About AscenHD
Builder, researcher, and practitioner. I work at the intersection of AI, human performance, and systems design.
What I Do
I help founders and organizations build better — by combining applied AI, product strategy, and systems thinking into practical work that ships.
My background is unusual: I hold a doctorate in information systems and have taught at Carnegie Mellon, the University of Pittsburgh, and California University of Pennsylvania — 15+ years across four universities. At CMU’s Heinz College, I’ve spent 8+ years advising companies and graduate students on product design across healthcare, finance, banking, network security, non-profit, and blockchain. Before focusing on AscenHD, I spent over a decade as a technical leader in healthcare IT — building clinical data systems, medical imaging platforms, and LEAN workflow applications. I’ve also shipped more than 50 products and applications over 20 years — iOS apps, web tools, AI-powered content systems, open-source frameworks, and enterprise platforms.
The combination matters. Academic rigor without execution produces reports. Execution without rigor produces debt. I do both.
Credentials
Role
Founder, AscenHD
Education
D.Sc., Information Systems and Communications — Robert Morris University (4.0); MBA — University of Pittsburgh Katz Graduate School of Business
Faculty
Carnegie Mellon University (Heinz College) · University of Pittsburgh · California University of Pennsylvania — 15+ years across 4 universities
Capstone advisory
30+ projects across healthcare, finance, banking, security, non-profit, blockchain
Products shipped
50+ products and applications over 20 years — iOS, web, enterprise, AI, education
Open-source
AI Fluency framework — published and freely available
Patents
Multiple U.S. patents — spanning healthcare AI, clinical data systems, and graphical user interfaces
Publications
Peer-reviewed work in pathology informatics and medical imaging AI (Journal of Pathology Informatics, Cureus)
Awards
SIIM Best Paper (2014) · InformationWeek 500 #1 Healthcare Innovation (2010)
How I Work
I’m not an agency. I’m not a freelancer who disappears after handoff. I’m a practitioner who works directly with founders and operators to build the thing, not describe it.
Engagements typically start with a conversation about what you’re trying to do and where you’re stuck. I’ll tell you honestly whether I can help, what it would look like, and what it would take.
Start that conversation →Outside the work: I’m a black belt in Tang Soo Do, a licensed soccer coach, and a golfer grinding toward a 5 handicap. The same pattern shows up everywhere — show up, put in the reps, improve.
Values
Clarity over noise
Direction before speed.
Execution over theory
Ship, then improve.
Sustainable pace
Performance without burnout.
Build what matters
Useful over flashy.