Venkata Karunakar

About Venkata Karunakar

Data Infrastructure Leader & Solution Architect | Cloud & AI/ML Infrastructure Specialist | AWS & Kubernetes Certified With a robust background in big data, SQL/NoSQL databases, cloud computing, and AI/ML GPU infrastructure, I specialize in architecting and optimizing scalable, high-performance data solutions. Throughout my career, I have successfully designed, deployed, and automated complex, large-scale distributed systems across diverse industries, including finance, ad technology, VoIP, and industrial IoT. My expertise lies in delivering innovative solutions that drive efficiency, scalability, and performance in mission-critical environments both on-prem and in cloud. Expertise in Infrastructure, data & Cloud: I have deep experience with HDFS, Kafka, Spark, HBase, GPU\'s and Linux, ensuring high availability, observability and scalability on AWS, Azure, GCP and Kubernetes. AI & ML: Provide AI/ML-GPU powered infrastructure and optimizations for both AI training and Inference. AI agents and MCP architecture implementation along with RAG Systems. Automation: Passionate about streamlining infrastructure management through Ansible, Terraform, and Kubernetes, reducing manual overhead and increasing system resilience. Security & Compliance: I have implemented secure, compliant, and fault-tolerant architectures for mission-critical applications, ensuring regulatory adherence (GDPR, CCPA, PCI-DSS, SOC).Core Competencies:Programming & Tools: Python, Go, Hadoop, Apache Kafka, Apache SparkTechnologies: Big Data, NoSQL, Distributed SystemsPlatform & Cloud: AI/ML, AWS, GCP, Azure, Kubernetes, DockerSystem Design & Architecture: High-Availability Systems, Micro-services, RESTful APIs, gRPC, RAG system Certifications & Recognitions:AWS Certified Solution Architect – ProfessionalCertified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA)Certified Kubernetes Developer (CKD)Terraform AssociateLinux & Networking Certification Passionate about innovation, AI-driven automation, and solving complex distributed computing challenges. Always open to knowledge-sharing, mentoring, and collaboration.

Experience

1. Lead Principle Software Engineer

   Visa

   Apr 2018 — Present · Foster City, CA, US

   Designed and maintained multi-petabyte big data and ML platforms with GDPR, CCPA, and PCI-DSS compliance, modernizing security from Kerberos to Active Directory. Scaled NVIDIA GPUs using MIG and NVLink, and developed Spark on Kubernetes with CI/CD pipelines for modular ML infrastructure.Deployed Istio service mesh for traffic control and mTLS security, implemented monitoring with Grafana and Prometheus, and automated Amazon EKS provisioning using Terraform, ArgoCD, and GitHub Actions. Lead and support big data infrastructure to open source software (OSS) migration. Supported Apple Pay infrastructure by managing HBase and Kafka, developed Python tooling for APIs and failover, and maintain and support ETL pipelines. Mentored engineering teams, drove run-book improvements, and collaborated cross-functionally for big data and AI infrastructure needs.

Education

• Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University

  Bachelor's degree, Electrical and Electronics Engineering

  2004 — 2008

• Towson University

  Master of Applied Information Technology, Information Technology Project Management

  2010 — 2012