# Sonja Alushi > AI Engineer & Strategy Consultant | Helping Organizations Integrate AI into Operations & Decision-Making | Course Assistant at MIT on AI LLM class Location: New York City Metropolitan Area, United States Profile: https://flows.cv/sonjaalushi AI Product Developer | AI Strategist | MIT Alumni | Programming Coach | Software Developer | Product Manager | AI Generalist | MIP-AADF Alumni | AI Prompt Creator Transforming technical expertise into AI product innovation. Currently driving AI strategy, while teaching programming and building enterprise software solutions. πŸ”Ή AI Product Management: Strategic planning, product lifecycle management, AI implementation at By the People Technologies, NYC. πŸ”Ή Software Development: 5 years enterprise experience at Wolf Technologies & currently at Lufthansa Industry Solutions πŸ”Ή Education & Academy: Training the next generation of developers at SDA Albania by Protik. πŸ”Ή Background: MIT Alumni with deep technical foundation expanding into AI product space πŸ”Ή Passionate about: Building AI products that solve real problems, mentoring developers, and bridging the gap between technical possibility and business value. Also: Cats, reading, coffe, traveling, jazz, crocheting, dancing,living, psychology. πŸ”ΉOpen to collaborations in AI product development, technical mentoring, and innovative software solutions! ## Work Experience ### Founder @ Lumina Project Jan 2025 – Present I help organizations move from AI curiosity to AI capability. My work focuses on designing practical AI systems that improve workflows, reduce operational friction, and support better decision-making. I collaborate with leadership teams to: β€’ Identify automation opportunities β€’ Design AI-assisted processes β€’ Train teams on responsible AI usage β€’ Implement scalable AI workflows With a background in product strategy and software development, I bridge the gap between technical execution and business outcomes. ### Course Assistant & Invited Practitioner MIT AI Program @ MIT Professional Education Jan 2026 – Present Working closely with the team on research and development around Agentic AI systems, LLM applications, and AI evaluation frameworks. Contributing to shaping team projects, exploring how to design, test, and deploy AI systems that are reliable, scalable, and aligned with real-world use cases. Focus areas include human-in-the-loop (HITL) approaches, improving model performance through structured evaluation, and building practical workflows for integrating AI into business and operational environments. Collaborating with a multidisciplinary group to bridge the gap between cutting-edge research and applied AI solutions. ### Software Developer @ Lufthansa Industry Solutions Jan 2022 – Present Developed enterprise microservices for aviation MRO operations, transforming manual maintenance workflows into digital solutions that improve operational efficiency and data quality. Key Contributions: β€’ Built scalable microservices using Java, Spring Boot, and Quarkus for critical aviation maintenance systems β€’ Designed REST APIs and integrated enterprise systems via Kafka for real-time data processing β€’ Implemented automated workflows, PDF generation, and complex calculation engines from scratch β€’ Worked with Azure SQL, MongoDB, and Oracle databases to handle large-scale aviation data β€’ Delivered applications using CI/CD pipelines with Jenkins and OpenShift deployment β€’ Maintained high code quality through comprehensive testing (JUnit/Mockito) and SonarQube integration **Technologies:** Java, Spring Boot, Quarkus, Microservices, Kafka, Azure SQL, MongoDB, REST APIs, Docker, OpenShift, Jenkins Successfully delivered multiple mission-critical applications from concept to production, contributing to the digital transformation of aviation maintenance processes. ### AI Strategist & AI Product Management @ By The People Technologies Jan 2025 – Present | New York, United States Spearheaded AI strategy development and product management initiatives, bridging technical AI capabilities with business value to drive enterprise AI adoption and implementation across various industries, including private equity and venture capital firms. Key Contributions: β€’ Developed comprehensive AI strategies for enterprise applications, focusing on practical implementation and measurable business outcomes β€’ Designed and implemented RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) systems for knowledge management and decision support β€’ Led prompt engineering initiatives to optimize AI model performance and user experience β€’ Built MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers to enhance AI system integration capabilities β€’ Conducted AI readiness assessments and created product roadmaps for AI-driven solutions β€’ Delivered specialized workshops and training sessions for PE/VC firms on generative AI implementation, demonstrating how to integrate AI into investment workflows, due diligence processes, and portfolio company operations β€’ Consulted with financial services firms on AI adoption strategies, focusing on deal sourcing, market analysis, and operational efficiency improvements β€’ Managed cross-functional AI projects from conception to deployment, ensuring alignment with business objectives β€’ Performed product testing and quality assurance for AI applications and generative AI solutions Technical Leadership: β€’ Collaborated with engineering teams to integrate AI capabilities into existing systems β€’ Developed technical requirements and specifications for AI product development β€’ Conducted risk assessments and mitigation strategies for AI project implementations Successfully positioned AI as a strategic business enabler while maintaining focus on practical implementation and user adoption across enterprise and financial services sectors. ### Programming Coach @ SDA Albania by Protik Jan 2024 – Jan 2025 | Tirana, Albania Led comprehensive Java programming training programs, mentoring students from beginner to advanced levels while guiding them through complete application development lifecycles. Key Contributions: Designed and delivered structured Java curriculum covering core programming concepts, object-oriented programming, Spring Boot framework, and enterprise development practices Provided