About

Lesley W
Email: cyberblocked1 @ gmail
I am a Forward Deployed Engineer and Senior AI Engineer specializing in building and deploying production AI systems that deliver measurable business outcomes. I've built and delivered AI and Machine Learning systems in enterprise environments at scale with a track record of 50M+ business impact.
I design intelligent systems end to end, from discovery, business problem framing, to architecture through deployment and adoption.
I founded my AI consulting practice focused on helping small and medium-sized businesses implement AI systems that elevate customer experiences and drive growth.
Shell Certified GenAI Developer. Certified in cybersecurity (ISC2 CC), AI ethics, and green software (Linux Foundation).
I hold a leadership position at a global non-profit cybersecurity organization (ISC2) that issues one of the most recognized certifications in the industry. I love being actively engaged with AI alignment, governance, and responsible development. I believe the engineers building these systems carry a responsibility to understand not just the architecture but the implications.
My background started in philosophy and engineering. That's not incidental. It shapes how I approach every system I build: not just whether it works, but whether it should exist in the form it's being asked to take.
In my spare time I enjoy reading, writing and coffee.
Flagship Work
- Geospatial Assistant Agent — AI-powered geospatial data retrieval system built on LangGraph, serving subsurface and exploration teams. Multi-agent pipeline architecture processing natural language queries into structured geospatial data requests through specialized nodes. Built the end-to-end evaluation pipeline. Demoed to VP leadership.
- Trading Analysis Agent — LangGraph agent deployed as a Databricks ChatModel with a built-in Review App for interactive chat. Replaced manual spreadsheet-based forecasting and trend analysis with an intelligent system where users run mathematical testing on data retrieved via natural language SQL from Databricks AI/BI Genie, with Claude LLM handling intent parsing and a stats agent generating narrative summaries. Built the end-to-end evaluation pipeline. Significantly reduced manual analyst workload.
- Transit Times Optimization Algorithm — designed and built a strategic algorithmic pipeline for predicting polymer transit times for the Chemicals & Products business. End-to-end ownership from data acquisition and cleaning through model selection, training, and delivery to the business.
- Trader analytics dashboard — Streamlit application connected to a Databricks job running on a CI/CD pipeline for automated data updates, with a dedicated trader evaluation interface enabling prompt-by-prompt accuracy validation against manual calculations.
- Enterprise AI consulting — scoping, designing, and delivering production-ready AI pilots for clients, from initial discovery and technical architecture through stakeholder adoption conversations.
- Green software and sustainability — represented Shell in the Green Software Foundation (Linux Foundation), leading research initiatives on carbon emission reduction. Delivered presentations to senior leadership and the project management community. Drove strategic engagement with the VP of Information & Digital Engineering on sustainable technology initiatives. Spearheaded the Green Software discipline in Houston, developing strategies to reduce carbon emissions through software optimization.
- Community and industry leadership — Director of Sponsorships for the ISC2 Houston Chapter, one of the largest cybersecurity professional organizations in the energy corridor. Lead the PyLadies chapter in my city, mentoring aspiring developers and building inclusive spaces for learning software engineering. Committed to expanding representation in technology and deepening the connection between AI engineering and cybersecurity governance.
Core expertise: Python, LangGraph, LangChain, RAG pipelines, vector databases, Databricks, Streamlit, CI/CD, Docker, Azure ML, MLOps, SQL, prompt engineering, evaluation frameworks, AI safety, enterprise AI architecture.
What's New
- 04/2026: Spoke at the AI in Oil and Gas conference in Houston
- 03/2026: Became the Director of Sponsorships for ISC2, Houston chapter
- 02/2026: New Blog Post! I talk about my project: The Warden
- 02/2026: Joined BlueDot AI x Cyber Reading Group
- 01/2026: Finished the system architecture for The Warden
- 11/2025: Launched my AI consulting website!
- 10/2025: Joined BlueDot AI Safety Evals Paper Reading Club
- 09/2025: Developed interactive AI agent pathway application
- 08/2025: Expanded consulting services to premium retainer offerings
Talks & Publications
- 05/2024: Shell: Machine Learning & Emissions
- 03/2024: Shell: Scope 3 Emissions
- 01/2024: Shell: Green Software & Emissions
- 09/2023: Applied Intelligence Live Austin
- 02/2020: Pyladies Chapter: The Netflix Algorithm
- 01/2020: Pyladies Chapter: Effective Python
- 08/2019: Pyladies Chapter: Intro to Analytics