I'm William Connor Sullivan — born a mile from the launchpad and raised on two acres in Canaveral Groves, FL. Craftsmanship runs in the family: grandpa ran a metal shop at the port, Mom was a carpenter before becoming a CPA, and Dad built boats for 35 years. Dyslexic kid who learned by doing — building boats with Dad, tearing apart RC planes, fixing small engines, and reading thousands of WoW quest lines because Mom figured it counted. I grew up watching Alton Brown break down cooking into science, which quietly built the same systematic thinking that engineering would formalize.
That hands-on instinct turned into a Mechanical Engineering degree from UCF ('18) and a career designing and building complex production systems — high-speed packaging lines, robotic pick-&-place machines, Class-I biomedical instruments, custom conveyors, and full control panel integration. Along the way I've been named inventor on provisional patents and led AI integration into product development workflows.
Now I'm merging deep mechanical/automation experience with AI-enabled systems — building LaserTagStudio, shipping open-source tools, and using Claude Code, Gemini, and n8n to drive smarter machines and more adaptable processes.
Today I'm back on the Space Coast building Sully's Engineering — combining everything I've learned about machines, software, and automation into one shop. Resin and FDM printers run in the corner, turning out client prototypes and fixtures by day and D&D terrain by night. When I'm not designing systems, I'm probably surfing, climbing, or running a D&D campaign.
Fun Fact
I've been a Dungeon Master since age 13, led hardcore WoW raids through Wrath of the Lich King, and built two boats with my Dad before I could drive. These days it's surfing, rock climbing, and handstands.
Currently Excited About
Teaching my laser system to think for itself — automating the full pipeline from customer design to finished product with n8n and AI.
View as table
| Role | Organisation | Start | End | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BS Mechanical Engineering | University of Central Florida | Aug 2015 | May 2018 | 2 yr 10 mo |
| Order Processing Engineer | Allikristé Custom Cabinetry | Feb 2019 | Aug 2019 | 7 mo |
| Electromechanical Engineer | Westlund Florida | Aug 2019 | Feb 2022 | 2 yr 7 mo |
| Mechanical Design Engineer | Matik USA | Nov 2021 | Aug 2023 | 1 yr 10 mo |
| Product Development Engineer | Shukla Medical | Aug 2023 | Jul 2025 | 2 yr |
| Founder | Sully's Engineering LLC | Aug 2025 | Present | 1 yr |
Gantt chart — chosen over a timeline because roles have duration, not just order — and two of them overlap. see the guide →
View as table (recommended — it lists every skill)
| Category | Where | Skills |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering | University of Central Florida | Mechanical Design, SolidWorks (CSWP Certified), GD&T, SolidWorks Simulations, FEA & Stress Analysis |
| Engineering | Allikristé Custom Cabinetry | AutoCAD |
| Engineering | Westlund Florida | Automation Systems, PLCs (Click; AB/Siemens exposure), HMIs, Fanuc Robotics, Rapid Prototyping, DFM / DFA |
| Engineering | Matik USA | DFAM (Design for Additive) |
| Engineering | Shukla Medical | Product Development, Biomedical / Surgical Instruments, Quality Systems (CAPAs, ECNs, SOPs), V&V Testing, Metal AM (Bound Metal), Continuous Carbon Fiber Composites |
| Fabrication | Westlund Florida | Mill Machining, Lathe Machining, Panel Building & Wiring, Machine Assembly, Metrology & Precision Measurement |
| Fabrication | Matik USA | TIG Welding |
| Controls & Integration | Westlund Florida | Ladder Logic & Structured Text, Industrial Protocols (Ethernet/IP, Profinet), PID Tuning & Process Control, Electrical Schematics & P&IDs, Robot Cell Design & Safety, Systems Commissioning & Startup |
| Controls & Integration | Matik USA | SCADA & Data Acquisition, Servo & Motion Control, Machine Vision |
| Dev / AI | Sully's Engineering LLC | GitHub, TypeScript, React, Next.js, Vite, Tailwind CSS, Python (FastAPI), Claude Code, Codex, Gemini, NotebookLM, Fal.ai, n8n, Supabase, Stripe, Vercel |
| Soft Skills | Westlund Florida | Training & Mentoring, On-Camera Communication |
| Soft Skills | Matik USA | Customer Relations, Commissioning & Hand-offs |
