About Marlon
This is not a résumé. It’s the story of someone who builds AI systems to understand them deeply, learns by solving real problems, teaches what he learns — and then inspires others to become builders themselves.
The origin
Before the titles and the stages, there was a developer who learned by shipping. Marlon’s career began in engineering — real products, real deadlines, real users — at companies like Uber and a string of early ventures where the fastest way to understand anything was to build it. That habit never left. It became the operating system for everything after.
The teaching turn
Working with education companies like Team Treehouse and Udacity, Marlon found the thing that would define his career: the exact moment a complicated idea clicks for someone. He learned to engineer that moment — to take the intimidating and make it inevitable. When generative AI arrived, he already knew what most experts were still learning: technology only transforms people when someone translates it.
The ventures
VoicePath ships HIPAA-compliant voice agents into healthcare, finance, and legal operations. AImpact has trained over 10,000 professionals — including Microsoft-contracted Azure OpenAI bootcamps and the Google AI Library Project’s five-city tour. NextSteps DevCon and the Pledge to Equality Scholarship Program have granted 10,000+ scholarships, because Marlon believes the next generation of builders should look like the world they’re building for.
The enterprise
Today Marlon serves as a Vice President of Applied AI at one of the world’s leading financial institutions — where “move fast and break things” is not an option, and AI must ship safely, governed, and at scale. It’s the hardest classroom he’s ever taught in, and the lessons flow straight back into every keynote and workshop.
The journey
A decade of building, teaching, and leading — from first ventures to enterprise applied AI.
2025 – Present
Lead applied AI initiatives that move generative and conversational AI from experiment to production at one of the world's largest financial institutions.
2025 – Present
Founded an AI agency specializing in custom voice solutions that automate business operations and enhance customer experiences across healthcare, finance, insurance, and legal.
2023 – Present
Founded an AI education organization dedicated to demystifying Generative AI for businesses, professionals, and underserved communities through hands-on workshops, keynotes, and corporate training.
2022 – 2023
Led the Activation organization on LiveRamp's data connectivity platform, driving cross-team programs spanning release management, CI/CD, velocity, and vulnerability scanning.
2020 – 2022
Spearheaded engineering value creation at Lightship Capital, directing a high-caliber team of engineers and advising portfolio companies on AI integration, engineering processes, and product development strategy.
2020 – 2023
Founded an AI and data science innovation conference and mentorship platform empowering aspiring developers through curated conversations with engineering leaders, mentorship, and direct learning opportunities.
2019 – 2020
Led technical program management across five Nanodegree programs at Udacity, overseeing mentors and reviewers, user-testing course materials, and contributing curriculum feedback.
2019 – 2019
Built client-facing eCommerce and informatics applications in JavaScript, ReactJS, and Redux, with a focus on performance, code quality, and reducing technical debt.
2017 – 2019
Oversaw a 3-city software engineering apprenticeship program teaching JavaScript, React, and Node.js, and led e-learning programs spanning technical training and equity, diversity, and inclusion.
2016 – 2017
Provided in-person and virtual technical support to Uber Earners, blending sales, customer service, and problem-solving to help drivers and couriers get more value from the platform.
2014 – 2017
Built and shipped a series of consumer products demonstrating an early instinct for engaging, design-forward technology.
What he believes
Strategy without keyboard time produces decks. Marlon leads from inside the work — building, shipping, and iterating alongside the team.
Most resistance to AI is anxiety in disguise. Demystification is leverage — for teams, customers, and entire industries.
The most natural interface humans have is conversation. The next decade of software will sound, not just look.
Access compounds, and so does its absence. Through NextSteps DevCon and Pledge to Equality, Marlon builds pipelines that widen who gets to build the future.
Generative AI moves on a quarterly cadence. Build for what is true 18 months from now, not just what shipped last week.
The mission
Marlon helps leaders, engineers, educators, and teams make that full journey — not just the first step. If your organization is somewhere on that path, he can meet you there.
