UC Davis  ·  Mechanical Engineering  ·  Economics  ·  GPA 4.0

Co-Founder.
Builder.
Product Lead.

I build products from the ground up: user research, design, engineering, and delivery. Currently co-founding Araknyd Industries while studying mechanical engineering and economics at UC Davis.

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4.0
GPA
3+
Years building
5
Certifications
2
Clubs founded
01

Currently Building

Autonomous Systems  ·  San Jose, CA  ·  Private Development

Araknyd Industries

Co-Founder. Building an early-stage autonomous systems company developing a new unmanned platform in private, combining hands-on hardware development with software-driven iteration to give operators greater awareness, reach, and adaptability in complex environments.

UC Davis  ·  Student Organization  ·  Founder

Intelligence & Defense Studies Club

Founded and lead a club at UC Davis programming on geopolitics, emerging technology, and statecraft, at the intersection of AI, defense policy, and national security strategy.

02

Experience

Araknyd Industries

Mar 2026 - Present

Co-Founder

  • Full-time · San Francisco Bay Area · Stealth
  • Building an early-stage autonomous systems company developing a new unmanned platform in private.

Kitchin

Jan 2026 - Jun 2026

Developer & Product Lead

  • Leading product development for iOS app (currently in stealth mode), owning discovery, requirements, design, and delivery across the full product lifecycle.
  • Designed end-to-end user flows, onboarding screens, and UI components informed by UX principles; iterated on designs based on usability feedback.
  • Developed and shipped features using React, Swift, and AI-assisted tools (Cursor); managed technical scope and sprint priorities to maintain development velocity.
  • Defined product vision and go-to-market strategy, balancing user needs, technical constraints, and long-term growth objectives.
03

Skills & Tools

Languages

Swift JavaScript Python SQL

Frontend

React iOS / SwiftUI UX Design Figma

Backend & Data

Firebase Supabase pandas / EDA PowerBI

Product

Roadmap Planning A/B Testing Sprint Management Go-to-Market
04

Education

University of California, Davis

Bachelor of Science, Mechanical Engineering  ·  2025 - Present

STS Honors Program Founder, I&D Studies Club AI Student Collective CodeLab International Relations Students Association Davis Economics Collective

University of California, Davis

Bachelor of Arts, Economics (Data Science)  ·  2025 - Present

West Valley College

Economics  ·  2023-2025

Student Senator Alpha Gamma Sigma Founder, AI & Tech Club CCCP Scholar Honors Program

Building at the frontier.
Open to partners, talent,
and aligned opportunities.

arya1.tavakol@gmail.com (650) 444-3204 LinkedIn