder/Principal
Time period:	January 2002 - Present
Description:	· Consulting Architect: BlueSpace Inc. Provided architecture consulting services to improve the performance and maintainability of the BlueSpace secure email platform. · Ruby on Rails: Developed applications in Ruby on Rails, including “Banzai Ratings”, a highly configurable platform for creating and managing niche social rating, review and tagging communities. · Social Networking: Built mybootstrap.com, a community where bootstrap entrepreneurs communicate and collaborate. [Ruby on Rails, AJAX, Javascript, Java, J2EE]

Employer:	Banzai Labs
Position:	Founder/Principal
Time period:	January 2002 - Present
Description:	Banzai Labs (www.banzailabs.com) assists software companies with developing new products and extending current technologies into new markets. Clients have included: Software Architect: Internal Machine Industries Together with IMI developed an interactive, real-time mobile market research product based on Internal Machine’s Interactive Cinema technology. · Mobile: Developed multi-threaded client-server extensions enabling an interactive presentation experience, integrating a Pocket PC device interface for users, multi-media content, and a realtime control, feedback and analysis interface. · Web-based Market Research Application: Developed an HTML/JSP/Servlet interface for realtime market research, reporting, and conjoint analysis to dynamically determine marketing preferences during the presentation. [Java, J2EE, XML, Java Client/Server, ActiveX, C++, .NET, DHTML, PocketPC, Turbine, Torque, MySQL, SQL] Software Architect: Rocksteady Networks Inc Working with the Rocksteady team designed and built a centrally managed 802.11b WISP (Wireless ISP) product, based on Rocksteady's Linux-based Managed Network Edge Server product. The project required extensive work with Linux firewalls, networking and security, as well as web interface development. · Secure Wi-Fi ISP Platform: Extended Rocksteady’s core product to include centralized session, user, and billing management. · Wi-Fi ISP Implementation: Developed user interface and customer specific billing options for the first customer of the WISP product, Tengo Internet. [802.11b, Wireless Security, iptables, SSH, VPN, Open Source Security, Linux, Apache, Perl, PHP, LDAP, OpenLDAP, XML, SQL, Javascript, HTML, DHTML, RH Linux 7.x]

Employer:	Kapow Technologies
Position:	Chief Architect, Senior Director R&D
Time period:	July 2007 - November 2008
Description:	Hired by Kapow Technologies as part of a 2-person startup team to create the Austin R&D, Sales and Support office of Kapow Technologies to focus on the development of the company’s first SaaS and OnDemand product offerings. Developed the business model and architecture for Kapow OnDemand. In 6 months developed and launched the OnDemand collaborative web data-extraction, webservice-enablement and content syndication platform. In the first full quarter of launch acquired customers in mobile, business intelligence, media, web 2.0 and consumer product aggregation. Directly involved in bringing in new business, partners and vendors and developed the company’s mobile sales strategy for webservice-enablement. Within first year of launch Kapow OnDemand accounted for 25% of new revenue. Built and managed the OnDemand R&D and Deployment team. Using an Agile development methodology produced 5 major product releases in 6 months delivering advanced capabilities such as webservice scheduling and automated webservice-to-database persistence. [Ruby on Rails, AJAX, Javascript, Java, J2EE]

