Michael Bass
I’m a founder and engineer with a Doctorate in AI Entrepreneurship.
Founder @ Icii, Co-Founder @ Sowa · Las Vegas, NV
Open to advisory
5 hrs / month
Product · Engineering & Tech · Leadership & Strategy
I enjoy helping founders tackle hard problems across product, technology, AI, customer discovery, and strategy. I bring energy, challenge assumptions, and turn complexity into clear next steps—while making the process genuinely enjoyable.
About Michael
- I build technology that makes complicated work feel a lot less complicated. Most of my work sits somewhere between AI, software, data, automation, and hardware, usually focused on giving people capabilities that previously required a programmer or specialist.
* I’m the Founder and CEO of Arctic Fox / Icii, where we’re building AI-generated tools that help everyday professionals work with their data, automate repetitive work, and create reusable workflows without having to become developers. Arctic Fox came from a problem I kept seeing: people already have the information they need buried in spreadsheets, reports, and business software, but getting useful answers out of it is still way too hard.
* I have a Doctorate in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and I’ve built across the stack from AI and complex software to embedded systems and hardware acceleration. That includes everything from a multi-channel analyzer ASIC and FPGA-accelerated AI to microcontroller systems, desktop applications, web platforms, and modern AI products.
* I’m especially interested in the point where powerful technology becomes usable technology. I don’t want people learning Python, prompt engineering, or a dozen new tools just to solve a problem their computer should already be able to help them solve.
* My view of AI is pretty simple: it should give people leverage, not just replace them. I’m much more interested in practical AI that helps someone do their job better than chasing bigger models, more compute, and automation for automation’s sake.
* I’ve spent a lot of my career building and leading things—companies, engineering teams, startup organizations, technical projects, and founder communities. I like environments where the answer isn’t obvious yet and a group of people has to figure out what should exist and then actually make it exist.
* At Startups.com, I work with founders around AI, product development, and building with emerging technology. I enjoy taking things that sound intimidating or overly technical and getting them to the point where somebody says, “Oh. I can actually use this.”
* I’ve also always had a habit of starting slightly unreasonable things. At Texas A&M that included helping lead a startup incubator, founding an autonomous driving team, and creating the Layne’s Challenge, which combined running, biking, and eating fried chicken for reasons that remain completely defensible.
* At the end of the day, I like hard technology, ambitious startups, interesting people, and building things that actually make someone’s life easier.
Company
Icii
arcticfox.chat
Small businesses have valuable information spread across spreadsheets and software, but turning it into clear answers is hard. Arctic Fox lets you ask questions like what to reorder, who’s performing best, or where you’re losing money—and gives you the answer without the technical work. It turns the information your business already has into answers you can actually use.
Company Stage
Development
Funding Stage
Pre-Seed
Funding Raised
None/Bootstrapped
Team Size
1-5 employees
Annual Revenue
$0 to $100k
Location
Las Vegas, NV
Founded
2020
Industry
Technology
Skills
Technology
I’ve built across the stack, from AI and complex software to embedded systems and hardware acceleration. I design architectures, write production software, integrate hardware and software, and build systems that have to work outside of a demo. My work spans everything from low-level engineering to full products, with a lot of time spent turning complex technical ideas into working systems.
Software Development
I’ve built software across Windows, Linux, Android, and the web, including mission-data applications, radio configuration software, embedded and server systems, and AI products. For Arctic Fox, I built a C#, Electron, and Python architecture that reads local files, executes generated code, manages processes, and turns AI requests into repeatable workflows on the user’s machine. I’ve also built React/FastAPI applications like Sowa and software that interfaces directly with hardware, sensors, and communications systems.
AI Applications Deployment
I’ve built AI systems ranging from FPGA-accelerated inference to LLM-powered products like Arctic Fox and Sowa. My work includes model integration, prompt and agent design, tool execution, AI-generated code, structured outputs, and building systems that connect AI directly to files, software, and real-world workflows. I’ve also worked on lower-level AI implementation problems, including model quantization, inference optimization, and moving AI workloads closer to the hardware.
