Chris Klaus

Instructor

Senior Architect

Chalice AI | Illinois

Technologies

Quantitative strategist, harnessing the power of data for strategic advantage.

Authored Curriculum

Take a look at the content that I created on DataCamp.

My Most Recent Course

AI for Human Resources

3 hr11 Videos32 Exercises7 Learners

Courses

AI for Human Resources

Courses

AI for Human Resources

DataCamp Course Completion

Take a look at all the courses I’ve completed on DataCamp.

Courses

Working with the OpenAI API

AI for Human Resources

Courses

Working with the OpenAI API

AI for Human Resources

My Work Experience

Where I've interned and worked during my career.

Chalice AI | Jan 2025 - Present

Senior Architect

As a Senior Architect at Chalice AI, I help improve and scale our cloud-based data and AI infrastructure to support high-performance, secure, and scalable operations across programmatic advertising and internal platforms. I focus on documenting and enhancing the architecture of systems built on AWS, Snowflake, Databricks, and Airflow (via Astronomer), while identifying opportunities for improved efficiency, observability, and AI integration. I'm also actively contributing to the adoption of OpenAPI-first development processes and exploring ways to integrate custom GPTs and AI agents into business workflows like Slack, Gong, HubSpot, and Jira. Beyond technical contributions, I co-organized Chalice’s first AI hackathon, helping teams align innovation with product strategy and cross-functional collaboration. Key Contributions: Documented and analyzed Chalice’s Snowflake and Databricks infrastructure to support scalability and operational excellence Worked with Apache Airflow (Astronomer) and Terraform to streamline ETL pipeline orchestration Collaborated on efforts to map Metaplane’s monitoring capabilities to ISO 8000 data quality standards Supported adoption of OpenAPI contracts to promote API-first development Designed early-stage AI agent workflows for Jira and internal productivity systems Co-organized Chalice’s AI hackathon, fostering innovation and executive visibility Actively collaborate on technology roadmaps to align infrastructure improvements with business goals Maintain a focus on staying current with emerging GenAI, data, and cloud trends to drive strategic innovation

Mastiff Software | Mar 2024 - Present

Sr. Advisor and Chief Engineer

Collaborating on the design and development of an Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) application. The core SaaS application leverages Snowflake, Snowpark, and Tableau with Excel playing a role in design and as the initial data source. Speeding development with the help of our intern, and by creating a custom ICP GPT to help scale our efforts.

Guidepoint PEO LLC | Aug 2023 - Present

CTO / Co-Founder

Applied for and became a Microsoft for Startups company to save up to $150K on cloud costs for our affiliate marketing and e-commerce websites. Setup our IT platform on Azure from hosting Wordpress and WooCommerce to Azure OpenAI Services access. Trained my co-founders on the use of Gen AI to reduce content development efforts by more than 50%. Registered accounts on affiliate marketing networks, resulting in advertisers for all of our sites. Implemented rotating ad blocks to minimize future efforts for onboarding new advertisers.

Talend | Jul 2021 - Aug 2023

Director of Enterprise Data Analytics

Grew an excellent team of data analysts / data scientists from 4 to 11 staff. Managed analytic development in Tableau and presentation layers in Snowflake. Improved Talend's data culture and data driven decision making.

Talend | Nov 2017 - Jul 2021

Senior Data Science Specialist

Share with potential clients the data engineering and data science capabilities of Talend's Data Fabric. Participate in internal efforts such as: the Talend Cloud Demo Bank, Center of Excellence for Data Governance, and Partner Champions Team for Snowflake.

Washington University in St. Louis | Jan 2016 - Jul 2021

Visiting Faculty

Development and teaching of educational and lab material for professional development classes on big data and master data management: "Data109 - Applying Big Data/Analytics" and "Data79 - Master Data Management Overview Seminar". Presented utilization of free and 3rd party data at the RDANA2 - Analytics Roundtable.

Information Builders | May 2014 - Nov 2017

Solution Architect

Share with potential clients the capabilities of IBI tools with a focus on iWay tools. These capabilities span data profiling, enterprise integration, data integrity, master data management and big data. Write proposals in response to RFPs, including R&D proposals.

Memorial Medical Center | Mar 2011 - May 2014

Interface Architect / Senior Programmer

Development of a Enterprise Data Warehouse with Business Intelligence using Information Builder's OmniPatient on an EMC Greenplum. Production of interfaces between enterprise medical systems and to the EDW/BI with iWay Service Manager, Mirth Connect, and Cloverleaf.

Western Kentucky University | Jan 2010 - Jun 2012

Research Scientist

Proposal writing to expand work at the Western Kentucky University Cyber Defense Laboratory. Collaborate with a team of cyber security experts on data analysis, data mining, and data visualization of cyber attack data. Leverage Computer Network Defense Analyst skills in research to develop cyber defense tools.

Drighten Research, Inc. | Dec 2009 - Present

President

Created three dozen custom GPTs for the OpenAI GPT Marketplace. Manage a team of researchers and web developers. Submit proposals in response to government contracts and solicitations. Perform website development. Teaching and development of data science classes.

