The SMU FinTech Boot Camp is a 24-week intensive program delivered in partnership with Trilogy Education. Built on a foundation of Python programming — a skill I developed hands-on alongside blockchain, ML, and algorithmic finance — the curriculum produced live project deliverables at every stage.
Python fundamentals applied to financial analysis: Pandas, NumPy, and Matplotlib for data wrangling, time series analysis, and risk metrics including Sharpe ratios and Monte Carlo simulations — directly aligned with the Python programming and data analysis skills I built independently.
Real-world API integration with Alpaca (brokerage), Quandl, and the FRED database for automated data ingestion. Building ETL pipelines that feed into portfolio analysis dashboards — applied directly in the capstone EquityIQ project.
Relational database design for financial data pipelines. Entity–relationship modeling, query optimization, and SQLAlchemy ORM integration with Python analytics workflows — foundational to e-commerce and market research work at Space Fort Acquisitions.
Full-cycle smart contract development on Ethereum: ERC-20/ERC-721 token standards, DeFi protocol mechanics, Ganache local blockchain, and MetaMask integration — the blockchain development foundation I've continued extending through the Ordinals Capstone.
Supervised and unsupervised machine learning for credit risk, fraud detection, customer segmentation, and signal generation — aligned with the machine learning skills listed on my resume. Scikit-learn, XGBoost, and model evaluation metrics tailored to financial compliance contexts.
Strategy development using dual moving averages, Bollinger Bands, RSI, and MACD. Portfolio optimization via the Efficient Frontier with live Alpaca brokerage API execution — applying financial analysis skills developed across sales and entrepreneurial roles.
Sentiment extraction from SEC filings, earnings transcripts, and social media to generate market signals — converging with my background managing social media communities with 1M+ combined followers and my current AI research at SCAD.
Uniswap AMM mechanics, Aave/Compound lending, yield farming, and stablecoin architecture. Analysis of protocol risks, impermanent loss, and on-chain governance — feeding directly into my ongoing Bitcoin sovereignty research.
FinCEN, SEC, and CFTC regulatory landscapes for digital assets. AML/KYC compliance, CBDC comparative frameworks, and policy commentary on Bitcoin ETF structures — reinforced by the legal studies background I continue developing independently.
Three capstone projects required comprehensive integration of curriculum competencies — data engineering, machine learning, and smart contract deployment — into production-quality financial technology prototypes.
A full-stack financial analytics dashboard aggregating real-time and historical equity data to construct, visualize, and optimize a user-defined portfolio. Built on Modern Portfolio Theory computing the Efficient Frontier and Sharpe-maximized allocations — drawing on the data analysis and market research skills I built at Space Fort Acquisitions and through independent study. Delivered as a Streamlit web app with live Alpaca brokerage connection and a Monte Carlo simulation engine projecting 10-year portfolio outcomes.
A machine learning pipeline for binary credit default classification and real-time transaction fraud detection. Compared Logistic Regression, Random Forest, XGBoost, and neural network classifiers on imbalanced financial datasets — applying machine learning skills from the curriculum alongside the community development lens from my nonprofit background. SMOTE oversampling and cost-sensitive learning optimized for recall, mirroring real-world ECOA compliance requirements.
An independent capstone integrating Ordinals protocol research with a fully functional inscription and provenance-tracking interface on the Bitcoin mainnet. A Python FastAPI proxy layer streams live inscription data, a wallet connectivity module handles Unisat/Xverse connections, and a frontend interface renders real-time artifacts with on-chain metadata. A secondary research component maps Ordinals-based digital property rights as a wealth sovereignty tool for underbanked communities — synthesizing the financial inclusion focus central to both my nonprofit background and current SCAD research agenda.
Research examining the Ordinals protocol as a mechanism for unforgeable digital provenance on the Bitcoin base layer — without a separate token or sidechain. The research traces ordinal theory (sequential satoshi numbering), inscription via Taproot witness data, and the economic and philosophical implications of on-chain digital scarcity versus EVM-based NFT paradigms.
A central argument: Ordinals derive validity from Bitcoin's block space permanence, not a mutable IPFS pointer. This distinction creates a bearer instrument model with direct implications for digital intellectual property and community wealth preservation.
Comparative analysis of Bitcoin Layer 2 solutions — evaluating their ability to carry ordinal assets, enable micropayments, and extend Bitcoin's security properties to off-chain environments. Covers Lightning Network HTLC-based channels, Ark's virtual UTXO architecture, and RGB's client-side validation model for complex off-chain digital assets with Bitcoin settlement finality.
Policy research examining Bitcoin as a practical tool for wealth preservation and intergenerational transfer in communities historically excluded from traditional financial systems — communities I engaged directly as Founder Director of Space Fort Acquisitions and through nonprofit service. The research situates Bitcoin's fixed supply and permissionless architecture within a moral and political economy framework, and proposes a "Sovereign Threshold" model for emergency liquidity without dependence on custodial banking.
Built and managed Instagram theme pages with a combined audience exceeding 1 million followers across niches in food, sports, and business.
Developed and launched two mobile applications available on app stores — from concept through production deployment.
Created open-source projects with over 10 applications on GitHub, spanning blockchain tooling, financial analysis, and AI research.
Published five books on family finance and poetry — demonstrating cross-disciplinary writing for both technical and literary audiences.
Launched and operated a digital community for minority entrepreneurs in tech, fusing business development with social equity mission.
Trademarked a unique 13-letter word at age 15 — earliest indicator of entrepreneurial thinking and intellectual property awareness.
Issued by Southern Methodist University · Continuing & Professional Education in partnership with Trilogy Education Services. 24-week intensive program — Jan 2022 to Feb 2023 — covering financial programming, blockchain development, machine learning in finance, and regulatory frameworks. Credential verifiable on Credly / LinkedIn.
The following represent live production deployments and ongoing projects that grew directly out of the certification curriculum and independent research.
Python-proxied explorer streaming real mainnet inscriptions — Capstone III
Bitcoin Layer 2, AI research, and financial analytics repositories
DeFi, Bitcoin sovereignty, and AI in finance — research hub
AI-powered resume automation — applying ML skills from certification
Bitcoin sovereignty and wealth preservation frameworks
Digital asset policy, sound money theology, and DeFi ethics essays