About
Bio
A founding engineer who has sat on both sides of the deal table: AI/ML technologist, entrepreneur, and lifelong learner.
The name
I am also known as Vadim Nikitin (pronounced vuh-DEEM nih-KEE-tin), which is my Russian name, though I changed it due to frequent mispronunciations. I am an American AI/ML technologist who grew up in Russia.
The now
I now run my own company, QuCelerate, where we primarily provide AI/ML consulting services. Our quantum computing offerings are currently in stealth mode. After gaining extensive experience at companies like IQVIA's Analytics Center of Excellence, where I collaborated with data scientists on deep learning and ML model architectures, I transitioned to full-time entrepreneurship. I'm passionate about AI/ML and quantum computing, and I'm excited to be building innovative solutions for our clients.
Aspirations
Looking ahead, I hope to become a parent with my wife Vika, grow my company, and continue developing both professionally and spiritually. My goal is to expand QuCelerate's impact in the quantum computing space while building a fulfilling personal life and maintaining my commitment to continuous learning and growth.
Career
My professional journey began at Little Caesars while taking classes, followed by an internship at Fidelity Investments that converted to full-time employment. I then worked at various companies including Red Hat (via TEK Systems), Deutsche Bank, Cisco, Truven Health, IBM Watson Health, Metabolon, and currently IQVIA. Throughout this progression, I evolved from front-end development to backend engineering, data science, and machine learning, gaining expertise in cloud computing and cross-departmental collaboration.
Education
I began studying math and computer science at Ufa State Aviation Technical University at age 18. After moving to the USA at 20, I pursued a computer science degree at NC State University, spending my first year at Wake Tech Community College to save money. I completed my bachelor's degree while working full-time and later earned a master's degree in computer science from NC State.
Growing up
Born and raised in Salavat, Russia, I explored various activities from karate and model aviation to drawing and swimming. My mother owned newspaper and magazine kiosks, where I earned pocket money selling papers on the street. At 16, I discovered my passion for technology through Xakep (Hacker) magazine, which convinced me I had the capacity for software development. I also played soccer and attended summer camps, learning valuable teamwork skills while traveling to cities like Crimea, Ufa, and Chelyabinsk.
