Resume
About Me
I'm Kushal Kothari, a software engineer passionate about turning raw data into meaningful insights that drive business decisions. Currently pursuing my master’s at NYU, I specialize in data analytics, cloud platforms, and scalable pipeline design. From building real-time analytics dashboards to optimizing ETL workflows, I enjoy working at the intersection of data, technology, and impact.
🚀 Analytics & Innovation: I’ve worked across industries, from analyzing network performance metrics in research at IIT Kanpur to deploying SQL-driven dashboards and statistical models at Media.net. My open-source contributions (Apache, Google Summer of Code, Linux Kernel) further sharpened my skills in data integrity, CI/CD automation, and performance monitoring.
☕ Coffee, LeetCode & Colorful Socks: When I’m not engineering solutions, I’m on a mission to try every coffee roast out there, grind through LeetCode questions, and rock the most ridiculous mismatched socks. If you're as obsessed with cloud tech, AI, and breaking limits as I am, let’s connect and build something epic! 🚀
Experience
NYU Wasserman Center for Career Development
Software Engineer (Jan 2024 - Present, On-site)
Developed a secure ticketing system using Python and integrated authentication protocols, reducing response times by 50%. Optimized NYU’s cloud infrastructure to achieve a 30% increase in scalability and operational efficiency. Collaborated with multi-disciplinary teams to deploy cutting-edge IT solutions in AWS, and spearheaded real-time data analytics pipelines to monitor and improve performance metrics for internal systems.
Skills: Python, AWS, Authentication, Cloud Optimization, Data AnalyticsSalesCaptain
AI Engineer Intern (May 2024 - Sep 2024, On-site)
Created AI-driven solutions to enhance customer engagement (automated messaging, webchat, payment integrations). Optimized backend systems for advanced automation (follow-ups, reminders, analytics), improving response efficiency. Collaborated with cross-functional teams to refine AI-powered text generation and phone automation.
Skills: AWS, Python, Cloud Security, IAMNew York University
Graduate Life Ambassador (Dec 2023 - Jun 2024, On-site)
Organized events and workshops to enhance the graduate student experience, fostering a supportive campus community. Provided peer support and served as a liaison between graduate students and university administration. Developed leadership and communication skills through event management and collaborative initiatives.
Skills: Leadership, Event Planning, Communication, Student EngagementMedia.net
Product Analyst (Dec 2022 - Aug 2023, Full-time)
Led website migration projects and managed relational databases with statistical analysis, resulting in a 20% reduction in launch errors and $32,000 savings. Acted as the primary technical liaison, reducing support ticket resolution time by 30%. Documented new product features, enhancing user engagement by 15%. Optimized AWS infrastructure for performance and cost-efficiency.
Skills: Python, Operational Analysis, DevOps, SQLThe Apache Software Foundation
Software Engineer Intern (Jul 2021 - Oct 2021, Remote)
Developed a packaging tool for Apache APISIX, cutting packaging time by 24% across major Linux distros. Implemented CI/CD pipelines with Docker, showcasing strong DevOps and software development practices.
Skills: Version Control, CI/CD, Shell Scripting, Linux, GitIndian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IIT Kanpur)
Research Intern (Jun 2021 - Sep 2021)
Conducted a comparative analysis of Tor and Yggdrasil Networks across 1 million websites, contributing to significant findings in network performance metrics. Published results in ICICT 2022, demonstrating strong analytical and research skills.
Skills: Comparative Analysis, Data Analysis, Network Security, Data CollectionGoogle Summer of Code
Summer Intern (May 2020 - Aug 2020)
Enhanced network efficiency and reduced setup time by 16% through algorithm optimization. Designed a user-friendly interface for Yggdrasil networking, increasing user engagement by 65% and emphasizing user-centered design.
Skills: Algorithm Optimization, User-Centered Design, Software DevelopmentThe Akanksha Foundation
Teaching Assistant (Jan 2019 - Dec 2019)
Taught Math and Science to underprivileged children (Standard 3 and 4 Olympiad prep). Created engaging learning environments for 15-25 students, adapting teaching methods to diverse needs. Fostered curiosity and improved academic performance among participants.
Skills: Teaching, Curriculum Adaptation, Child EngagementOpen Source
Apache Software Foundation
Contributed to Apache APISIX, streamlining packaging for multiple Linux distributions and implementing CI/CD pipelines with Docker.
View Contributions →
Google Summer of Code (Erlang Ecosystem Foundation)
Built a secure Yggdrasil client library for Erlang, enabling end-to-end encrypted networking. Awarded a recommendation letter from Google for exemplary open-source work.
GSoC Project →
Linux Kernel Contributions
Contributed minor patches for kernel optimizations and bug fixes, focusing on system call efficiency and concurrency handling.
View Contributions →
Research
Tor vs Yggdrasil: A Comparative Study
Analyzing the privacy, latency, and scalability of Tor vs Yggdrasil, providing insights on which network performs better under various conditions.
Read Paper →
Real-Time Object Detection using SSD and MobileNet
Implemented Single Shot MultiBox Detector (SSD) with MobileNet, optimizing object detection for real-time edge computing applications.
Read Paper →
Fine-Grained Identification of Clothing Apparels
Harnessed Mask R-CNN for detailed clothing item detection and classification, enabling robust fashion analytics and online retail optimization.
Read Paper →
Projects
Real-Time Trip Analytics Platform
Built ETL pipelines to process ride data into BigQuery, enabling real-time analytics that improved visibility into revenue, distance, and usage trends across thousands of trips. Optimized SQL queries and data models to support scalable dashboards for business users, and automated data workflows to reduce manual effort and improve reliability.
View Project →
Real-Time Stock Market Streaming Pipeline
Developed a streaming pipeline with Kafka and AWS Glue to process 100K+ trade records in real time, enabling timely monitoring of market activity and anomalies. Prepared analytics-ready datasets in Athena with Python + SQL transformations, supporting trade volume, payment method, and trend analysis. Enhanced scalability and query performance, ensuring faster insights for stakeholders.
View Project →
Blogs
“Even death has a heart.” - Markus Zusak
Posted on October 27, 2020
A reflection on 'The Book Thief' exploring themes of beauty, brutality, and the human condition as narrated by Death.
“For you, a thousand times over.” – Khaled Hosseini
Posted on October 19, 2020
Insights from 'The Kite Runner' focusing on redemption, loyalty, and friendship across war-torn Kabul.
“And who decided which people wore striped pajamas?” – The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
Posted on October 27, 2010
Reflecting on John Boyne's portrayal of friendship across a fence, capturing a glimpse of WWII through the eyes of innocence.