| Soft Skills | Shukla Medical | Public Speaking, Technical Presentations, Cross-functional Collaboration, User Research |
Heatmap — the value is a count at a row-by-column intersection, which is what colour intensity across a matrix encodes. see the guide →
View as table
| # | Lane | Step |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Customer | Describes the design |
| 2 | AI | Generates artwork |
| 3 | Customer | Approves proof |
| 4 | Web app | Pays (Stripe) |
| 5 | n8n | Queues the job |
| 6 | Laser cell | Engraves + vision check |
| 7 | Web app | Ships + notifies |
Swimlane — chosen over a flowchart because the lane each step sits in is the information — this pipeline crosses from a browser to a physical machine and back. see the guide →
This site was designed and coded using custom agentic workflows in Claude Code — not a template and not one-shot prompting. The repo carries its own tooling: purpose-built subagents and skills under .claude/ that handle research, planning and review, so each change arrives as a plan first and code second.
Problem — Showing AI-assisted development is real engineering, not autocomplete — the process had to be visible in the artifact
Outcome — A portfolio that is itself the work sample — every page is hand-shipped, tested and deployed by one engineer
- •Data-driven throughout — resume, timeline, diagrams and chatbot all read one source of truth
- •Print pipeline holds /resume to one page under an automated height check
- •Diagrams rendered as hand-written SVG, no charting dependency
Highlights
- •Custom subagents and skills under .claude/ drive research, planning and review
- •Playwright end-to-end suite gates every change before it ships
- •/resume renders to a single physical page through a hand-tuned print-CSS pipeline
- •The site's AI guide builds its system prompt from these same data files, so it can never cite a project that isn't here
End-to-end custom engraving platform — from design to automated fulfillment. Customers create personalized dog tags, business cards, and wallets using AI-generated artwork or their own uploads, previewed on a live canvas with image editor. Orders flow into a custom-built automated laser system: pneumatics, motors, and vision, orchestrated with n8n for hands-off production.
Problem — Manual engraving workflows that couldn't scale beyond one operator
Outcome — Fully automated design-to-production pipeline for custom engraving
- •Hands-off production via n8n automation
- •AI-generated artwork in seconds
- •Custom hardware + software integrated end-to-end
Highlights
- •Live streaming production
- •Automated media content
- •Custom-built laser system on modified Ender 3 frame
- •AI-generated artwork with Fal.ai
Open source PWA for generating and managing visual data like QR codes. Built as a lightweight, privacy-focused tool — no account required, runs entirely in-browser. Available on GitHub with documentation.
Highlights
- •Privacy-focused — runs entirely in-browser
- •No account required
- •Open source with documentation
Designed orthopedic extraction instruments for surgeons — named inventor on four provisional patents. Introduced the company's first LLM tooling into R&D: task-specific custom GPTs that put GD&T checking, SolidWorks support and part labeling in front of engineers as everyday tools, plus an automated meeting pipeline routing Google Meet calls through Fireflies.ai into Notion action items and summaries.
Problem — Surgeons needed better extraction tools for complex revision procedures
Outcome — Patent-pending surgical instruments used in operating rooms
- •Named inventor on four provisional patents
- •Class-I biomedical certification
- •First LLM tooling adopted in the company's product development
Highlights
- •Named inventor on four provisional patent applications
- •Class-I biomedical / surgical instruments
- •Built task-specific custom GPTs for GD&T checking, SolidWorks support and part labeling
- •Automated meeting capture — Google Meet through Fireflies.ai into Notion action items and summaries, orchestrated with Zapier
Designed and built industrial automation systems — robotic end-of-arm tools, custom conveyors, case erectors, pick-and-place machines. Hands-on from CAD to commissioning: SolidWorks, AutoCAD electrical, PLCs, HMIs, and robotics integration. Projects ranged from high-speed packaging lines to custom material handling solutions.
