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Ashley Kays

Portfolio · 20+ Years

Selected work in
AI products, enterprise
UX & product marketing.

Operator-builder across Walt Disney World, NCR, Wells Fargo, National Bank of Canada, Sephora — plus founder-led ventures at Waymaker AI, CoFounder OSS, and CodeTeachers. I design and ship the AI products I market.

View work ·Book a call
01 · AI Products & Open Source

Live products I designed, built, and ship updates to weekly. Operator-builder work that doubles as my marketing.

2022 — Present
Waymaker AI
Founder & Head of AI Product Marketing
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2022 — Present
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Waymaker AI

Founder & Head of AI Product Marketing

Product · Design · Engineering · GTM

AI platform that takes non-technical founders from idea to a launched, hosted product — its core job is real AI adoption for people who can’t code. AI Cofounder (Cameron), Builder DNA assessment, an idea-to-live-URL build pipeline, agency white-label, community layer, audio library, cohort training, and a 60+ page marketing site — shipped live on Next.js + Vercel + Supabase + Anthropic Claude.

  • Shipped 4+ production AI products in 12 months including Cameron (AI Cofounder with tool use, multi-turn memory, voice)
  • Built an idea-to-live-URL pipeline: generates an app and auto-deploys it to a stable per-user URL via the Vercel REST API
  • Ship maintainable, tested code — refactored the core home surface 3,239 → 291 lines (8 files cut, 21 tests) on top of production schema migrations + row-level security
  • Built end-to-end stack: Next.js App Router, Vercel Edge Middleware, Supabase Realtime + RLS, Stripe, Anthropic API, ElevenLabs
  • Designed + shipped the full community layer: real-time DMs, 7-reaction system, threaded discussions, marketplace
AI Product·GTM·Founder·Next.js·Claude·Supabase
2024 — Present
CoFounder
@waymakerai/aicofounder-core · MIT · NPM
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2024 — Present
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CoFounder

@waymakerai/aicofounder-core · MIT · NPM

Founder & Maintainer

Open-source AI agent guardrails SDK + CLI for safe AI-assisted development. Production-grade safety tooling — supports 9 LLM providers and integrates with the Vercel AI SDK, Supabase, LangChain, CrewAI, and Claude Code.

  • Published on NPM as @waymakerai/aicofounder-core + @waymakerai/aicofounder-react
  • Enforces PII redaction, prompt-injection blocking, budget caps, and HIPAA/GDPR/SEC compliance frameworks
  • Shipped 5 React hooks, 4 CLI commands, full TypeScript types, comprehensive docs (API reference, architecture, governance, whitepaper)
Open Source·AI Safety·TypeScript·CLI
2026
Builder DNA
Waymaker AI
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2026
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Builder DNA

Waymaker AI

Product · Design · Engineering

Personalized AI archetype assessment with shareable cards and Vercel edge-middleware OG metadata. Conversion engine and viral acquisition loop in a single surface.

  • Edge-rendered OG meta system for client-rendered share routes (/dna/:slug)
  • Personalized 8-archetype output with social-share cards as the acquisition loop
  • Live conversion funnel: assessment → result → share → new-user signup
AI·Viral Loop·Edge Functions·Next.js
2026
Cockpit + Practice Engine
Waymaker AI
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2026
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Cockpit + Practice Engine

Waymaker AI

Product · Engineering

Two production surfaces shipped in 2026: Project Cockpit, an orchestration layer that infers what stage a project is in and wires launch, marketing, and the product brain together — and Principles Into Practice, a learning engine that turns abstract principles into trackable daily reps.

  • Project Cockpit: stage-inference orchestration connecting launch kits → brain nodes → marketing, with realtime build status
  • Principles Into Practice: rep/pathway learning engine — 12 pathways, ~60 reps, RLS-secured Postgres, 24 tests — live at app.waymaker.cx/practice
  • DNA-driven recommendations surface the right next rep for each user
AI Product·Orchestration·Supabase·Realtime
02 · Consulting Engagements

Senior consulting work — productized engagements with verifiable outcomes for B2B clients.

2026
AI Sales Engine — 14-Day Sprint
Healthcare Automation (RCM / Claims)
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2026
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AI Sales Engine — 14-Day Sprint

Healthcare Automation (RCM / Claims)

Lead Consultant

Revived a stalled healthcare-automation pipeline for a payer-workflow SaaS. Diagnosed the real leak — website interest never converting to booked meetings — then redesigned the CTA architecture, sharpened competitive positioning against their main AI competitor, rebuilt the funnel, launched signal-aware outbound, and shipped a client-facing campaign-approval portal.

