Adam Blackington

Technical Strategist · AI Expert · Cloud Architect

Pioneering the intersection of artificial intelligence and cloud architecture with over 15 years of experience in technical strategy, AI implementation, and enterprise solutions.

About Me

Adam Blackington is a pioneering technical strategist and AI expert with over 15 years of experience in cloud engineering, artificial intelligence, and technical leadership. His expertise spans major cloud providers like Google Cloud and Amazon Web Services, where he's led groundbreaking initiatives in AI/ML implementation and cloud architecture.

As an AI thought leader, Adam specializes in bridging complex technical concepts with practical business solutions, helping organizations leverage cutting-edge AI technologies for competitive advantage. His deep understanding of both traditional cloud infrastructure and modern AI systems enables him to architect solutions that are both innovative and scalable.

Beyond his technical expertise, Adam is a respected speaker and educator in the AI community. He has conducted numerous workshops and presentations on AI implementation, cloud-native architectures, and emerging technologies. His commitment to innovation extends to his community involvement, where he actively promotes diversity in tech and AI education initiatives.

Adam Blackington - Technical Strategist and AI Expert

Professional Experience

My career spans across major cloud providers and technical leadership roles, where I've specialized in cloud architecture, technical strategy, and customer advocacy.

2011–Present

Founder & Advisor

LionLink Networks

Founded a data center colocation and network services company, establishing a strong presence in multiple major data centers in Virginia. Grew LionLink's offerings to provide high-availability hosting and network solutions for enterprises.

  • Founded and scaled data center and network services company
  • Currently serving as technical advisor on strategy and operations
  • Applying technical insight and business acumen to guide the company's growth
2022–2024

Customer Engineer

Google Cloud

Drove enterprise cloud adoption by crafting tailored Google Cloud solutions that solved complex problems for clients. Acted as a trusted advisor to business and IT stakeholders, translating technical requirements into actionable cloud architectures that improved scalability and efficiency.

  • Led Google's National Capital Region LGBTQ+ ERG, fostering community engagement
  • Provided technical guidance to enterprise clients
  • Delivered cloud migration and architecture solutions
2019–2021

Partner Solutions Architect

Amazon Web Services

Supported high-potential startup partners in the AWS ecosystem as a technical strategist. Provided architectural guidance and training to AWS partners, helping them integrate AWS services into their products and scale successfully.

  • Organized hands-on "Game Day" workshops
  • Wrote technical blog posts to enable partner developers
  • Exemplified AWS's Customer Obsession principle
2014–2018

Infrastructure Systems Team Lead

TISTA Science and Technology

Led cloud infrastructure and automation projects for federal government clients. Managed the design and deployment of virtualized data centers and DevOps pipelines for agencies such as the IRS, improving reliability and reducing deployment times.

  • Guided teams in implementing technologies like VMware, Kubernetes, and Ansible
  • Modernized legacy systems while meeting strict security requirements
  • Coordinated with stakeholders to ensure compliance

Technical Skills

My expertise spans a broad range of modern cloud and infrastructure technologies, enabling me to design and implement robust, scalable solutions.

Cloud Platforms and Hardware

  • Amazon Web Services (AWS)
  • Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
  • DigitalOcean
  • Dell Servers
  • HP Enterprise Servers
  • SuperMicro Servers

AI Models

  • OpenAI: GPT-4o-mini
  • Anthropic: Claude 3.7 Sonnet (thinking)
  • Google: Gemini 2.5 Pro Experimental
  • DeepSeek: DeepSeek V3 0324
  • Mistral 3B

Infrastructure & OS

  • VMware
  • Proxmox
  • Linux Systems
  • Cisco Routing/Switching
  • Data Center Infrastructure

DevOps & Automation

  • CI/CD Pipelines
  • Infrastructure as Code
  • DevOps Best Practices

Monitoring & Analytics

  • Nagios
  • New Relic
  • Kentik
  • LibreNMS
  • FortiMonitor

Web Hosting Infrastructure

  • WHMCS
  • Hostbill
  • Blesta
  • Runcloud

Coding

  • Python
  • Bash
  • Next.JS
  • React
  • TypeScript
  • Remotion Framework

Professional Certifications

These industry-recognized certifications validate my expertise in cloud technologies and architecture, reflecting my commitment to technical excellence.

Google Cloud Certified Professional Cloud Architect

Google Cloud

2023

AWS Certified Solutions Architect

Amazon Web Services

2020

AWS Certified Developer

Amazon Web Services

2019

What Colleagues Say

Adam's expertise in internet engineering, particularly in BGP optimization and the intricacies of IP transit, proved to be a linchpin in guiding the Google Cloud account team assigned to Fortinet. His understanding was pivotal in addressing the specific requirements of the Fortinet SASE platform,...
Alexander McMillen

Director, Network Operations, Fortinet

I had the opportunity to work closely with Adam Blackington on several technology-driven initiatives, and he’s exactly the kind of teammate you hope to have in complex, high-stakes environments. Adam brings a strategic mindset grounded in real-world execution—he doesn’t just understand systems and...
Lynden C. Armstrong

Head of Operations and Technology (Deputy Assistant Sergeant at Arms and CIO), United States Senate

Adam is an outstanding software architect with deep expertise in both AWS and Google Cloud. As an AWS partner, my company worked closely with Adam, and he quickly became a trusted collaborator. Beyond his strong technical skills, what stood out was his thoughtful, solutions-oriented mindset. He not...
Jesus Jackson

Chief Technology Officer, Infotrend, Inc.

Adam was my technical counterpart supporting Startup Partners at AWS. He exemplified Customer Obsession by acting as a direct representative of our Partners within the AWS ecosystem, advocating on their behalf to ensure their needs were being met and exceeded. His attention to detail and...
Austin Jones

Strategic Alliances and Partnership Leader, Amazon Web Services

Adam has the special ability to connect with his customers, partners and prospects while making them feel comfortable with the authenticity and courage he exhibits in personal interactions. He never appears too technical, yet always technical enough to help the customer or partner. Adam is always...
Jezzibell Gilmore

Chief Commercial Officer & Co-Founder, PacketFabric

I have had the distinguished privilege of working with Adam in a very high pressure environment. In the short time Adam has been a member of my team, he has raised the bar in all of the technical areas under which he has responsibility. His level of work ethic and professionalism is without equal...
Wade Huff

Manager, Technical Operations, TISTA Science & Technology

Get In Touch

Interested in learning more or working together? Connect with me on LinkedIn to reach out professionally and see updates on my work.