Hi there, I'm
Charles Aldarondo
Full Stack Engineer · Problem Solver · AI Enthusiast
I help organizations of all sizes solve their toughest challenges—and I'm particularly excited about doing it with AI. With 18+ years building everything from search engines to checkout flows to mobile apps, I bring the experience to ship and the curiosity to keep learning.
About Me
I've been building things on the web for over 18 years. I started in Illinois building search engines that processed millions of records, then grew into a Director of Technology role where I created product lines that grew sales 5x. From there I moved to Phoenix and have been shipping at companies like GoDaddy, American Express, Harkins Theatres, and Discount Tire—seeing a lot of codebases and helping make them better along the way.
I'm a University of Illinois CS grad who loves taking on messy, complex problems and turning them into clean, maintainable solutions. Whether it's modernizing a legacy system, leading a migration from JavaScript to TypeScript, mentoring junior devs, or figuring out the right architecture for a greenfield project, I'm happiest when I'm solving something meaningful. I also run my own consulting practice, helping small businesses with their web presence.
When I'm not writing code, you might find me wiring up servos on an Arduino quadruped robot, building a VR game in Unity, tinkering with a 3D-printed humanoid robot, or exploring what's possible with the latest AI tools. I'm also an active member of Cactus Bricks (Arizona's LEGO User Group)—I was featured in the Arizona Republic building a LEGO jazz club scene at Phoenix Fan Fusion 2023. And way back in 2002, I was the 2nd Site Administrator for Project Gutenberg's Distributed Proofreaders, helping digitize thousands of public domain books.
What I Do
Building solutions that matter, with the right tools for the job
After 18 years of building software, I've seen tools come and go. AI is different—it fundamentally changes what a small team (or even one engineer) can accomplish. I'm focused on finding the highest-leverage ways to integrate AI into real products and workflows, not as a gimmick, but as a genuine problem-solving amplifier.
Frontend
Backend
AI & Tools
Beyond the Web
Workflow & Leadership
Experience
18+ years solving problems at companies large and small
Internet Development Consultant
Independent Contractor
2012 – Present · Phoenix, AZ (Remote)
- Provide full-stack web development services for small businesses using Node.js, PHP, ASP.NET, and React/Angular on the frontend
- Managed Agile team of 8 developers/QA using Jira, focused on B2B insurance policies
- Migrate sites, enhance existing applications, and train developers on modern practices
Senior Software Developer
Discount Tire
2023 – 2025 · Phoenix, AZ (Remote)
- Integrated React.js with GraphQL & Apollo for seamless public and internal checkout flows
- Spearheaded migration from JavaScript to TypeScript, enhancing code maintainability
- Upgraded application from Node 16 to Node 20, improving performance and security
- Developed custom ESLint plugin to enforce coding standards across the team
Senior Frontend Developer
Harkins Theatres
2021 – 2023 · Scottsdale, AZ (Remote)
- Lead developer for completion of a React Native mobile app for movie ticket purchasing
- Enhanced Next.js website performance by optimizing static pre-rendering for faster page loads
- Integrated SQL Server and .NET in Azure with third-party e-commerce credit card processing
Full Stack Software Engineer
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
2020 – 2021 · Phoenix, AZ (Remote)
- Created new public-facing sites for institute and seminary students in Next.js and React with C# backend
- Updated student management tools with standardized React components and SPA architecture
Senior Software Engineer
Tanium
2019 – 2020 · Phoenix, AZ
- Part of Core UI team migrating components from AngularJS to React as part of platform modernization
ReactJS Developer
American Express
2016 – 2020 · Phoenix, AZ (Hybrid)
- Developed new projects using React.js and Redux, enhancing user experience for agents working with customers
- Created reusable enterprise components (date pickers, auto-completes) improving development efficiency across teams
- Mentored junior developers in Node.js and JavaScript best practices
Full Stack Developer
CSAA Insurance Group (AAA)
2016 · Phoenix, AZ
- React and Java development for consumer portal using GitHub and PivotalTracker in Agile lifecycle
- Led winning team in internal coding challenge across 8 teams
- Trained developers on React best practices and rebuilt login/registration infrastructure
Senior Web Developer
GoDaddy
2012 – 2016 · Phoenix, AZ
- Main developer implementing marketing & business decisions in the checkout process
- Built in-house CMS on MongoDB/Redis, enabling marketing to self-serve content changes and internationalization
- Reduced checkout loading time through HTML/jQuery optimizations and reduction of backend calls
- Rewrote checkout process in React.js as proof-of-concept replacement of jQuery solution
Director of Technology
Weblinx, Inc.
2008 – 2012 · Oswego, IL
- Created plug-and-play ASP.NET products (CMS, photo gallery, calendar, forms, e-commerce, user management)
- Grew sales of programming projects from 40 hours/month to 200 hours/month through new products and training
- Decreased product installation rollout time by 80% by creating a customizable install application
Web Developer
CreateASoft, Inc.
2007 – 2008 · Naperville, IL
- Developed search engine processing 10 million car listing records per week for vehicle pricing and location tracking
- Built 50+ Crystal Reports to improve dealer decision-making on optimal pricing
- Reduced IT support staff needed at customer locations by 50% through task tracking software
Projects & Interests
What I build when nobody's assigning the tickets
Project Gutenberg Distributed Proofreaders
Became the 2nd Site Administrator in 2002, automating manual workflows, managing the server during a Slashdot front-page traffic spike, and implementing the post-processing pool. Helped digitize thousands of public domain books.
Cactus Bricks LEGO Builds
Active member of Cactus Bricks, the Arizona LEGO User Group. Featured in the Arizona Republic building a LEGO jazz club scene at Phoenix Fan Fusion 2023. Creative building as a way to unwind and connect with the community.
Robotics Fleet
A collection of Arduino-powered robots: 2DOF & 3DOF quadrupeds, a hexapod, 1WD/2WD/4WD wheeled platforms, an N-segment robot, and a quadcopter. Custom servo control, gait programming, and shared accessories library.
InMoov Humanoid Robot
Organization and build of the open-source InMoov humanoid robot platform — a life-size, 3D-printed robot with articulated hands, arms, and torso.
Copy Cat VR Game
A VR game built in Unity where players must tag 4 color buttons in the correct order. An exploration of virtual reality interaction and game design.
AI-Powered Development
Actively exploring how AI tools like Claude, ChatGPT, and Copilot can accelerate development workflows — from code generation to architecture decisions to automated testing.