  • 4 booked demos and 2 closed deals — in 11 days
  • Redesigned CTA architecture: Request-a-Demo primary path + Revenue-Leakage Review + an ROI calculator as the authority asset
  • Built a Supabase-backed campaign-approval portal so the client could review, comment on, and approve outbound content
  • Repositioned against the competitor’s retrofitted AI layer with a purpose-built-depth narrative and measurable-outcome proof
  • Productized into the AI Sales Engine consulting offer (founding rate $7,500, 14-day Sprint, booked-demos guarantee)
GTM·AI·Sales Ops·Conversion·B2B Healthcare
2026
Agency White-Label Platform
Waymaker AI — for marketing & growth agencies
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2026
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Agency White-Label Platform

Waymaker AI — for marketing & growth agencies

Product · GTM · Onboarding

White-label AI platform agencies use to deliver AI services to their clients without hiring engineers. Embedded Stripe checkout, founding-rate coupon flow, multi-tenant Postgres with RLS, magic-link onboarding.

  • Live in production with embedded Stripe and founding-rate coupon plumbing
  • $999 setup + $299/mo founding rate locked for first 10 agencies
  • Productized API surface, 48-tool agent layer, white-label branding, tenant-aware dashboard
B2B·White-Label·Stripe·Multi-Tenant
03 · Marketing Kits & Brand Systems

Complete brand + marketing kits — strategy, voice, visual identity, content calendars, funnels, and 90-day roadmaps. Built for client brands and my own ventures. The kind of $5K kits agencies sell, packaged as live, usable systems.

2026

PopPop Events

Abbey Oliva Lopez · Luxury Balloon + Event Brand

Brand Strategy · Marketing · Content System

Complete brand + marketing kit for a luxury balloon decorating, event planning, and favors brand. Family-first voice, fun-luxury aesthetic, 5 content pillars, 30-day calendar, 10 ready-to-post captions, welcome email sequence, lead-magnet countdown checklist, and 90-day growth roadmap.

  • 12-section kit Abbey can implement today — positioning, voice, visual identity, audience personas, content calendar, captions, landing page structure, email sequence, lead magnet, hashtags, growth roadmap
  • Brand collateral I designed for her: logo marks, banner, triptych spread, quote graphics, about-page mockup — all integrated into the kit as the visual foundation
  • Built on top of Abbey's real reach: 12K+ followers, 1,567 posts, 250+ events celebrated, 100% recommend rate. The kit doubles down on what's working.
Brand Strategy·Content System·Influencer·Event Brand
2022 — Present
Waymaker AI
My own AI platform — multi-product brand
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2022 — Present
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Waymaker AI

My own AI platform — multi-product brand

Brand · GTM · Content · Pricing

Master brand kit covering 4 sub-launches: AI Sales Engine (consulting offer), Builder DNA (viral acquisition loop), Agency White-Label, and Two Mondays cohort. One brand voice, four monetization paths, multi-tenant funnel architecture.

  • AI Sales Engine: full landing page + 3 cold email templates + Loom script + booked-demos guarantee
  • Agency White-Label: live LP + founding-rate Stripe coupon + 5-post LinkedIn campaign + 6 DM templates by archetype
  • Builder DNA: assessment + 8 archetype share cards + edge-middleware OG metadata = conversion + viral loop in one surface
AI Brand·Multi-Product·GTM·Pricing
2016 — Present
CodeTeachers
STEAM + AI Builder Education · Founder-led
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2016 — Present
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CodeTeachers

STEAM + AI Builder Education · Founder-led

Brand · Curriculum · Community · Growth

Brand kit for a 10-year STEAM education platform — K–12 and adult learners. Family-friendly tech voice, community-led growth, curriculum-as-marketing model. The original education brand that became the model for Two Mondays and future CodeTeachers ecosystem (Learn/Earn/Build/Guide).

  • 300% platform growth · 40% downtime reduction · 25% lift in course completion
  • 10+ years of brand equity in a family-tech education niche
  • 4-brand ecosystem roadmap (Learn / Earn / Build / Guide) on shared Waymaker infrastructure
Education Brand·AI Builder·Wellington Camp 2026·K-12 + Teens
2026

BumpBestie

Gamified pregnancy journey app · "Candy Crush meets What to Expect"

Brand · Product · Marketing System

Complete brand + product + marketing kit for the gamified pregnancy companion app. Match-3 puzzles unlock real weekly pregnancy content. 52-week journey map. Daily dashboard. Pregnancy journal with photos. Live React Native app with Skia-powered game canvas.

