Christopher Stoll is a tech startup founder, software professional, and amateur photographer located in Barberton, Ohio. His friends often call him "stollee", a nickname he picked up while serving in the Ohio Army National Guard.
Chris is a TechStars Chicago alumnus with a Master of Science in Computer Science from The University of Akron. His masters thesis explored novel applications of well-established computer vision algorithms ("Text Line Extraction Using Seam Carving"). Always the entrepreneur, Chris not only mathematically proved his thesis but also implemented it as a mobile application. He blends a spirit of entrepreneurship, formal computer science training, and over eighteen years of practical software engineering experience. He architects quality software solutions that are technically sound, maintainable, and economically efficient. Chris' undergraduate education combined computer science with history and the social sciences, which gives him a unique perspective to analyze problems holistically and humanistically. The values Chris holds have shaped the mission of the companies he has co-founded: Bloomfilter, Skiplist, and Rusty Patched Software.
Although Chris spends considerable time building businesses, he maintains a technical proficiency that allows him to quickly bootstrap complex technical products. He began his software engineering career as an SAP ABAP developer for a large international automotive supplier, where he debugged issues in a highly customized SAP system that could not be diagnosed by business analysts or other development teams. Desiring greater influence over the systems he created, Chris transitioned to web application development, bringing with him the insights gained from kaizen and lean manufacturing practices. He has built monolithic applications in Python and Ruby; multi-tier JavaScript applications using React, Node, and Express; Docker-based microservices in Kubernetes environments; and, machine learning models using TensorFlow and Keras. Currently, he leverages these experiences and specializes in building AI SaaS applications using Elixir, Phoenix, Axon, Bumblebee, and Langchain.
In addition to being a technical leader, Chris is an active leader in his community. He is committed to giving back to the greater Akron area and serves on the local YMCA advisory board (2018-present). He also volunteers with the local Rotary Club (Club President, 2018-2019), Boy Scouts (BSA), and the local VFW Post.
When he's not working or volunteering, Chris enjoys spending time with his family and friends. Together, they enjoy backpacking, biking, climbing, hiking, and soccer. In his free time, he also pursues hobbies such as photography, fixing old cameras, mead making, and reading.
