About Me
Hi, I'm Jake Shafer, a data engineer with an unconventional path into tech. After spending over a decade in educational leadership—from classroom teacher to high school principal to statewide education consultant—I discovered my passion for solving complex problems through code.
My transition began while managing data systems and training programs for the Arkansas Department of Education, where I realized technology could amplify my impact beyond traditional boundaries. After some difficult experiences, I decided to make a change. This led me to pursue software development, combining my experience in stakeholder management, regulatory compliance, and team leadership with modern technical skills.
Today, as a data engineer at Banyan Labs, I bring a unique perspective to building user-centered applications. My background in education gives me deep empathy for end-users, while my leadership experience helps me navigate complex project requirements and collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams.
When I'm not coding, I continue giving back through mentorship at Hope Center Ministries, helping individuals re-entering the workforce—a reminder that technology's greatest power lies in its ability to transform lives.
My Journey
Education Leadership
Teacher → Principal → State Consultant
2015-2023
Career Transition
Data Analysis + Sales Experience
2023-2024
Software Development
Data Engineer at Banyan Labs
2025-Present
By the Numbers
Throughout my career, I've focused on delivering quantifiable results that drive organizational success and create positive outcomes for stakeholders. Here's the measurable impact I've made across education, leadership, and technology.
Education Professionals Trained
Across 13 Arkansas school districts
$90K Grant Secured & Managed (x3)
Received and managed a state-funded workforce development grant three times
Improvement in Recruitment & Retention
In targeted schools through strategic partnerships
Staff Performance Evaluations
Managed annually as high school principal
School Districts Served
As education consultant and compliance liaison
Regulatory Compliance Maintained
Across all certification and licensure processes
Career Overview
From Education to Tech
My transition from managing large-scale educational programs to software development brings a unique perspective focused on user impact, data-driven decisions, and scalable solutions. I apply the same metrics-focused approach to building applications that deliver measurable value to users and organizations.
Skills & Technologies
A comprehensive toolkit for building modern, scalable applications
Frontend Development
Backend Development
Database & Cloud
Mobile Development
Programming Languages
Design & Tools
Featured Projects
A showcase of my work spanning web applications and cross-platform mobile development
Data visualization dashboard showcasing district performance metrics and educational outcomes across 13 Arkansas school districts. Built during my tenure as Education Consultant at Arkansas Department of Education.
Cross-platform meal planning application that allows users to select recipes for each day of the week and automatically generates shopping lists based on selected ingredients. Features Alexa integration for voice-activated shopping list management.
Christian ministry website featuring video content integration, blog posts, and devotional resources. Built to share stories of redemption and provide biblical insights for spiritual growth, including study guides and practical faith applications.
End-to-end ETL pipeline that extracts customer data from multiple sources, transforms and validates the data for consistency, and loads it into a PostgreSQL database. Includes automated data quality checks, error handling, and performance monitoring to ensure reliable data processing workflows.
Currently developing a scalable ETL pipeline to automate data integration from external APIs and flat files. Features include real-time data processing, transformation logic for data normalization, and automated loading into data warehouse. Implementing comprehensive logging and monitoring for production deployment.
Professional Experience
My journey through various roles and the measurable impact I've made along the way
Data Engineer
Design and implement ETL pipelines for data processing and integration. Build automated workflows for data extraction, transformation, and loading using Python and SQL.
Key Achievements:
- •Building and integrating APIs to enhance data accessibility
- •Building ETL pipelines for data processing and automation
- •Streamlining workflows for end users through database solutions
- •Conducting data quality analysis and validation
- •Optimizing database queries and data workflows for improved performance
Lead Sales Consultant
Recruited and trained junior sales staff while developing consultative sales techniques. Led performance coaching and retention initiatives to enhance team effectiveness.
Key Achievements:
- •Recruited and trained junior sales staff
- •Enhanced team sales performance through coaching
- •Developed consultative sales techniques and service models
High School Principal
Directed personnel management including licensure verification, recruitment, and performance evaluation. Ensured regulatory compliance while managing staff development and certification processes.
Impact Metrics
Key Achievements:
- •Managed 40+ annual staff performance evaluations
- •Maintained 100% regulatory compliance across all processes
- •Implemented certification and compliance meeting protocols
- •Collaborated with district teams to align hiring with policy standards
Education Consultant & Literacy Specialist
Designed and facilitated professional training for 1,500+ education professionals across 13 districts. Managed data-driven workforce development and secured state funding through strategic partnerships.
Impact Metrics
Key Achievements:
- •Trained 1,500+ education professionals across 13 districts
- •Increased recruitment and retention by 7% in targeted schools
- •Secured and managed $90K annual state-funded grant
- •Improved hiring pipelines and reduced licensure processing times
Lead Literacy Teacher
Mentored new teachers and supported hiring processes within academic teams. Delivered data-informed instruction and participated in school improvement planning initiatives.
Key Achievements:
- •Mentored and onboarded new teaching staff
- •Participated in hiring panels and school improvement planning
- •Delivered tailored instruction based on student performance data
Get In Touch
Ready to start your next project? Let's discuss how we can work together
Location
Dickson, TN