  • 15-section kit: brand snapshot, positioning, voice, visual identity, logo concepts, mascot suite, brand mood, product surfaces, audience, content, lead magnets, acquisition, email sequences, applications, 90-day roadmap
  • Full brand identity: 5-color palette (Coral Hug · Peach Glow · Warm Cream · Sage Green · Soft Lavender), Poppins Rounded + Inter typography, 5-mascot icon suite
  • Built on the live BumpBestie React Native app (Expo + Skia + Supabase) — the kit documents the brand and product as one unified system
Mom-Tech·Gamified·Mobile App·Pregnancy + Beyond
2026

Link Summarizer

My SaaS product · Embedly alternative

Brand · GTM · Pricing · Developer Marketing

Brand kit for an AI-powered link summarization and metadata API — Embedly alternative. Developer-first positioning, transparent pricing, embeddable widget, API + dashboard product surface.

  • Developer-marketing voice: technical, transparent, no fluff
  • Live at waymaker.cx/link-summarizer with embeddable preview widget
  • Pricing model: free tier + usage-based scale, designed for indie hackers + agency tooling teams
SaaS·Creator-Built·AI Product·Browser Extension
2026

Vinyl Doctor Systems

Florida's commercial upholstery brand · est. 1979

Brand · Site · Content · B2B Sales Intelligence

45+ year-old commercial upholstery brand. Built marketing site (Next.js 16), 11 SEO blog articles, full B2B sales-intelligence stack (RB2B + Leadfeeder + Snitcher visitor identification), Google Places lead-finder tool, admin pipeline dashboard, and modern GTM playbook on top of a legacy reputation.

  • Established 1979 · 2,000+ restaurants serviced · 24–48hr standard turnaround · regional FL/GA/VA coverage
  • Live site (vinyldr.waymaker.cx) + 11 SEO articles + visitor ID across 3 providers + lead-finder tool + admin dashboard
  • Complete kit: brand, audience, services tiers, content engine, lead magnets, B2B funnel, local SEO, sales intel, email sequences, sales scripts, metrics, 90-day roadmap
B2B Services·Local SEO·Sales Intelligence·Legacy Brand
2024 — Present
CoFounder OSS
Open-source AI guardrails SDK
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2024 — Present
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CoFounder OSS

Open-source AI guardrails SDK

Brand · Developer Marketing · OSS Strategy

Developer-marketing kit for an open-source AI agent safety SDK. NPM publication, GitHub repo positioning, API documentation, architecture whitepaper, governance docs, and multi-provider competitor positioning (Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, xAI, Mistral, Cohere, Together, Groq, Ollama).

  • Published @waymakerai/aicofounder-core + @waymakerai/aicofounder-react on NPM (MIT)
  • Full docs system: API reference, architecture, governance, whitepaper, roadmap
  • Positioned as safety-first ("not a ship-a-startup-in-30-min button") — credible to engineering teams
OSS Brand·Developer Marketing·AI Safety
04 · Enterprise & Consumer Experience

Earlier work as Creative Director (UX/UI) at NCR and Walt Disney World, and through Nerds Agency.

Walt Disney era

Disney Vacation Ownership

Walt Disney World · Disney Vacation Club

Creative Director, UX/UI

End-to-end experience design for Disney Vacation Ownership — landing pages, "A Lifetime of Memories" storytelling surfaces, "Discover a World of Disney Magic" booking journey, and the multi-collection content architecture under one experience.

  • Designed the experience-planning surface for one of Disney's highest-LTV product lines
  • Storytelling-led approach bridging Disney emotional brand to functional booking UX
  • Multi-collection content architecture (DVC, Cruise, Adventures by Disney) under one experience
UX·UI·Brand Experience·Consumer
Walt Disney era

Disney Adventure Collection

Walt Disney World

Creative Director, UX/UI

Content-led product surface for Disney's adventure and travel collections. Mythic copy paired with curated imagery, integrated into the broader booking funnel.