Employer:	Volantis Systems
Position:	Director of Mobile Applications, Content Services; Senior Researcher, Special Projects; Senior Technical Consultant, Professional Services
Time period:	July 2005 - July 2007
Description:	· Mobile Video Platform: Architected and Project Managed the Volantis Content Services Mobile Video Platform. The platform enabled customers to manage video and associate content feeds, define transcoding and publication rules and render a customizable mobile video experience. · Sales-Support: Provided business development and sales support designing solutions, mobile user-experiences and technical integrations. Co-developed proposals and demos for top tier media companies and content providers. · Oscars Mobile for ABC: Solution Architect for the Oscars Mobile for ABC. · CBS Mobile: Solution Architect and Project Manager for CBS News Mobile Video and CBS Sportsline Mobile Video. · Mobile Social Networking: Solution Architect for a Mobile Social Networking and Social Media application for CBS. · MySpace Mobile: Developed a working prototype of MySpace Mobile for Fox Interactive Media and MySpace. [Java, Web Services, Mobile Web design and implementation] Senior Researcher, Special Projects – 10 months · Mobile RSS Client and Homescreen: Developed a mobile AJAX-based homescreen application that delivered syndicated RSS feed content to an integrated device menu and content carousel. The client targeted Netfront, Mobile IE and Opera Mobile. · Mobile AJAX: Developed numerous mobile AJAX clients including fully functional Amazon.com and eBay clients for the Opera Platform and Netfront that featured a full compliment of Javascript visual effects ported to mobile. · Ruby on Rails RSS Feed Syndicator: Developed a Ruby on Rails application to create, bundle, manage and syndicate RSS and Atom feeds for delivery to mobile subscribers. Feeds could be organized into channels, bundles and tag groups, contextual advertising could be inserted to feeds and pricing models defined for premium bundles. [Ruby on Rails, AJAX, Javascript, Access Netfront, Java, Web Services] Senior Technical Consultant, Professional Services – 8 months · Hearst CosmoMobile: Developed Mobile Web Applications for content providers such as Hearst Publishing (Cosmo Mobile, CosmoGirl Mobile, 17 Magazine). · Wireless Carrier Solutions: Developed mobile solutions for network operators such as Turkcell (Primary mobile carrier in Turkey) and Cingular Wireless. · Mobile AJAX RSS Client: Developed the prototype AJAX-based RSS feed carousel for Cingular to be integrated into the device homescreen. [Ruby on Rails, AJAX, Javascript, Access Netfront]

Employer:	Powered Inc.
Position:	Principal Architect
Time period:	May 2004 - June 2005
Description:	Together with a small team of developers completed the 7.0 and 7.1 versions of the Powered educationbased marketing and campaign management platform. Focus included content management, opt-in workflow, and delivery, backend J2EE infrastructure development, and front-end JSP development. In addition to product development, also implemented Education-based Marketing portals for CNET Hewlett-Packard and Atkins. [J2EE, Servlets, JSP, JSTL, Struts, XML, Resin, Oracle SQL]

Employer:	360Commerce
Position:	Technical Lead/Senior Java Developer
Time period:	March 2003 - May 2004
Description:	Technical Lead/Senior Developer, FedEx/Kinko’s Production Management Led a team of 6 developers and built a complete Enterprise Production Management System for FedEx/Kinko’s in 6 months. The Swing/EJB-based system took in print/media services orders from customers, eCommerce systems, and other branches. It generated job tickets, and provided employees with an interface to manage the complete order lifecycle, schedule jobs to various machines, outsource them, and even share jobs out to dozens of other branches while splitting up revenue based on a bidding system between branches. The systems integration required management interfaces running on store registers and production consoles, all managed by EJB branch servers, which communicated with a central Weblogic Server and Legacy systems via Webmethods to manage orders, transaction data, revenue splits, shipping, delivery, and order tracking. Senior Developer, FedEx/Kinko’s Customer Management Built a Swing/EJB based international customer and organization management system for FedEx Kinko’s to manage individual and corporate customers. [J2EE, Swing, XML, JBoss, SOAP, JAXB, JMS, EJB, LDAP]

