Kellan Finney
Founder · ML Engineer · Quant Developer

Where deep science
meets production AI.

I build intelligent systems at the intersection of machine learning, quantitative finance, and industrial IoT — from algorithmic trading engines to real-time process intelligence for manufacturing.

From bench chemistry to spectroscopy & AI systems

I'm a scientist-turned-founder with an M.S. in Organic Chemistry and Metabolic Engineering from Northern Arizona University and over a decade of hands-on experience bridging the lab and the codebase. My work spans spectroscopy, chemometrics, IoT platform development, and AI for manufacturing.

As co-founder of Newton Insights, I've designed and deployed AI-powered process analytical technology (PAT) platforms that bring real-time intelligence to manufacturing operations at scale — integrating NIR sensors, chemometric ML models, and full-stack IoT infrastructure.

Outside of work, I'm deep into quantitative finance — building algorithmic trading systems and backtesting strategies — as well as metabolic engineering and biohacking for human performance optimization.

📈
Quant Finance Algorithmic Trading, LEAN, Backtesting
🤖
ML / AI CNN, LSTM, Transformers, XGBoost, SVR
🏭
IoT Systems Azure, MQTT, OPC UA, Edge Deployment
🧬
Deep Science M.S. Organic Chemistry & Metabolic Eng.
2019 – Present
Co-Founder — Newton Insights Plainview, NY

AI/LLM platform with integrated NIR sensors for real-time process optimization in natural product manufacturing; open-sourced on Hugging Face.

2019 – 2024
Co-Founder — 8th Revolution LLC Plainview, NY

Co-hosted The Dime podcast; facility design consulting covering instrumentation, SOPs, and workflow optimization.

2018 – Present
Founder — KBF Scientific Consulting Denver, CO

AI transformation and technology integration consulting — custom LLM fine-tuning, IoT infrastructure, digital twins, and data pipeline architecture.

2017 – 2018
Laboratory Director — Leafwerx Wenatchee, WA

Led industrial-scale supercritical fluid extraction operations, quality control, SOPs, and laboratory staff management.

2012 – 2014
M.S. — Northern Arizona University Organic Chemistry & Metabolic Engineering

Thesis: Metabolic engineering of β-carboxy-cis,cis-muconic acid in E. coli. Graduate Teaching Assistant Award, 2014.

What I've built

Professional ventures and the side projects that keep me sharp.

Work
Newton Insights — AI Process Intelligence
An AI/LLM platform integrating NIR sensors with chemometric prediction models for real-time process optimization in manufacturing. Full-stack IoT architecture using Django, React/TypeScript, Docker, MQTT, and OPC UA — deployed on Azure with Raspberry Pi edge nodes on the production floor.
Python PyTorch NIR / PAT Azure IoT MQTT Django React / TypeScript Docker
🚀
KBF Scientific Consulting
Independent consultancy helping manufacturers navigate AI transformation and technology integration — from custom LLM fine-tuning and deployment to IoT infrastructure, digital twin modeling, and data pipeline architecture.
AI Transformation LLM Fine-Tuning Technology Integration Digital Twin Data Pipelines
🤗
Open-Source AI Models & Datasets
Published 7 fine-tuned LLMs and 2 curated datasets on Hugging Face — spanning cybersecurity (Phi-4 fine-tunes), natural product science (Granite 8B, OpenAI 20B), and domain-specific training data for reproducible AI research.
Hugging Face LLM Fine-Tuning Phi-4 Granite Cybersecurity Open Source
Hobbies & Side Projects
📈
Trading Strategy Trainer
Full-stack web app for mastering 151 trading strategies from the Kakushadze & Serur paper — featuring interactive lessons, quizzes, an options payoff visualizer, and a searchable glossary across 79 options and stock strategies. 86+ GitHub stars.
Python FastAPI React Options & Equities Quantitative Finance
💊
BioHacking Knowledge Base
An open-source project organizing and navigating the world of supplements, nootropics, peptides, and wellbeing — curating evidence-based protocols for human performance optimization.
Python Bioinformatics Open Source Health Science
🚀
Space Sector Algorithmic Trading
Algorithmic trading system built on QuantConnect's LEAN engine for developing, backtesting, and deploying quantitative strategies focused on the space & defense sector — systematic signal generation with rigorous risk management.
Python QuantConnect / LEAN Algorithmic Trading Backtesting
Mountain landscape Above the clouds at sunrise

A full-stack scientific toolkit

From bench to bytes — spanning analytical instrumentation, machine learning, and cloud-connected software.

