Jason Issac Rinehart

Platform Architect | Translating Between Business Strategy and Technical Reality

Email: jason.rinehart@technicalanxiety.com

Website: https://technicalanxiety.com

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rinehart76

Location: Claremore, OK

Available for Consulting

Professional Summary

Platform Architect with 20+ years of experience spanning infrastructure, cloud, and product architecture across 100+ enterprise organizations. Specializes in translating between business strategy and technical implementation, with deep expertise in Azure platform design, governance enablement, and operational resilience. Built managed services practices from inception, designed product offerings from concept through launch, and authored frameworks adopted by practitioners across the industry. Writes and speaks publicly on the gap between how organizations make decisions and how technology actually behaves in production.

Professional Philosophy

"Absorb what is useful, discard what is not, add what is uniquely your own" – Bruce Lee

Architecture is a translation function. The architect sits between business objectives and technical implementation, accountable for making sure both sides are talking about the same thing. Governance enables speed, it does not block it. Platforms compound over time; weak platforms erode everything built on top. Document failure, because it teaches faster than success.

Core Competencies

Cloud Architecture & Leadership

  • Azure Platform Architecture (Public/Hybrid/Multi-Cloud)
  • Cloud Governance, Policy, and Compliance
  • Practice Development & Team Building
  • Business Resiliency & Disaster Recovery
  • Observability & Operational Resilience
  • Solution Architecture & Integration
  • Automation & DevOps
  • Microsoft Partner Ecosystem Strategy

Technical Expertise

  • Infrastructure Strategy and Architecture
  • Cloud Strategy, Planning, Governance and Operations
  • AI Framework Design and Agent Architecture
  • Enterprise AI Delivery Methodology (SDLC)
  • Confidence Engineering and Reliability Frameworks
  • Business Resiliency and Continuity Planning
  • System and Network Security
  • Technical Writing and Thought Leadership

Professional Experience

Senior Product Architect, Global Services & Solutions

Rackspace Technology | March 2022 – June 2026 | Remote
  • Authored the Rackspace Enterprise AI Framework, defining a six-phase AI-Native SDLC methodology, five AI-specific service capabilities (AI Readiness Assessment, Forward Deployed Engineering, Confidence Engineering, Rackspace Harness, AIRE), dual-delivery architecture supporting both agentic platform and traditional human-led execution, service descriptions, product roadmap, and cloud-agnostic platform design across Azure and AWS
  • Authored and launched the Azure VMware Solution (AVS) managed service offering, expanding Rackspace's portfolio for VMware-to-Azure migration
  • Architected Rackspace Base Camp for Azure (originally Rackspace Cloud Zones), a standardized landing zone offering built on an opinionated Bicep/Terraform module library with an integrated governance process, reducing customer deployment times from weeks to hours and lowering deployment costs by 3x
  • Designed and delivered the Cyber Resilient Backup and Recovery service, defining hybrid architecture patterns integrating immutable storage and threat detection with compliance-aligned operational runbooks
  • Defined Rackspace's Azure Marketplace strategy and co-sell positioning, establishing the transactable services motion and partner field alignment adopted as the FY26 go-to-market foundation
  • Drove $634K+ in annualized savings through Azure subscription rationalization, licensing optimization, and cost-avoidance initiatives
  • Generated $1M in incremental partner incentives through Azure Lighthouse implementation and PAL alignment strategy
  • Aligned Azure product portfolio to Microsoft's FY25 partner incentive taxonomy across infrastructure, Modern Work/Copilot, and Security plays
  • Published six articles on Rackspace's platform covering cyber resiliency, Azure governance, Kubernetes agent governance, VMware migration, and IT service management modernization
  • Delivered webinar and conference presentations on Azure landing zones and AI-assisted application modernization
  • Award: Rackspace Technology Innovation Award for the design and delivery of Base Camp for Azure