  • Integrated multiple travel product lines (Disney Cruise, Adventures by Disney, Aulani) into one surface
  • Storytelling-first IA designed for cross-sell and audience expansion
  • Worldwide rollout supporting 18,000+ internal BI users and millions of guests
Content·UX·Brand Experience
2014 — 2016

NCR NextGen ATM

NCR — Global ATM Software · "Talk to Teller"

Creative Director, UI/UX

End-to-end ATM software UX for NCR's next-generation banking platform. Touchscreen-first interaction, tablet-style flexible UI, iconography + animations library built in HTML/CSS, and the global look and feel deployed across NCR's ATM fleet.

  • Designed the visual + interaction system for NCR's flagship ATM software
  • Built the iconography & animations library: card scan, currency, deposit, transfer, hide/show balance — production tablet-style HTML/CSS components
  • Part of NCR's largest financial design initiative — a $100M+ enterprise engagement
UX·UI·Financial Services·Enterprise
2014 — 2016

NCR Financial Wellness

NCR — Consumer Banking Mobile App

Creative Director, UI/UX

Integrated set of mobile tools to help bank customers save money — "First Digital" brand. Goal-setting UI ("Be Fully Prepared", "Smart Small", "Save Today for a Rainy Day"), Rainy Day Fund tracking, account overview, Earn Cash Back, and savings recommendations.

  • Designed a coherent system of consumer savings + goal-setting tools across mobile screens
  • Friendly illustration system that softened a financial product without diluting trust
  • Built on the NCR Design System for cross-product consistency
UX·UI·Mobile·Consumer Banking
2014 — 2016

NCR Financial Chatbot · Ask Kai

NCR — Conversational AI in Banking

Creative Director, UI/UX

Conversational AI ("Ask Kai") integrated into NCR's consumer banking apps — for North Bank and First Digital brands. Web + mobile interaction patterns, transaction shortcuts ("Show Transactions", "Cards", "Pay someone", "Help me"), and an integrated banking surface where the chatbot lives alongside accounts.

  • Designed conversational UX patterns for consumer banking before "ChatGPT for banking" was mainstream
  • Multi-brand chatbot system (North Bank + First Digital) using the NCR Design System
  • Integrated chat as a first-class banking tool — bill payment, transaction lookup, fraud help in one surface
Conversational AI·UX·Banking·Multi-Brand
2014 — 2016

NCR NextGen Merchandising

NCR — Cloud Inventory Management

Creative Director, UI/UX

Cloud-based inventory management system for retail merchandising. Mobile-first authentication, task management, "Release Price to POS", "Manual Scan", price changes, and end-to-end retail operations from user journeys through Android/iOS templates.

  • Designed the end-to-end retail inventory experience — login → task → execute
  • From user journeys and wireframes through Android/iOS production templates
  • Cloud-native architecture for multi-store retail operations
UX·Retail·Mobile·Enterprise
2014 — 2016

NCR Design System + Mobile MVP

NCR — iOS & Android Foundation

Creative Director, UI/UX

Comprehensive UI design system + iOS/Android MVP applications built on top of it. Hundreds of icons, typography, components, personas, user journeys — standardized across NCR product lines.

  • Created a Product Center of Excellence for Wells Fargo and National Bank of Canada
  • Standardized UX patterns, design systems, and delivery practices across teams
  • Mobile MVPs built on the system as proof of scalable application
Design System·iOS·Android·Enterprise
2014 — 2016

NCR Digital Insight

NCR — FinTech Developer Hub & Design System Docs

Creative Director, UI/UX

Marketing + developer hub for NCR's FinTech app development platform. Brand expression, IA, copy direction, visual identity for an enterprise developer-facing surface — including API documentation, CSS components, and the public Digital Banking Design System.

  • "Your Hub for Developing FinTech Apps" — positioning for the developer pillar
  • Multi-variant website mockups + public design-system documentation (API ref, CSS components)
  • Translated enterprise engineering capability into a marketing-facing developer story
Developer Marketing·Brand·FinTech·Documentation
2014 — 2016

NCR Self-Checkout

Publix · Target · CVS

Creative Director, UX/UI

Self-checkout UX deployed at Publix, Target, CVS, and other major retailers. From the "Start Scanning" entry surface through item selection, payment, and assistance flows.

  • Used daily by millions of retail shoppers across Publix, Target, CVS, and partner stores
  • Designed the full transaction journey: scan → select → pay → assistance handoff
  • Multilingual and accessibility-considered for one of the highest-traffic NCR interfaces
UX·Retail·Accessibility·Consumer
2014 — 2016

National Bank of Canada

Bank of the Future — Banking Experience

Creative Director, UX/UI

Bank-of-the-future ATM and tablet experience for National Bank of Canada. Modernized the transaction surface — Retrait (Withdrawal), Dépôt (Deposit), bilingual UI, processing states, customer-facing waiting screens.