Employer:	Motive Communications
Position:	Senior Software Developer
Time period:	January 1999 - October 2001
Description:	Designed and developed software for every part of the product line, from the low-level diagnostic client, to the web-based UI, Java JSP/Servlet backend, and all of the Java Swing GUI applications. Created and developed several new products and product innovations. Senior Developer, Motive Labs - 1 Year Created and developed new products and core product extensions as part of a combined R&D and Business Development group targeting new markets. · Mobile Client Applications: Extended Motive’s Core product to support wireless devices and then back-ported it to the PC to create a lightweight version of the core Motive product, which then became the foundation for a new business unit. · Set-top Box Applications: Developed SNMP-based diagnostic software for Power TV set-top boxes. Designed and built a demonstration version of the cable customer service representative’s automated support interface. · Human Factors/Usability: Conducted Human Factors test development, research, and product integration for Mobile Customer Service applications. · Mobile Web Applications: Developed Motive Customer Care products for WAP devices, and all Pocket PC, Palm, and RIM Blackberry devices. [Java, WAP, JSP, Servlets, ActiveX, COM, C, C++, JavaScript, PowerTV OS, RIM OS] Technical Lead/Senior Developer, Enterprise IT Product Group - 1 Year Technical lead on four releases in a highly customer focused environment. Worked closely with customers to gather requirements and created a completely new product UI. · Web-based Guides: Designed and developed Guided Customer Support, which used system information and user context to guide the user through a portal to the necessary content or escalation path to resolve a support issue. · Java Swing IDE for Creating Web-Based Guides: Developed a Swing GUI builder environment to manipulate self-service components to form navigational guides. · Java/COM Diagnostic APIs: Designed and wrote new diagnostic, repair, search, and navigational APIs for Motive’s Windows client. [Java, Java Swing, Jdirect, C/C++, JavaScript, HTML, DHTML, XML, SQL] Senior Developer, Self-Service Product Team – 6 months Led the content/map development team to build a self-service Customer Care solution. · Java Maps: Developed diagnostic and repair maps to solve system and application problems. · Application Rollback: Completed a web and ActiveX-based application protection solution to provide a basic rollback service to end-users. [Java, C/C++, Jdirect, JavaScript, HTML, DHTML, XML] Developer, ActiveLink Online Services Group – 6 months Developed diagnostic maps and a web-based IDE to generate maps automatically. This enabled the group to hire interns, rather than developers, to write diagnostic/repair maps. [Java, JavaScript, Servlets, HTML, XML, JavaScript]

Employer:	Dazel Corporation
Position:	Support Engineer
Time period:	September 1997 - January 1999
Description:	Handled support cases and developed applications to create a web-based diagnostic topology of each client’s application and network environment, tracked changes, and identified configuration and system errors. [Perl, Shell Scripting, SNMP, AIX, Solaris, HP-UX]

Employer:	Western Geophysical
Position:	Ship-based Sys Admin/Programmer/Data Processing Supervisor
Time period:	April 1996 - September 1997
Description:	Managed an IBM SP2, LAN, and data warehouse on oil exploration ships in the 24/7 Onsite Data Processing group. Supervised a team of Seismic Data Processors and managed the completion of realtime 3-D subsurface cubes. [Bourne Shell Scripting, C, Awk, Tcl/Tk]

Employer:	Nano-Fabrication Laboratory, Texas A&M University
Position:	Research Assistant
Time period:	July 1995 - November 1995
Description:	Conducted research into the development of highly efficient solar cells using clean-room fabrication, experimentation and testing.

Employer:	Texas A&M University, Physics Dept
Position:	Lab Assistant/Programmer
Time period:	May 1991 - August 2001
Description:	· Developed hardware control and data collection applications to test X-Ray detectors for the superconducting supercollider. · Built X-Ray source and detector test platform. [C, Basic]

Employer:	NASA – Johnson Space Flight Center
Position:	Co-op/Programmer
Time period:	April 1991 - August 1991
Description:	Developed algorithms and applications for the determination of size, shape and rotation of orbital space debris using data from ground based optical telescopes. [C/C++]

Employer:	Texas Accelerator Center, Houston Advanced Research Center
Position:	Programmer
Time period:	April 1990 - April 1992
Description:	· Developed RF pulse algorithms for MRI devices using wavelet mathematics. · Developed data analysis and graphing applications for the high energy particle physics experiments. [Fortran, C]

University:	Texas A & M University System - College Station
Time period:	1990 - 1995
Degree:	Physics, BSc

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