Kurt VanDusen

Full-Stack Software Developer

Grand Rapids, MIkurtvandusen@gmail.comlinkedin.com/in/kurtvandusengithub.com/equationalapplicationsequationalapplications.com

Summary

Full-stack developer with 6+ years building production-grade mobile and web applications. Specializing in AI-powered cross-platform apps using React Native, Expo, Firebase, and Google Cloud Vertex AI. Experienced in taking products from concept to App Store and Google Play, with expertise in bare-metal Kubernetes, CI/CD pipelines, and subscription billing. Currently building open source AI apps in public.

Skills

AI & Cloud
Vertex AIAnthropic ClaudeGoogle CloudFirebaseCloud SQLCloud RunLangFlowChromaDBLangChain
Frontend
React NativeExpoReactTypeScriptExpo RouterTailwind CSSReact Native Paper
Backend
Node.jsPostgreSQLApollo GraphQLFirebase FunctionsStripeSupabaseREST API
DevOps
GitHub ActionsExpo EASDockerKubernetesSemantic ReleasexStateTanStack Query

Experience

Founder & Software DeveloperMar 2020 – Present
Equational Applications LLC
  • Building Clanker — open source AI chatbot platform (React Native, Expo, Vertex AI, Firebase, Cloud SQL). 29+ releases, live on iOS and Android.
  • Freelance full-stack and mobile development contracts for web and mobile clients.
  • Built marketing agent using Google Cloud Agent Development Kit and Vertex AI.
  • Built RAG chatbot with LangFlow, ChromaDB, and OpenAI (Dockerized).
Full Stack & Mobile EngineerOct 2023 – Mar 2026
Spectrum Net Designs, Inc
  • Full-stack and mobile development for Auctioneer Software across React, React Native (Expo), and Node.js.
  • Deployed and maintained applications on bare-metal Kubernetes infrastructure.
  • Managed Play Store and App Store release pipelines using Expo EAS and GitHub Actions.
  • Contributed across the entire stack from PostgreSQL schema design to mobile client.
Web Developer2001 – 2015
Alley Cat Bead Company
  • Developed and maintained Drupal e-commerce website for online retail store.
Owner2005 – 2010
Webstore Specialist
  • Website development for e-commerce clients and SEO services.

Projects

Clankerclanker-ai.com

Open source AI chatbot app built in public. Custom AI characters, Vertex AI, persistent memory (LLM Wiki), image generation, Stripe subscriptions. iOS, Android, and web.

React NativeExpoTypeScriptVertex AIClaudeFirebasePostgreSQLStripeGitHubApp StoreGoogle Play
Marketing Agent — GCP + Vertex AI ADKgithub.com/equationalapplications/marketing-agent-gcp-adk

Hybrid marketing agent using Vertex AI Agent Builder and Cloud Run for production deployment.

Google CloudVertex AICloud RunADKGitHub
Firebase Auth → Supabase Bridgegithub.com/equationalapplications/firebase-auth-supabase-bridge

Exchange a Firebase Auth token for a real Supabase session without the Supabase SSO add-on.

Firebase AuthSupabaseNode.jsJWTGitHub

Certifications

Google Cloud Certified — Associate Cloud Engineer · GoogleAug 2023 · Expires Aug 2026
General Coding Assessment · CodeSignalDec 2022

Education

Honors Physics & Honors Calculus — University of Chicago1989 – 1990
Self-Taught DeveloperSince childhood

Created one of the first 3D first-person shooters in 1983. Built an artificial neural network on an Amiga in 1991.