Hardware Design
I’ve designed hardware from a multi-channel analyzer ASIC for radiation detection to FPGA-based hardware acceleration for AI. I’ve built and programmed microcontroller systems that interface directly with sensors, communications, and control hardware. I’ve worked across digital logic, embedded systems, and hardware/software integration, taking designs from architecture through implementation and test.
Data Analysis
I’ve worked with data across engineering, operations, and business problems, from radiation detection and sensor data to sales, employee performance, and financial analysis. I use Python, pandas, SQL, Excel, and visualization tools to clean, transform, combine, and analyze large datasets and turn them into clear metrics and trends. I’ve built analyses around forecasting, time-series behavior, correlations, performance comparisons, anomaly detection, and operational decision-making.
Founder
Founded Arctic Fox, Co-Founded Sowa, and build AI products. I’m a technical founder who can take a company from an early market thesis through product strategy, engineering, customer discovery, and execution. My strength is seeing the intersection of what is technically possible, what customers actually need, and what can become a meaningful business—and then building the organization and product to pursue it.
Machine Learning
I’ve worked with machine learning from the model level down to deployment, including quantization, inference optimization, and FPGA acceleration. I’ve implemented and analyzed neural-network operations such as convolution, and worked through how trained models are represented and executed efficiently in hardware and software. My ML work has focused heavily on taking models from theory or training output and making them run efficiently in real systems.
Leadership
I’ve led teams and organizations across startups, engineering, and founder communities, including Arctic Fox/Icii, Sowa, and the AI community at Startups.com. My leadership experience spans company building, technical teams, product development, and cross-functional work across very different organizations and stages. I’ve spent years moving between leading the organization, leading the technology, and bringing people together around a shared direction.
Public Speaking
I speak regularly to founders and startup teams through Startups.com, leading sessions on AI, product development, and building with emerging technology. I’ve presented technical concepts, live demos, and practical workflows to audiences with very different levels of experience. My focus is always on making complex ideas clear, useful, and immediately applicable.
App Development
I’ve built applications across desktop, web, and mobile, from internal engineering tools to commercial AI products. I’ve handled the full application lifecycle, including UI, APIs, data, integrations, packaging, and deployment. Much of my work is turning complex systems into software that is simple to use.
Startup Management
I’ve managed startups across product, engineering, customer discovery, and go-to-market while working with limited time and resources. I’m used to setting priorities, making fast tradeoffs, and keeping teams focused on what actually moves the company forward. My approach is hands-on, with strategy and execution happening side by side.
Experience
job
Founder
Icii
Arctic Fox • Founded and lead development of Arctic Fox, an AI-powered software automation platform focused on deterministic code generation and workflow execution • Directed company vision, product strategy, engineering execution, branding, public image, customer interaction, and technical architecture • Architected modular automation systems including workflow “kits,” execution pipelines, background task systems, and AI command orchestration • Optimized system for low cost, low weight AI models • Led Arctic Fox’s evolution from a developer-focused automation framework into a broader AI chat and software execution platform. • Managed remote engineers across backend infrastructure, AI systems, and software tooling development in a bootstrapped startup environment • Created engineering processes emphasizing rapid iteration, visible progress demonstrations, accountability, and user-driven feature development • Led strategic company pivots based on technical feasibility, market conditions, commercialization opportunities, and product direction. Earlier AI-to-FPGA / Edge AI Development • Led development of proprietary AI-to-FPGA acceleration technology for deterministic Edge AI inference systems • Designed cycle-accurate FPGA scheduling systems capable of processor-less AI inference execution. • Developed tooling to convert trained neural networks into HDL-compatible FPGA deployment packages. • Reverse engineered TensorFlow Lite quantization behavior and implemented quantized convolution propagation workflows Technical Areas: Artificial Intelligence, Software Automation, C#, Python, TypeScript, Electron, VS Code Extensions, FPGA Development, Edge AI, TensorFlow, Linux Infrastructure, Systems Architecture, Engineering Leadership