  • Designed bilingual (French/English) transaction surfaces for Canadian banking customers
  • Part of NCR's Product Center of Excellence engagement with NBC + Wells Fargo
  • Modernized the look-and-feel from legacy ATM patterns to a contemporary product surface
UX·Financial Services·Bilingual
Nerds Agency era

Villageluxe

Luxury Item Rentals

Creative Director, UX/UI

Mobile-first luxury rental app — high-end fashion and accessories. Editorial-led product surfaces, item discovery, collections architecture, and a brand voice tuned to luxury consumer expectations.

  • Mobile-first experience for a luxury consumer audience
  • Editorial product photography + premium typography aesthetic
  • Item collection architecture supporting both browsing and curated discovery
UX·UI·Luxury·Mobile-First
05 · Education & Programs

Curriculum, cohort, and platform work — building the developer and product audience over a decade.

2016 — Present
CodeTeachers
STEAM & AI Builder Education
2016 — Present

CodeTeachers

STEAM & AI Builder Education

Chief Marketing Officer (Founder)

STEAM education platform delivering coding, UX/UI, product design, engineering, and maker-science programs for K–12 and adult learners. Live for 10+ years across multiple regions.

  • 300% platform growth · 40% downtime reduction · 25% lift in course-completion
  • Built community, curriculum, onboarding, content, and event programming end-to-end
  • Trains the next wave of developers and AI practitioners — the audience modern AI products market to
Education·Community·Curriculum·Founder
2026
Two Mondays AI Automation
Waymaker AI — Paid Cohort
2026

Two Mondays AI Automation

Waymaker AI — Paid Cohort

Founder · Curriculum · Instruction

Paid cohort program teaching business owners to ship AI-powered operations, content, and lead-gen workflows on the modern AI dev stack (Next.js, Vercel, Supabase, Claude/OpenAI).

  • Assessment-to-curriculum personalization based on each operator's business
  • Live instruction + hands-on labs over two intensive weekends
  • Lifetime access to curriculum + private cohort community
Cohort·AI·Education·Operators
2020 — 2022
Flatiron · Thinkful · Chegg
Product Design + Data Engineering Programs
2020 — 2022

Flatiron · Thinkful · Chegg

Product Design + Data Engineering Programs

Product Education Leader · Founding Faculty

Founding faculty for accredited Product Management, UX, and Data Engineering programs at Thinkful (Chegg). Built end-to-end: curriculum, pedagogy, live instruction, mentorship, state-level authorization.

  • 100% NPS score maintained across program cohorts
  • Designed scalable instructional systems and industry-bridge programming
  • Prepared career-changers for product, design, and engineering roles industry-wide
Curriculum·Product·UX
06 · About

Senior product marketing and growth leader. I design and ship the AI products I market.

20+ years across AI strategy, product marketing, GTM, customer journey, storytelling, content/SEO, and product design — pairing Fortune-500 tenure with founder-shipped products.

Brand-name credentials: Walt Disney World, NCR ($100M+ engagement), Wyndham, Wells Fargo, Sephora, NBC, National Bank of Canada. Founder-led ventures: Waymaker AI, CoFounder OSS, CodeTeachers, Nerds Agency.

Most recent receipt — 14-day rebuild for a healthcare-automation client: 4 booked demos, 2 closed deals, 11 days, from a previously stalled 3-month pipeline.

AI Product Strategy & Adoption
Anthropic, OpenAI, multi-LLM orchestration
Go-to-Market & Product Marketing
Launch motions, demand gen, category creation
Storytelling & Editorial
Brand narrative, positioning, content
Product Design & UX
IDEO HCD, Flatiron Product Design founding faculty
Sales Enablement & Training
CodeTeachers, Flatiron, Two Mondays cohort
SEO, AEO & GEO Strategy
Content, search visibility, AI search optimization
My Builder DNA
The Polymath

“Learns faster than anyone and connects ideas across domains.” My own result from Builder DNA — the archetype assessment I designed and shipped. I market the products I take myself.

Take the assessment
07 · Contact

Want to talk about a project like one of these?

Taking a small number of senior consulting engagements per quarter — strategic GTM, AI product, and senior UX work for B2B companies and AI-native startups. Free 20-min discovery call.

Book a discovery call ashleykaystech@gmail.com
See the flagship consulting offer → AI Sales Engine · 14-day Sprint