Praveen Ponna
Solutions Architect - Principal Data/AI Specialist
I am a senior technical leader and Solutions Architect at Databricks with over 25 years of experience architecting enterprise data platforms, artificial intelligence solutions, and cloud transformations. I specialize in Big Data, Advanced Analytics, Data Governance, and AI-driven automation, helping organizations build secure, scalable, and cost-effective data estates across multi-cloud environments (AWS, GCP, Azure).Core Expertise & Experience
Data & AI Governance: Enterprise-wide governance, unified cataloging (Databricks Unity Catalog), data security, and compliance frameworks for highly sensitive environments.
Omnichannel Platforms & SaaS: Architecting end-to-end cloud platforms, microservices, and SaaS marketplaces for high-scale retail, logistics, and supply chain applications.
Modern Data Lakehouse Architecture: Designing high-throughput, real-time streaming, and batch analytical platforms using execution engines like Photon and modern lakehouse architecture.
GenAI & Developer Automation: Implementing cutting-edge AI architecture, Model Context Protocol (MCP), and AI coding tools (Genie Code, GitHub Copilot) to accelerate developer velocity.Featured Impact & Key Projects
Enterprise AI & Lakehouse Modernization: Architected unified data and AI platforms for complex enterprise environments, streamlining governance and accelerating machine learning deployment.
Global eCommerce Analytics: Rolled out a scalable analytics platform for a beauty conglomerate powering 250+ eCommerce sites and 30+ international brands.
Luxury Retail Cloud Data Warehouse: Designed and delivered an integrated Cloud Data Warehouse combining 1st, 2nd, and 3rd-party data for a global luxury fashion retailer.
Public Sector Data Consolidation: Enabled state government entities to consolidate cross-agency data securely, delivering action-oriented dashboards and unified security controls.Entrepreneurial Leadership & Platform Delivery:
Omnisling Platform Architecture: Served as CTO and Product Architect, leading the core engineering and platform delivery for Omnisling—an innovative cloud-based, omnichannel retail and merchant enablement platform.
Hyper-Local Logistics & Marketplace: Architected and deployed scalable SaaS marketplace solutions, onboarding workflows, and micro-fulfillment logistics platforms spanning US and international retail operations.