personalized coaching and mentorship to students, adapting teaching methods to different learning styles and skill levels Guided students through end-to-end project development, from initial concept and requirements gathering to final application deployment Supervised capstone projects where students built complete web applications using Java, Spring Boot, databases, and modern development tools Conducted interactive coding sessions, code reviews, and debugging workshops to reinforce best practices Created practical exercises and real-world scenarios to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and industry requirements Delivered technical presentations on software architecture, design patterns, and modern Java development methodologies Mentored students in building portfolio-ready applications that demonstrate enterprise-level development skills Facilitated collaborative learning environments and peer-to-peer knowledge sharing Teaching Impact: Successfully trained multiple cohorts of developers who progressed to junior and mid-level positions Developed hands-on learning materials and project templates that enhanced student engagement and retention Maintained high student satisfaction rates through personalized attention and practical, industry-relevant curriculum Technologies: Java, Spring Boot, Object-Oriented Programming, Database Design, Git, Maven, RESTful APIs, Software Architecture Empowered aspiring developers with both technical expertise and practical application development experience, preparing them for successful careers in software engineering. ### Fellow of the Master and Internship Program @ Albanian - American Development Foundation (AADF) Jan 2025 – Jan 2025 | New York, United States Participated in prestigious fellowship program focused on professional development and cross-cultural exchange, while gaining hands-on experience in AI strategy and product management through strategic partnership placement. Program Highlights: Selected for competitive international fellowship program connecting Albanian professionals with U.S. industry leaders and innovation ecosystems Completed intensive professional development curriculum covering leadership, strategic thinking, and cross-cultural business practices Gained direct exposure to U.S. tech industry through strategic placement at By The People Technologies as AI Strategist & Product Manager Participated in networking events and professional development workshops with industry executives and fellow international professionals Applied AI expertise in real-world business contexts, working with PE/VC firms and enterprise clients to implement generative AI solutions Developed cultural competency and international business acumen through immersive U.S. professional environment Leveraged fellowship network to facilitate knowledge exchange between Albanian and American tech communities Contributed to cross-cultural initiatives and represented Albanian tech talent in New York's innovation ecosystem Professional Growth: Enhanced leadership and strategic communication skills through structured mentorship and peer collaboration Expanded global perspective on technology adoption and AI implementation across different market contexts Built lasting professional relationships with international peers and U.S. industry professionals Key Achievement: Successfully integrated fellowship learnings with practical AI strategy work, demonstrating ability to bridge cultural and technical domains while delivering measurable business value in AI product management role. ### Java Software Developer @ Wolf Technologies Jan 2021 – Jan 2022 Developed enterprise applications for critical infrastructure sectors including electrical networks and banking systems, transitioning from internship to full-time developer role with expanded project responsibilities. Key Contributions: Built scalable applications for national electrical network infrastructure, contributing to critical utility management systems Developed secure banking applications with robust authentication and authorization mechanisms using Spring Security Designed and implemented RESTful APIs and microservices architecture for high-availability enterprise systems Worked with diverse database technologies including MongoDB, PostgreSQL, MySQL, and Azure SQL for optimal data management Implemented business logic and service layers for complex financial and utility sector requirements Collaborated with cross-functional teams using Agile methodologies to deliver projects on time and within scope Deployed applications on AWS cloud infrastructure with Docker containerization for scalability and reliability Maintained code quality through comprehensive testing, code reviews, and adherence to OOP principles Technical Evolution: Successfully transitioned from intern to full-time developer, demonstrating rapid skill acquisition and professional growth Gained expertise in mission-critical application development across regulated industries (utilities and banking) Enhanced technical proficiency in enterprise Java ecosystem and cloud-native development practices Technologies: Java, Spring Framework, Spring Boot, Spring Security, Spring MVC, Hibernate, REST APIs, AWS, MongoDB, PostgreSQL, MySQL, Azure SQL, Docker, GitHub, JSON, Flyway Successfully delivered production-ready applications for essential infrastructure sectors while developing strong foundation in enterprise software development and cloud technologies. ### Java Software Developer @ Wolf Technologies Jan 2021 – Jan 2021 | Tirana, Albania Completed comprehensive internship program focused on Java development fundamentals and enterprise application development, laying groundwork for full-time developer role. ## Education ### Professional Education Course in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Massachusetts Institute of Technology ### Bachelor of Computer Science and Business in Computer Science University of Tirana ### High School Diploma in High School/Secondary Diplomas and Certificates Said Najdeni high school ## Contact & Social - LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sonja-alushi - Portfolio: https://luminaproject.info/ --- Source: https://flows.cv/sonjaalushi JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/sonjaalushi/resume.json Last updated: 2026-04-13