Kris Coleman

Engineering leader. Team builder. Platform architect. Human-centered technologist.

My keyboardio Model 100
Kris Coleman with his children MJ and Rylee at Pi Camp
Kris Coleman at Kubecon NA 2023
My desk at the cabin
Working from my place on the lake in Traverse City, MI

Experience

Over the past 15+ years, I’ve worn many hats: full-stack developer, consultant, architect, tech lead, and engineering director. But the throughline has always been the same—build great software, nurture great people, and leave systems better than I found them.

Currently, I’m a Senior Customer Reliability Engineer at Replicated, helping ISVs ship and support enterprise Kubernetes applications. I also co-founded Nimble Giant with David and George, where we built Ailloy — a package manager for agent instructions. Before that, I served as Director of Platform Engineering at TestifySec, working on software supply chain security.

I’ve collaborated with government agencies like DHS, enterprise security teams like Lockheed Martin, and open source communities like CNCF. My roots are autodidactic. My methods are people-driven. My results are impact-oriented.

Skills

  • Languages: TypeScript, Go, Python, C#, Java, Kotlin
  • Frameworks: React, Next.js, Gatsby, GraphQL, Ent
  • Cloud & Infra: AWS (CDK, S3, CloudFront, Lambda), Kubernetes, Docker, GCP
  • Dev Practices: TDD, BDD, Trunk-based development, Continuous Delivery
  • Tooling: ContentStack, Jest, Selenium, Storybook, in-toto
  • Leadership: Mentorship, Culture-building, Roadmapping, Stakeholder Alignment

Work History

Senior Customer Reliability Engineer — Replicated (Remote)

March 2026 – Present

  • Supporting ISVs in shipping, distributing, and supporting enterprise Kubernetes applications.
  • Helping customers navigate onboarding, architecture, and operational challenges with the Replicated platform.

Co-Founder — Nimble Giant (Remote)

January 2026 – Present

  • Co-founded with David and George — colleagues from Corewell Health and TestifySec who decided to keep building together when they left.
  • Built Ailloy, a package manager for agent instructions — composable, versionable, shareable molds for AI workflows.

Director of Platform Engineering — TestifySec (Remote)

June 2023 – January 2026

  • Led the development of a next-gen cybersecurity and compliance platform.
  • Built a scalable, continuously delivered architecture integrated with AWS Marketplace.
  • Spearheaded multi-tenant SaaS delivery and infrastructure-as-code pipelines.
  • Fostered a culture of psychological safety, autonomy, and rapid learning.

Lead Software Engineer — Corewell Health (formerly Spectrum Health)

Dec 2019 – June 2023 — Grand Rapids, MI

  • Architected and deployed the flagship CorewellHealth.org platform.
  • Transitioned the org to trunk-based development and daily production releases.
  • Designed a serverless, event-driven system for patient scheduling and records.
  • Facilitated cross-functional Lean-Coffee sessions to mentor and upskill team members.

Senior Software Engineer — Bravo LT (contracted to Spectrum Health)

May 2019 – Dec 2019

  • Developed the “Find A Doctor” platform and the MyHealth app.
  • Embedded in enterprise agile teams to deliver patient-focused experiences.
  • Elevated product quality through hands-on mentoring and process refinement.

Senior Software Engineer — Springthrough Consulting

Oct 2016 – May 2019 — Grand Rapids, MI

  • Modernized CI/CD for enterprise clients across healthcare and automotive.
  • Led dev teams on ERP, campaign software, and internal tooling engagements.
  • Delivered a custom web chat platform for a major auto manufacturer.
  • Drove stakeholder alignment through design sessions and roadmap facilitation.

Software Engineer — Rutherford & Associates

Aug 2014 – Oct 2016 — Holland, MI

  • Developed eoTouch: a mobile enterprise solution for field logistics and service techs.
  • Prototyped inventory tools using machine vision and product recognition.
  • Mentored junior devs and contributed to internal developer documentation.

Software Engineer — Bargain Bookstores

Aug 2013 – Aug 2014 — Grand Rapids, MI

  • Built an eCommerce system from scratch with a test-first mindset.
  • Shadowed consultants from Atomic Object to level up coding discipline.
  • Delivered new web storefronts and automation tools for business expansion.

Software Engineer & IT — Holland Bar Stool Co.

Dec 2009 – Aug 2013 — Holland, MI

  • Developed a custom ERP system and integrated eCommerce store.
  • Managed all internal IT and network infrastructure.
  • Created branded marketing materials and production process tooling.
  • Wrote the code that scaled the business.

Education

Western Michigan University — Biomedical Sciences

Projects & Open Source

Socials

I build systems and teams that work—for the people who use them, and the people behind them.