Colin Andrews

I'm Colin Andrews, an AI/ML engineer and data strategist with 9+ years of experience using data, AI, and machine learning to explain, predict, and prescribe real-world action across various industries. I've lived and worked in diverse environments including the USA, Germany, Austria, Portugal, and currently Bahrain, bringing a global perspective to my work.

• Conducting urban data intelligence for the Bahraini government's afforestation initiative, including strategies for ethical use and governance of AI.
• Building and managing the first generative farm that runs itself using AI to structure data from unstructured inputs and teaches itself to optimize for long-term yield, resilience, and biodiversity.
• The engineering of a blockchain-based energy market that implements multi-attribute order books for AI trading bots to execute trades on behalf of local energy communities (built on Substrate).
• The analysis and optimization of global end-to-end supply chains of 10+ companies including IKEA, Lowe's, Nike, L.L. Bean, and J. Crew.

Experience & Expertise

Education

• M.S. in Computer Science (Machine Learning & AI focus), Georgia Institute of Technology
• B.S. in Electrical Engineering (Signals & Systems focus), Minor in Engineering & Business, Georgia Institute of Technology (Full Scholarship)
• Permaculture Design Professional Certification, Oregon State University

Professional Highlights

• Founder, Food Security Terminal (2024 - Present):

  Building digital twins of food systems using generative AI. The system extracts structured data from human observations to document farm lifecycle, track plant and object states, manage tasks, and optimize growing practices. In our pilot project, we've already processed over 4,000 observations, documented 8,000+ kg of harvest, and completed 400+ tasks. Learn more about Food Security Terminal

• Urban Data and Intelligence Expert Consultant, United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat) in Bahrain (2023 - Present):

  Coordinating global experts and conducting field visits for Bahrain's ambitious tree-planting initiative. Work involves data collection, geospatial analysis, dashboard creation, and developing strategies for ethical AI use in urban planning. Learn more about UN-Habitat Bahrain project

• Research Scientist, Grid Singularity (2019 - 2022):

  Designed APIs for AI agents to trade energy on multi-attribute order books and engineered blockchain architectures for decentralized energy markets. Wrote technical articles, managed grant applications, and coordinated with partners to develop our ecosystem.

• Business and Analytics Strategy Consultant, Kurt Salmon, part of Accenture Strategy (2016 - 2019):

  Created data preparation workflows, designed business processes, and delivered ML and AI models for supply chain analytics, warehouse optimization, and financial decision-making. Presented technical strategies to executive leadership of major companies like IKEA, Nike, and Lowe's, helping optimize their global operations.

Projects

• Farm Manager and Permaculture Consultant, Learn to Grow Outdoor Educational Center (2023 - Present):

  Managing a 2-acre regenerative farm, overseeing plant and animal care, harvest operations, and data documentation. Producing 35,000 kg of food annually while maintaining a diverse ecosystem of over 300 plant and animal species. View Learn to Grow on Instagram

• Somebody Call a PhD: Podcast Creator and Host (2018 - present):

  Interviewing PhDs to understand their passion, the research it drives, and the impact on technology and society. Listen on Spotify

• Decentralized Right to Breathe Debate Tool:

  An AI-powered Telegram bot facilitating structured collective debates in real-time to drive better decision-making and push forward the conversation on AI and blockchain in the development and enforcement of rights. Learn more about the Debate Tool

Skills

• AI tools: LLMs (OpenAI API, Claude, Langchain), vector embeddings & RAG (Pinecone), ML algorithms & libraries (e.g. PyTorch)
• Data: analytics (pandas, Alteryx), databases (SQL, MongoDB), dashboards (matplotlib, Airtable, Tableau), blockchain systems
• Programming: backend (Python), ops (github, Vercel, Linear), frontend (Typescript), cloud (AWS), no- and low-code workflows
• 0 to 1 Product: functional/technical requirements, system design, prototyping, project planning, product management
• Farming: farm and animal management, compost and soil building, carpentry, electronics, team management, permaculture
• Languages: English (native), German (proficient), Portuguese (functional), Spanish (functional), Arabic (beginner)