Problem — Manual manufacturing processes that couldn't meet throughput or quality targets
Outcome — 15+ custom machines designed, built, and deployed in production environments
- •15+ custom machines commissioned
- •High-speed packaging lines running 24/7
- •Full stack: CAD, electrical, PLC, robotics
Highlights
- •Robotic end-of-arm tools & pick-and-place machines
- •High-speed packaging lines
- •Full control panel integration
- •CAD to commissioning
Building things since the garage woodshop days — engineering degree, factory floors, surgical instruments, and now AI-powered automation.
Engineering
Fabrication
Controls & Integration
Dev / AI
Soft Skills
Aug 2025 - Present
Founder
Sully's Engineering LLC · Cocoa, FL
Merging mechanical/automation experience with AI-enabled systems. Building LaserTagStudio and freelance engineering solutions. Running in-house resin and FDM printing for client prototypes and fixtures.
- Built LaserTagStudio — AI-powered custom engraving platform on Next.js, Supabase and Stripe.
- Ship AI-built software for hardware teams: dashboards, quoting and compliance tools.
- Wrote and built a 13-guide, 268-pattern field reference on working with AI.
Aug 2023 - Jul 2025
Product Development Engineer
Shukla Medical · St. Petersburg, FL
Designed patentable orthopedic extraction tools collaborating directly with surgeons to reduce surgery time and simplify implant removal.
- Designed orthopedic extraction instruments with surgeons — named inventor on four provisional patents.
- Owned the Class-I lifecycle: CAPAs, ECNs, SOPs, work instructions, V&V testing.
- Built test fixtures; shipped its first LLM tooling — custom GPTs for GD&T, SolidWorks, part labeling.
- Ran plastic, bound-metal and carbon-fiber AM (Markforged) — surgeon models, V&V fixtures.
Nov 2021 - Aug 2023
Mechanical Design Engineer
Matik USA · Sarasota, FL
Designed automation machinery in SolidWorks and served as electrical supervisor for installation and commissioning of PLC/HMI/robotics systems.
- Designed automation machinery in SolidWorks — fabrication, assembly and BOM drawings.
- Electrical supervisor for on-site installation and commissioning of PLC, HMI and robotics systems.
- Retrofit machinery with servo motors, vision systems and solenoid valves; revised schematics.
- 3D printed prototype end-of-arm tooling and fixtures to prove geometry before machining.
Aug 2019 - Feb 2022
Electromechanical Engineer
Westlund Florida · Largo, FL
Hands-on R&D building custom one-off machines for automated production. Small family business — 3 engineers, 2 machinists, 3 assemblers, and the owner.
- Designed and built one-off automation machines concept to start-up — Fanuc robots, conveyors, case erectors.
- Floor work alongside design: machining, wiring, assembly, debugging. Never the same machine twice.
- Overlapped the first three months at Matik while wrapping up open work at Westlund.
- 3D printed kinematic prototypes to prove motion and clearances before cutting metal.
Feb 2019 - Aug 2019
Order Processing Engineer
Allikristé Custom Cabinetry · Largo, FL
First job out of college. Reviewed detailed AutoCAD drawings and managed fabrication orders for high-end custom cabinetry projects.
- Reviewed AutoCAD drawings, appliance/plumbing/lighting selections
- Signed off on projects upwards of $250k
- Created installation packages and final AutoCAD revisions for builders
- Client communication to ensure proper project completion
2019 - Present
Rock Climber
Various Gyms & Crags · Florida
Picked up climbing after college and never stopped. Every route is a puzzle — balance, grip, body positioning, and committing to moves when the hold above you looks sketchy. It's engineering applied to your body, and the best debugging sessions happen after a hard send.
2019 - Present
Resin & FDM Printing
The Home Print Shop · Florida
Two printers in the garage — resin for detail, FDM for structure. The same machines serve both halves of the job: mechanism prototypes and fixtures for engineering work, minis and terrain for the D&D table. Twenty years of DMing gets more interesting when you can print the dungeon.
