HERE'S MY STORY
ABOUT JASON
Jason is currently the Founder/CEO of Azara AI. He previously exited two startups, including an NYC venture-backed AI company. Management consultant raising $100M+ in total for client projects. Global business advisor and entrepreneur, advising dozens of seed to series-B startups working directly with founders and CEOs. EIR/advisor to $20M early-stage LATAM venture fund based in San Francisco. TechStars, 500Startups, and Plug and Play alumni. In 2017, founded a blockchain project around a statement of work protocol for decentralized remote work.
Featured in CNN, Wired, Esquire Singapore, and The New York Times. Jason is an internationally recognized speaker at Carnegie Mellon Silicon Valley, Singularity University Global Summit, TEDx speaker (4x), Stryker, NUS Business School, Women in Tech Keynote, Inman Connect, MIT Enterprise Forum, NYC Meetup, Augmented World Expo, and USC Aiken Chancellor Signature Series Keynote.
AN UNCONVENTIONAL CAREER
"Jason Sosa is one of the top AI strategists working today. For a guy who barely graduated from high school with a 0.98 GPA and never even went to college, his tremendous success as a high-tech generalist and serial entrepreneur would have seemed impossible to predict. More than one of his high school teachers told him he might be better off digging ditches for a living, but Jason followed whatever allured him and gave him the emotional fuel to keep going."
- Brian Kelly
MY STORY
Started as a factory worker welder
The only thing I knew at the time was persistence. I was able to learn on my own and capitalize on the opportunities that came my way. Even when a college degree was out of reach, I knew I could make something happen for myself.
Driven to improve, I learned the fundamentals of code, marketing, productivity applications, and business by starting an e-commerce business and bartering radio advertising time in exchange for classes and local technical schooling.
Camera Cases
While working at a factory, I built an e-commerce camera case brand from scratch for the prosumer video market. Born out of the garage, and a personal frustration to find an affordable yet professional camera case for my own gear I designed over 40 products designing a warehousing and fulfillment automation. Featured by ProStores, eBags, eBay PowerSeller, distribution through Wal-Mart, Amazon, and Buy.com with products sold to 40 countries.
Radio Research
In 2004, before the time of Facebook, I was asked by a radio DJ to create a music survey to measure radio listener loyalty. A radio music research service was born. Radio listener panels voted for their favorite songs and won prizes ranging from concert tickets and guitars to a new car. Developed online survey web application from conception to final delivery. Achieved 65,000 radio panelists nationwide in the first year across 18 US markets. Presented Contemporary Radio Format Study at Conclave Radio Conference with world-leading radio research consultancy McVay Media, featured in Billboard Magazine. A joint research study with Clear Channel R&D for a celebrity radio show Acquired by Troy Research
Participated in Toastmaster classes for over a year to overcome a stuttering, and social anxiety for my first big speech at the Conclave Radio Conference,
Multi-touch Computer Vision
I chose to go the path of self-study because I’ve always been naturally curious about the world and would spend endless hours tinkering in my garage, fixing, and building things. What started out as a tinkering project blossomed into an interactive 103-inch multi-touch wall in collaboration with Haworth for ArtPrize Grand Rapids in 2009. Inspired by the NUI group forum, I dived into computer vision using OpenCV and OpenFrameworks to track touch points on a projection screens using a laser infrared array. Past clients and other projects have include Herman Miller, Haworth, Ford Motor Company, Raymond James Financial, Accenture, Nortel Networks, and Clear Channel.
I taught myself the engineering required to build the solutions through books, forums, and finding mentors. Around this time also decided to attend Tony Robbins Mastery University in lieu of going to a traditional college/university. Walking on fire was a lesson on overcoming limiting beliefs
Emotion Recognition
Selected for Techstars NYC inaugural class in 2010 (1% acceptance rate). Developed computer vision/machine learning using edge computing for real-time face detection, tracking, and feature points. Emotion recognition software measured age, gender, and emotions.
Applications included shopper insights, media measurement, digital signage, market research, and online research panels. As CEO, led global strategy, P&L, investor relations, M&A, and recruiting talent with offices in NYC and a subsidiary office in Singapore.
Techstars, 500 Startups, Plug & Play accelerators. Featured on Bloomberg TV reality show, Time Inc Top 10 Startups to Watch in NYC, Business Insider's Top 25 NYC startups, and press from around the world. Raised over $3M in venture debt financing and recipient of $200,000 in AI research grants (Singapore IDA). Acquired by Kairos Inc. in April 2015 via investment bank Madison Alley
Management Consultant
Management consultant as part of a global collective to C-Suite on strategic new business initiatives from Series-B stage to MNC corporate clients. As an early partner at Chameleon Collective, served as the right-hand advisor to founders, CEOs, and executives connecting the business case to implementation plans with development strategy, technology roadmap, go-to-market, customer journeys, and technology implementation. Worked on VR headsets, 3D body scanning, and mobile apps.
Statement of Work Protocol
In 2017, lead a DAO community effort to create a decentralized remote work cooperative – blockchain, information architecture, and innovation strategy. The unique innovation developed was a Statement of Work protocol.
Led platform architecture, strategy, and management of a globally distributed multi-disciplinary team of 50+ Ph.Ds., engineers, researchers, and designers, along with C-suite executive relationships for client projects. Projects included machine learning, troll detection for customer support, whitepapers, training, and solutions for the enterprise.
Next Generation Distributed Business OS (2017). Deliverables Value Points and Statement of Work Protocol were created to develop a next-generation distributed business operating system for remote workers.
Autonomous AI Agents
Azara AI founded in April 2023 is a team from Techstars, AWS, IBM, and OpenAI. Founders include Jason J Sosa, Steve G Messina, and Shahid Chishty. Our AI Agents automate 80% of business workflows saving companies up to 90% of overhead costs. Agents work as a team and with no code connect to dozens of plugins to automate work functions for medium-sized enterprises. Backed by notable VCs such as Redbadge Pacific, Untapped Captial, Iterative VC, Practical VC, and leaders from Meta and Airbnb.
