# Benjamin Karst

> Founder and Engineer

Location: San Francisco Bay Area, United States
Profile: https://flows.cv/benjaminkarst

Advancements in AI make right now the most exciting time to be in software.  If I'm not developing with AI, I'm wasting time. 

Working on beautiful, useful software solutions with talented people activates my soul.

## Work Experience
### Founder and Engineer @ Avail AI
Jan 2025 – Present
I designed and built this Avail AI, an AI Conversation Platform, to help business give the best-class responses to their customers, from the ground up.

### Founder and Chief Engineer @ Essence AI
Jan 2023 – Present | San Francisco Bay Area
At Essence AI, I am building tech that expands on the power of large language models to create personal, entertaining, and educational experiences with AI Chatbots.

### Senior Full Stack Software Engineer @ A.Team
Jan 2022 – Present
At A.Team, working remotely, I have helped to architect and build a LMS (Learning Management System) from the ground up using cutting edge frameworks Next.js, typescript, and prisma.

### Senior Full Stack Developer @ Access Development
Jan 2017 – Jan 2018 | Greater Salt Lake City Area
At Access I worked heavily with React and Ruby creating innovative tech products that support our discount network of 16 million users. The two main projects I've helped build are a travel search engine and a multi-tier fundraising platform.

### Lead Developer/Founder @ Hapibelly
Jan 2015 – Jan 2017 | Cardiff, California
In the lead developer position, I took on the toughest programming challenges, architecting the front end admin, back end Ruby on Rails API, and the Swift iOS app. Work still continues as the platform continues to grow in users and data size. Current development involves converting the app functionality into a React App.

### Senior Ruby Engineer @ Deluxe Entertainment Services Group
Jan 2014 – Jan 2015 | Solana Beach CA
As a Senior Engineer, I solved the challenging programming tasks, parsed requirements from multimillion dollar clients, onboarded new engineering hires, and mentored mid-level and junior level engineers. Technologies worked with include Ruby on Rails, CSS, Javascript , splunk, postgres, and pubnub.

### Back End Developer @ MeLLmo
Jan 2012 – Jan 2013 | Solana Beach, California, United States
Mellmo took my engineering career to a new level and I met people that would change the way I think about how to have fun at work. I worked closely with front end engineers and the Director of Engineering to help develop the backend API to Roambi, Mellmo's flagship product.

### Software Developer @ Hands-On Mobile
Jan 2009 – Jan 2012 | San Diego, California, United States
At Handson Mobile, I gained a perspective of what it takes to build a scalable app. Veer, a Rails 3 app with a sharded database design that would be the Handon's ambitous foray into facebook games. I was involved from the ground up, helping with api design, building administrative tools, and working with the facebook api closely to help Veer become a reality.

### Software Developer @ Formos
Jan 2007 – Jan 2009 | Vancouver, Washington, United States
Hired as a Java developer with some ruby experience, I quickly started with Ruby 6 months after started and helped with a built-from-scratch Content Management System with Ruby on Rails version 1.2.3. Other responsibilities include working on VMatter, one of the companies most important projects, as a full stack web Ruby on Rails developer.


## Education
### Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
Kansas State University
Jan 2002 – Jan 2007


## Contact & Social
- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/benkarst

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Source: https://flows.cv/benjaminkarst
JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/benjaminkarst/resume.json
Last updated: 2026-03-22