📈
Quantitative Finance
QuantConnect / LEAN Algorithmic Trading Backtesting Signal Generation Risk Management Portfolio Optimization Market Microstructure Time Series Analysis
🤖
Machine Learning & AI
Python PyTorch TensorFlow / Keras scikit-learn XGBoost SVR Random Forests CNN / LSTM Transformers Swin / GAN Hugging Face Pandas / Jupyter
🌐
Full-Stack Development
Django / Python TypeScript React React Native PostgreSQL Docker Git / GitHub CI/CD Power BI
☁️
Cloud & IoT
Azure IoT Azure DevOps MQTT OPC UA Modbus Raspberry Pi Embedded Systems Edge Deployment
🔬
Analytical Instrumentation
NIR / PAT HPLC / IC GC-MS ICP-MS NMR FT-IR UV-Vis ESI-MS PCR SDS-PAGE TLC / LC-MS
🏭
Process Science & Engineering
Supercritical Fluid Extraction Process Optimization Digital Twin Modeling Molecular Distillation Thermodynamics Chemometrics SIMCA
🧫
Life Sciences
Organic Chemistry Metabolic Engineering E. coli Expression Protein Overexpression Biochemistry Polymer Chemistry Environmental Chem.
🔐
Cybersecurity & LLM Safety
LLM Fine-Tuning Phi-4 Threat Detection Prompt Hardening Dataset Curation Model Quantization

Contributions to the field

Peer-reviewed publications, industry articles, and conference presentations spanning analytical chemistry, AI, quantitative methods, and biotech manufacturing.

2023
Monthly Market Playbook — Industry Analysis & Trends
Fields, B., Finney, K. — Eighth Revolution, 2023
2022
Guide to Key Industry Business Terms
Finney, K. — MJBizDaily, 2022
2020
Proposing a Standard Nomenclature for Natural Product Derivatives
Finney, K., Hopp, R.J., Burk, W., Abrams, J. — The Analytical Scientist, 2020
2020
Harmonizing Nomenclature to Optimize the Global Natural Product Supply Chain
Finney, K. — Benzina.com, 2020
2016
Rapid Thermostabilization of Bacillus thuringiensis Dehydroshikimate Dehydratase through Structure-Based Enzyme Design
Harrington, L., Jha, R., Kern, T., Schmidt, E., Canales, G., Finney, K., et al. — ACS Synthetic Biology, 2016
2014
Sub-Inhibitory Fosmidomycin Exposures Elicits Oxidative Stress in Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium LT2
Fox, D., Koppisch, A., Finney, K., et al. — PLoS ONE, 2014
2024
Spectroscopic Process Analytical Technology (PAT) for Biotech Manufacturing
ACS Biotechnology Conference — Denver, CO
2023
The Impacts of Genetic Engineering and Technology on Manufacturing and Consumption of Medicinal Products
The Emerald Conference — San Diego, CA
2021
Adoption, Development, and Implementation of the Smart Factory
MJBizCon Science Symposium — Las Vegas, NV
2020
Nomenclature Workshop
The Emerald Conference — San Diego, CA
2018
Extraction Science
MJBizCon Science Symposium — Las Vegas, NV
2013
Metabolic Engineering of cis,cis-Muconic Acid and β-Carboxy-cis,cis-Muconic Acid in an E. coli Heterologous Host
ACS Biotechnology Conference — New Orleans, LA
2011–12
Characterization of Uranium Uptake by Sporobolus airoides in the Southwest Region of the Navajo Reservation
ACS Undergraduate Research Symposium — Denver, CO; Flagstaff, AZ; San Diego, CA

Let's build something together.

Whether you're looking for a deep-tech collaborator, a fractional technical founder, or an expert in AI-driven process analytics — I'd love to connect.