Director, Technology Leadership

Avanade | Jan 2021 – March 2022 | Remote
  • Directed engineering engagements across multiple regions, achieving 95% client satisfaction scores
  • Defined and delivered modern infrastructure architectures for public and hybrid cloud solutions
  • Managed and mentored offshore teams, improving project delivery speed by 20%
  • Achievement: Technology Leadership Career Path (TLCP) induction for strategic impact

Senior Cloud Architect

Children's Mercy Hospital | Aug 2020 – Jan 2021 | Kansas City, MO
  • Led Cloud Engineering team to establish governance and best practices for Azure and Office 365 platforms
  • Designed and implemented secure cloud frameworks, supporting 5,000+ users
  • Developed monitoring architecture, reducing incident response times by 25%

Infrastructure Architect

Helmerich & Payne | June 2020 – Aug 2020 | Tulsa, OK
  • Managed Enterprise Performance Team and Disaster Recovery/HA Architect, ensuring 99.99% system uptime
  • Developed IT strategy roadmaps and documentation, streamlining integration of new services
  • Coordinated with Enterprise Architect to align Infrastructure systems with company's IT strategy
  • Instilled culture of availability and resiliency for all new systems through architecture activities

Cloud Platform Architect, Managed Services

10th Magnitude | Aug 2017 – June 2020 | Tulsa, OK
  • Built Cloud Native Managed Service business from inception, securing first 10 enterprise clients within 18 months
  • Architected Azure deployments at scale, supporting 100+ customer environments
  • Developed CI/CD pipelines and automated workflows, increasing deployment efficiency by 35%
Platform Architecture Focus:
  • Microsoft Azure (Azure Monitor, Application Insights, Log Analytics, Logic Apps, Functions, ARM, Azure Policy/Blueprints)
  • Microsoft Dynamics (Provance) ITSM platform design and integration
  • Azure DevOps CI/CD pipeline development and Agile methodologies
  • VMware CloudHealth reporting, right-sizing, and policy enforcement

Senior Infrastructure Engineer – Lead / Senior Storage Architect

Pinnacle Business Systems | Nov 2011 – Aug 2017 | Edmond, OK
  • Supervised technology implementations and cloud architecture design
  • Guided implementations of technologies supporting complex corporate data infrastructures
  • Designed High Availability Data Platforms with geographic dispersion
  • Provided Level 4 support for corporate data infrastructure
Technical Expertise:
  • Public/Private Cloud (VMware vSAN, PlateSpin Migrate, LogicMonitor, Veeam Backup & Recovery)
  • VMware (vSphere, vCenter, vRealize Suite, Site Recovery Manager, vCloud Director, Horizon 7)
  • Microsoft (Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, Hyper-V, SQL Server, System Center)
  • Enterprise Storage (PureStorage, HP 3PAR, EMC Symmetrix/VMAX, EMC VNX, Dell Compellent, IBM v7000)

Senior Systems Engineer

Alliance Technology Group | Nov 2010 – Nov 2011 | Hanover, MD
  • Overall customer solutions architecture and planning
  • Design and implementation of storage and recovery architectures
  • Understanding business requirements and budgeting

Business Continuity/Disaster Recovery Specialist

Sonic Drive-In, Corporate | Nov 2007 – Nov 2010 | Oklahoma City, OK
  • Development and maintenance of Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity Plan for Sonic Industries
  • Creation and maintenance of backup plans for all data
  • IBM iSeries operational support and continuity design
  • Developed risk assessments for all critical systems and ranking for action

Information Systems Technician

Sonic Drive-In, Corporate | Dec 2006 – Nov 2007 | Oklahoma City, OK
  • Corporate HelpDesk Support for 400+ corporate users and 4000+ Drive-In locations
  • Resolving issues in timely fashion with focus on customer service
  • Personal Communication device administration

Information Technology Manager

First National Bank | April 2006 – Dec 2006 | Wewoka, OK
  • Hardware and Software Management
  • Responsible for secure transmission of banking data to Federal Reserve
  • Assisted in conversion to Check21 from UNIX platform to Solaris
  • Assisted auditors in development and testing of Business Recovery Plan