job
Co-Founder
Sowa
• Co-founded Sowa, an AI-powered marketing platform focused on transforming conversations, experiences, and real-world interactions into lead-generating content and customer engagement assets. • Lead platform development, technical architecture, product strategy, AI integration, and overall engineering direction across the full stack. • Designed systems enabling users to rapidly generate marketing and social content from natural language interaction and lived experiences. • Developed conversational AI systems that reduce the friction between idea generation, content creation, and audience engagement. • Architected backend APIs, frontend interfaces, cloud-connected services, and scalable infrastructure. • Focused heavily on usability and accessibility to enable business owners to leverage AI for branding, marketing, and lead generation. • Worked closely with users and founders to iterate on platform direction, messaging, feature prioritization, and real-world marketing use cases. • Combined engineering leadership, startup execution, product development, branding, and AI strategy within a fast-moving startup environment. Technical Areas: Artificial Intelligence, AI Marketing, Lead Generation, Conversational AI, Content Automation, Product Strategy, Full Stack Development, React, Python, FastAPI, Systems Architecture, Startup Leadership
job
Hardware / Software Engineer
MSTS
• Designed hardware and software systems supporting embedded, remote, and mission-critical applications across FPGA, ASIC, embedded, desktop, mobile, and server environments • Developed FPGA-based multichannel analyzer (MCA) systems capable of producing high count-rate histograms with configurable acquisition and processing settings • Contributed to fabrication of FPGA-based MCA technology into an ASIC through collaboration efforts with Texas A&M University and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) • Developed Android applications for mission data collection, detector interfacing, and cloud-connected operational workflows • Built Windows-based applications for configuration and deployment of radio communication networks to reduce mission setup complexity and operational time • Developed Linux applications and tooling for mission operations, testing, embedded systems, server deployment, and internal engineering workflows • Worked extensively with embedded systems including radiation detectors, radiation controller systems, Atmel microcontrollers, GPS-denied tracking systems, and MHz radio platforms • Supported development, integration, debugging, testing, and deployment activities across both hardware and software environments • Operated in multidisciplinary engineering environments requiring coordination across embedded systems, digital design, software development, networking, and mission operations Technical Areas: FPGA Development, ASIC Design, Embedded Systems, C#, Python, Android Development, Linux Systems, Digital Design, Signal Processing, Radiation Detection Systems, Networking, Remote Systems, Mission-Critical Software
education
Doctor of Engineering, Computer Engineering
Texas A&M University
Doctor of Engineering in Computer Engineering (4.0 GPA) and BS in Electrical Engineering & Computer Science.
volunteer
AI Community Leader
Startups.com
• Lead discussions and community engagement surrounding practical AI adoption, startup execution, software automation, and emerging AI technologies. • Advise founders, engineers, and startup teams on AI tooling, product strategy, technical implementation, and workflow automation. • Create technical and educational content focused on real-world AI development, automation systems, and founder-driven engineering. • Emphasize the human side of entrepreneurship including founder mindset, team culture, motivation, burnout, leadership, and building meaningful communities around shared goals. • Help founders navigate both the technical and personal challenges of building startups in high-pressure and uncertain environments. • Foster community-driven discussion centered on collaboration, authenticity, long-term growth, and supporting entrepreneurs through the realities of startup life. • Help bridge the gap between advanced AI capabilities and practical business application for startup founders and technical teams. • Contribute thought leadership around AI-assisted software development, automation platforms, engineering culture, and startup execution. • Engage directly with entrepreneurs and builders to discuss product development, technical architecture, scaling challenges, emerging industry trends, and sustainable founder leadership. Technical Areas: Artificial Intelligence, Startup Strategy, Community Building, AI Automation, Software Development, Technical Leadership, Product Strategy, Founder Mentorship, Engineering Culture
job
Program Coordinator
Engineering Inc.
Led a student startup incubator at Texas A&M, redesigning program framework to guide student founders from idea to launch.
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