Ken Kyger

Software Engineer & Technical Leader

ken@futurehax.com(407) 965-8510Winter Springs, FL 32708LinkedInGitHubWebsite

Summary

Software engineer and technical leader with 15+ years of experience spanning mobile, web, platform, and embedded systems. Currently serving as CTO at Safe Zones, where I built the product and engineering organization from the ground up across iOS, Android, and web. Ranked in the top 11% on Stack Overflow. Background includes senior engineering roles at Disney, JPMorgan Chase, and Papa John's, alongside consulting work for defense and healthcare clients. Focused on building strong teams, shipping reliable software, and moving into technical leadership.

Professional Experience

Safe Zones

CTO
Orlando, FL2016 - Present
  • Managed a cross-functional team of 3-6 engineers across web, iOS, and Android development.
  • Designed platform for web and mobile applications over multiple iterations.
  • Led development of proprietary Mobile Device Management (MDM) platform with custom applications for iOS and Android.
  • Architected Family Controls integration and implemented custom addons.
  • Developed web-based management portal for controlling mobile device settings and usage with NextJS and Firebase RTDB.
  • Co-designed and integrated custom Bluetooth peripheral that activates "safe" mode, restricting mobile device functionality for secure use.
  • Utilized patented approach to manage and enforce device limitations across iOS and Android.
  • Integrated various systems for iOS and Android, utilizing Family Controls, MDM Platforms, and Device Admin functionality.
  • Planned and implemented full CI/CD systems for automated hands-off building, testing, and deployments, including utilizing ArgoCD for Helm Chart deployments to production.
  • Built and maintained Kubernetes cluster hosting web applications.
  • Built and maintained both iOS and Android clients.
  • Built full-stack infrastructure including webpage, database, and API layer using Next.js API routes.
  • Developed two distinct device management approaches: Family Controls-based tools and a custom in-house MDM platform.
  • Conducted code reviews and established engineering standards across the team.
  • Migrated database architecture from Firebase RTDB to Firebase Data Connect.

FutureHax LLC

Founder
Orlando, FL2015 - Present
  • Founded FutureHax to provide freelance development services.
  • Developed and refined Android, iOS, and web applications from conception to production, including cleanup of legacy projects.
  • Built and led teams tailored to project needs, managing clients worldwide with varying team sizes.
  • Built the HOT 97 alarm clock and sound board Android app.
  • White-labeled an Android NFC app for NFC Ring, a Kickstarter-funded wearable, and built multiple in-house projects. Presented at RFIDConnect on behalf of NFC Ring.
  • Developed encrypted radio integrations with ATAK and communications hardware for SOCOM.

NGI Systems

Platform Engineer
Orlando, FL2017 - 2024
  • Led a two-person engineering team building custom Android platform solutions.
  • Developed their base OS for multiple targets, including Nexus 7 (both LTE and WiFi versions), and Nexus 9 (both LTE and WiFi versions), as well as multiple custom hardware configurations built for their customers.
  • Designed custom kernels for all devices with modifications such as OTG and fast charge, as well as methods to securely communicate with the kernel from user space applications.
  • Handled any custom modifications to Android firmware required by client specifications.
  • Managed CI processes on Bamboo for building, testing, and deploying.
  • Eventually rolled the NGI Systems work into a contract with FutureHax.

Dynojet Research Inc.

Mobile Application Developer
Belgrade, MT2023 - 2024
  • Took over in-house development of iOS and Android applications from their external development firm.
  • Built out systems to build and deploy applications to internal testing teams and customers.
  • Added support for their external Wideband sensor monitors to both iOS and Android.
  • Migrated mobile applications from their legacy license model to unified "Universal token" model.
  • Increased app store ratings on both iOS and Android.

Disney

Senior Android Engineer
Orlando, FL2022 - 2023
  • Rebuilt the Bluetooth libraries in use by all Disney projects, modernizing with Kotlin, Jetpack Compose, dependency injection, and Flow patterns.
  • Debugged and implemented features that would later become known as "Car Locator".
  • Worked on integration with the new Magic Band Plus devices before and during launch, including post-launch updates for maintenance.
  • Managed the build and release cycle for the Magic Band Plus, Bluetooth, and Location Services projects used by other teams within the Disney ecosystem.
  • Collaborated on diagnosing root causes and designing fixes for multiple high-level issues, many with a financial impact of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
  • Contributed to measurable differences in engagement metrics, with issues impacting upwards of 100k users a day, and some impacting up to 40% - 50% of all users on the Android platform.
  • Implemented accessibility improvements across the Android platform.
  • Conducted code reviews and mentored team members on Kotlin best practices.

Papa John's International Inc.