Education & Certifications

Education

Oklahoma Baptist University | Shawnee, OK
Computer Science (Major), Math & Biblical Languages (Minor)
Attended 1995 – 2000
Holdenville High School | Holdenville, OK
Graduated May 1995

Key Certifications

  • Microsoft Azure AZ900
  • Certified Business Resiliency Manager (BRCCI)
  • Certified Business Resilience I.T. Professional (BRCCI)
  • EMC Technology Architect
  • EMC Networker Implementation Expert
  • EMC Symmetrix Implementation Expert
  • EMC Isilon Storage Professional
  • EMC Isilon Integration Engineer
  • EMC VPLEX Implementation Architect
  • Hitachi Storage Technical Consultant
  • HPE Master Architect – Systems Engineering
  • Veeam Certified Solutions Architect
  • Dell Compellent Top Gun Storage Architect
  • Dell PS Series Top Gun Storage Architect
  • Pure Accredited Installation Specialist
  • IBM System X Implementation Specialist
  • IBM v7000 Storage Architect

Key Projects & Achievements

Enterprise AI Framework & Product Innovation at Rackspace Technology

  • Innovation Award Winner: Rackspace Technology Innovation Award for the design and delivery of Base Camp for Azure, reducing customer landing zone deployments from weeks to hours
  • Authored the Rackspace Enterprise AI Framework from concept through product roadmap, defining the AI-Native SDLC methodology, five service capabilities, platform architecture for 18 AI agents across six lifecycle phases, and dual-delivery model (agentic platform and traditional human-led execution)
  • Designed four net-new managed service offerings: Enterprise AI Framework services, Base Camp for Azure, Azure VMware Solution (AVS), and Cyber Resilient Backup and Recovery
  • Delivered $1.6M+ in combined financial impact through cost optimization ($634K annualized savings) and partner incentive growth ($1M via Azure Lighthouse)
  • Published six articles and delivered two presentations representing Rackspace's technical voice on AI governance, cyber resiliency, and cloud migration

Project Loom — Open Source

  • Creator of Project Loom, a PostgreSQL 17-native memory compiler for AI workflows, built in Rust with a React dashboard (MIT licensed)
  • Designed three ingestion modes (user-authored seed, vendor import, live MCP capture) supporting five first-class MCP clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, ChatGPT Desktop, GitHub Copilot, and M365 Copilot
  • Established the architectural distinction between session-scoped context management and cross-session, cross-tool memory, addressing the gap between how AI tools manage state today and what production workflows require
  • Contributed four amendments to the Borg memory specification adopted in both products: extraction quality framework, three-pass entity resolution, classification resilience via dual-profile retrieval, and namespace-configurable tier budgets

Cloud Native Managed Services at 10th Magnitude

  • Startup Success: Employee #2, built Cloud Native Managed Service business from inception
  • Secured first 10 enterprise clients within 18 months of business launch
  • Architected Azure deployments at scale, supporting 100+ customer environments

Enterprise Cloud Architecture Leadership

  • Technology Leadership Career Path (TLCP) induction at Avanade for strategic impact
  • Achieved 95% client satisfaction scores across multiple geographic regions
  • Improved project delivery speed by 20% through offshore team management
  • Designed secure cloud frameworks supporting 5,000+ users at Children's Mercy Hospital

Infrastructure Excellence & Business Continuity

  • Ensured 99.99% system uptime as Infrastructure Architect at Helmerich & Payne
  • Reduced incident response times by 25% through monitoring architecture development
  • Developed comprehensive Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity Plans for enterprise organizations
  • Managed enterprise performance teams and disaster recovery architecture

Technical Writing & Thought Leadership

Technical Anxiety Blog

Author of Technical Anxiety — a practitioner-voice platform covering cloud architecture, governance, observability, and organizational decision-making. Features multiple long-form series including Confidence Engineering, AI Observability, and Decide or Drown, with a focus on real-world implementation patterns and the gap between theory and production.

Rackspace Technology Publications

Contributing author for Rackspace Technology's thought leadership content, focusing on AI governance, cloud migration strategies, IT service management, and enterprise governance frameworks:

Presentations & Webinars