Jan 2017 - May 2018
Office Manager
Painting with a Twist · Melbourne, FL
Managed staff and front office operations while finishing engineering degree at UCF.
- Managed up to 6 employees during peak hours
- Scheduling, finances, customer satisfaction, social media management
- Daily inventory, shipment routing, policy enforcement
2015 - 2018
BS Mechanical Engineering
University of Central Florida · Orlando, FL
Graduated December 2018. Senior project team lead, 1st place at IDEAS Showcase, and discovered a passion for hands-on engineering.
- Senior Project Team Lead — HVAC PTAC unit redesign for major Orlando hospitality brand
- SolidWorks CAD modeling, flow & thermal analysis, working prototype
- 1st Place — IDEAS Showcase (Engineering Analysis Statics, 2016): rigid-body analysis of a rolling drawbridge, validated with a 3D printed working model
Fall 2014
Peer Tutor — Mathematics
Eastern Florida State College · Cocoa, FL
Tutored 10-15 students weekly in Calculus 1 and below, and oversaw the full tutoring lab of up to 50 students.
- One-on-one tutoring in 3000-level mathematics
- Modeled problem-solving techniques
- Test-taking strategies and study skills coaching
- Bi-weekly test prep classes with teacher-created problems
2013
Elderly Caregiver
Private Care · Merritt Island, FL
Provided round-the-clock care and medication management for a patient with severe dementia and Alzheimer's.
2012 - 2014
Associates of Arts
Eastern Florida State College · Cocoa, FL
Completed AA degree before transferring to UCF. Wasn't sure what to major in until a Calc 2 professor told him he'd be good at engineering — 'it's a flexible field.' That one conversation changed the trajectory. Also grew up watching Alton Brown break down cooking into science, which quietly built the same systematic thinking that engineering would formalize.
2008 - 2012
Competitive Swimmer & Karate Student
Brevard County · Cocoa, FL
Swim team all four years — placed 8th at states in 10th grade. Earned a green belt in karate over three years, traded for by Mom's accounting work. Also started handstands at 15 and never stopped. Dyslexic kid who learned discipline through sport, not textbooks.
2008 - 2010
Surf Instructor & Ocean Lifeguard
Surf Art Camp · Cocoa Beach, FL
First real job at 15 — teaching surfing at the same camp he grew up attending. Spent two summers as an ocean lifeguard after that. Nothing teaches you to read systems like reading the ocean: rip currents, swell direction, and when to tell a tourist to get out of the water.
2007 - 2012
Hardcore Raid Leader
World of Warcraft — Wrath of the Lich King · Azeroth
Started playing at 14 because Mom figured a dyslexic kid reading thousands of quest lines was a win. Became a hardcore raid leader in Wrath — coordinating 25 players through encounters with zero margin for error. The leadership, communication, and real-time decision-making transferred directly to every team he's led since.
2007 - 2009
Boat Builder
The Sullivan Garage · Canaveral Groves, FL
Built two Jon boats with Dad — the first at 14, the second at 16. No kits, no shortcuts. Measuring, cutting, fiberglassing, and learning that if you skip a step, the boat leaks. The best engineering education money can't buy.
2006 - Present
Dungeon Master & Player
The Kitchen Table · Canaveral Groves, FL
Started at 13 when Mom bought the Monster Manual for his older brother's creature drawings. Twenty years later, still rolling dice. D&D is collaborative problem-solving under constraints with incomplete information — which is also the job description for every engineer.
1993 - 2012
Resident Engineer, IT Department, & General Fixer of Things
The Sullivan Household · Canaveral Groves, FL
The kid who took apart $20 RC planes when they stopped flying and built RC boats from the propellers and controllers. Made wooden swords, fishing bows, and fishing traps in Dad's woodshop. Fixed small engines, electronics, and 'the WiFi' for the whole family. If it was broken, Connor was already halfway through disassembling it.