Android Software Engineer
Louisville, KY2021 - 2022
  • Heavily focused on testing with Robolectric and Mockito.
  • Encouraged heavy Kotlin and Jetpack Compose adoption within mobile applications, converting legacy Java code wherever possible.
  • Developed UI with modern MVP approach.
  • Coordinated with other engineers to evaluate and improve software and hardware interfaces.
  • Delivered unit-tested systems with required characteristics and within customer-prescribed timeframes.

JPMorgan Chase

Android Software Engineer
Orlando, FL2020 - 2021
  • Implemented and tested a Merchant Sales platform, focusing on testing with Robolectric, Appium, and Cucumber.
  • Championed Kotlin and Jetpack Compose adoption across the mobile codebase, mentoring team members on advanced patterns and idioms.

Illumy

Senior Manager of Android Development
Orlando, FL2019 - 2020
  • Led a remote team of 6 engineers on an Agile sprint-based development cycle, managing biweekly releases to Google Play.
  • Established code review practices and coordinated efforts to convert codebases from Java to Kotlin.
  • Developed tools to streamline development and release processes for internal and production use.
  • Advocated for and implemented modern development patterns and tools, including MVVM and RxKotlin.

Lunar Wireless

Software Engineer
Detroit, MI2018 - 2019
  • Contributed to the development and modification of LunarOS, a custom Android-based operating system enabling users to pay per app instead of a full phone contract.
  • Developed a customer onboarding app to streamline SIM card activation and port requests, improving user experience.
  • Managed ad campaigns and conducted experiments with various user funnels to identify and optimize the most effective ads and app behavior.

Zeemee Inc

Software Engineer
Orlando, FL2017 - 2018
  • Developed ZeeMee's Android client.
  • Integrated video chat, ensuring compatibility with legacy devices.
  • Handled daily feature additions and bug resolutions assigned during SCRUM calls.

AnthroTronix

Contractor (via FutureHax)
Silver Spring, MD2016
  • Worked on DANA, an FDA-cleared, HIPAA-compliant neurocognitive assessment mobile app used at Johns Hopkins Hospital to monitor cognitive function in patients.
  • Contributed to mobile development on the DANA platform, a telehealth tool for remote cognitive monitoring.

UniKey Technologies

Software Engineer
Orlando, FL2015 - 2016
  • Developed Android client for controlling Kevo smart lock.
  • Created SDKs for app components with a focus on scalability and modularity.

Cloudspace

Software Engineer
Orlando, FL2014 - 2015
  • Managed "skunk works" department, focused on developing open-source robotics platform available on Arduino and Intel Edison platforms.
  • Used software developed in-house to create telepresence and first-person POV race car bots.
  • Co-hosted weekly Android developer Meetups and presented at community events.
  • Developed one of the first third-party Android Auto applications for SoundCloud and their demo at CES.
  • Worked on PillPhone by Vocel, an FDA-cleared, HIPAA-compliant medication compliance reminder app that interfaced with pharmacies for prescription refills and worked across 125+ phone types.

Echo Interaction

Software Engineer
Orlando, FL2012 - 2014
  • Built the Android version of Pretty Masculine, an interactive art app for celebrity photographer Mike Ruiz.
  • Built Android applications for the Florida House of Representatives.

Technical Skills

Mobile Development: Android, iOS, AOSP Platform Development, Custom Android ROMs, Jetpack Compose, API Consumption (REST, GraphQL), Analytics (Crashlytics, Mix Panel, Facebook Analytics), Bluetooth Low Energy, NFC, Location Services, Family Controls, MDM
Languages & Frameworks: TypeScript, JavaScript, Java, Kotlin, Swift, Python, C, React, Next.js, Node.js, Express, PWAs
Cloud & Infrastructure: Google Cloud, Firebase, Docker, Kubernetes, ArgoCD, FluxCD, Helm, Kustomize, Ansible, GitHub Actions, CI/CD, CircleCI, Bamboo, BitBucket Pipelines, PostgreSQL, Redis, Edge Computing
Architecture & Patterns: MVVM, MVP, Dependency Injection (Dagger, Hilt), RxKotlin, Kotlin Flow, CI/CD Pipeline Design, Agile / Scrum, Code Reviews
Embedded & Hardware: Edge Hardware, Embedded C, ROS, Arduino, Custom Kernels, OTG
Project Management: GitHub, GitLab, Jira, Confluence, Trello, Bitbucket, Linear, Notion

Projects & Open Source

Pirate Borg / FoundryVTT (Official Foundry Developer) — Official Pirate Borg developer for FoundryVTT, building modules and tools used by the community worldwide.
Kickstarter Projects (Technical Partner) — Partnered with multiple Kickstarter creatives to bring their tabletop games into the digital world.