I'm AJ Franchino, a solutions architect by day and a lifelong technologist. I help small teams and founders put AI to work, build for the web, and get their infrastructure right, from the cloud all the way down to the cables.
Three areas of practice, one common thread: solutions that actually get shipped.
Pragmatic AI adoption for businesses that want results, not buzzwords. I design and implement AI-powered tools, automate repetitive workflows, and build the data foundations that make it all reliable.
Ideal for founders who know AI could help their business but want a clear-eyed guide on what's worth building.
Fast, clean, maintainable websites and web applications, from a landing page that establishes your presence to custom tooling that runs part of your business.
Ideal for startups and small businesses that need a professional web presence without agency overhead.
Hands-on work most consultants won't touch: network design and setup, device provisioning, custom computer builds, and security hardening, all informed by years in cloud infrastructure, security, and compliance.
Ideal for offices, studios, and home businesses that need their technology to just work.
The short version.
My first computer was an IBM ThinkPad, and from the day I got it at eight years old there hasn't been one since that I haven't thought about technology. That early obsession turned into a career: today I work as a solutions architect at a leading data and AI company, helping organizations design and deliver large-scale data and machine learning platforms.
Before that, I spent years in cloud infrastructure, security, and compliance roles in banking and fintech, environments where getting it right isn't optional. That background shapes how I consult: I build things that are not just clever, but dependable.
What sets my practice apart is range. I'm equally at home architecting an AI workflow as I am crimping ethernet, building a workstation, or setting up a small office network. For a small business, that means one trusted person instead of five vendors.
Certified and professionally experienced across the stack.
Certified in cloud systems operations; years of production experience on AWS.
Certified in data engineering; designing pipelines and platforms at enterprise scale.
Certified in machine learning; applied AI and ML solution design.
Certified in networking; hands-on design and deployment of real-world networks.
Certified in computer hardware; builds, upgrades, diagnostics, and device setup.
Professional background in regulated banking and fintech environments.
Certification and credential details available on request.
Because nobody trusts a consultant with no life.
When I'm not working, you'll usually find me walking the beach here at home in Wilmington, NC, or behind a camera chasing good light. I'm an avid gardener, which is its own kind of systems engineering with slower feedback loops, and I keep a saltwater fishtank that demands more careful monitoring than some production systems I've run. I love cooking the kind of dishes that are equal parts delicious and technical, and I share my home with two cats, Piper and Captain Planet, who supervise all of the above.
Tell me what you're trying to build, fix, or figure out.
Prefer email? Reach me directly at austinfranchino@gmail.com.