DeKalb Clinic | May 2007 - Aug 2009

Director of Information Technology

Manage the IT department to meet the clinic's various IT needs. Negotiate IT contracts, resulting in saving of over $75K/yr. Determine training needs to improve the return on investment for the clinic's main enterprise applications. Develop reports to better understand the revenue stream and improve pricing capabilities, which helped to increase revenues by a projected $820K/yr.

Fastweb, LLC, A Monster Company | May 2006 - May 2007

Senior Web Engineer

Led a team of web engineers to work on the back end for 25,000 educational domains. Our development efforts involved using Perl and PHP with MySQL and Oracle store procedures to dynamically serve advertising on various college degree programs. My team's sites brought in $400K/month.

Fastweb, LLC, A Monster Company | Mar 2005 - Jun 2006

Web Consultant

I developed dynamic and static websites for various companies as a web consultant.

Mighty Hero Comics LLT | Aug 2005 - Apr 2006

Senior Web Applications Developer

Manage the Mighty Hero Comics’ Information Technology Department and worked with other departments to meet their IT needs.

Argonne National Laboratory | Jun 2003 - Mar 2006

Webmaster

Manage over half a million files for the Advanced Photon Source (APS) website at http://www.aps.anl.gov. Identify opportunities for Web Content Management. Coordinate APS web development efforts with APS users, other synchrotron websites, and the rest of Argonne National Laboratory (ANL). Organized the ANL web-training program.

Eastern Illinois University | Aug 2002 - Aug 2003

Adjunct Professor of Physics

On a committee to develop a new Masters program in Imaging Science. On the committee to review Joshua Ravenscraft’s masters thesis.

Argonne National Laboratory | Jun 1998 - Jun 2003

Digital Library Developer

Sponsored as PI for the Atmospheric Visualization Collection project by the NSF's National Science Digital Library (NSDL) program with an estimated $408K for FY01 and $333K for FY02. Built a prototype web-interfaced database for the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Developed and maintained software to gather real-time data from various meteorological instruments and then visualize that atmospheric data.

Argonne National Laboratory | Jun 1997 - Jun 1998

Software developer

Working with Mike Vogt, analyzed neural network code for the Sensor Algorithm Generating Environment (SAGE) / Smart Sensor Developer Kit (SSDK) Project, which won an R&D 100 award. Instrument development using Labview to gather and process real-time meteorological data. Developed an optimization tool for the Integrated Dynamic Landscape Analysis and Modeling System (IDLAMS) project using C and PGApack. Acted as Co-PI for an Integrated Gas pipeline Emergency Management System proposal awarded $4.5 million by the Daehan City Gas Corporation, which unfortunately was canceled due to the Asian economic crisis.

Argonne National Laboratory | Jun 1995 - Jun 1997

Math Modeler / Webmaster

Modeled decision analysis techniques into a GIS model for the Integrated Dynamic Landscape Analysis and Modeling System (IDLAMS) project. Worked with Pascal Pochol to create the Energy and Power Evaluation Program (ENPEP) and to develop software modules for ENPEP.

Civil Engineering Technical Service Center, Air National Guard | Jun 1995 - Jun 1995

Instructor

Conducted two introductory courses on using the Internet for HVAC research.

E&E Trucking | May 1994 - Aug 1994

Database Administrator & Developer

Built dBase applications to track payroll, time cards, taxes, equipment maintenance, and fuel usage.

Eastern Illinois University | Sep 1993 - Jul 1994

Student Researcher

Worked on computational models of wormholes using GRTensor, Mathematica, Maple, and Fortran.

Eastern Illinois University | Aug 1992 - May 1994

Graduate Teaching Assistant

Complete responsibility for two Algebra courses each semester.

Argonne National Laboratory | May 1992 - Aug 1992

Summer Engineering Research Student

Core Concrete Interaction project to computationally model Mitch Farmer’s reactor heat transfer and fluid flow theories in Fortran.

Argonne National Laboratory | May 1991 - Aug 1991

Summer Engineering Research Student

Designed, fabricated, and tested MagLev tracks using Labview for data collect from force accelerometers. Data analysis to determine optimal tack configuration for lift and guidance forces.

Eastern Illinois University | Aug 1990 - May 1991

Student Researcher

Fabricated acoustic levitator with funding from NASA.

Illinois Department of Nuclear Safety | May 1989 - Sep 1989

Intern

Assisted in the development of a prototype portable solar-powered radiation- monitoring system.

My Education

Take a look at my formal education

ABD in MathematicsNorthern Illinois University | 1999

MA in MathematicsEastern Illinois University | 1994

BS in PhysicsEastern Illinois University | 1991

About Me

AI educator and data architect with 25+ years in analytics, engineering, and GenAI innovation. Senior Architect at Chalice AI, Founder of Drighten Research, and Co-Founder of GuidePoint PEO creating real-world AI solutions and courses.

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