About

Innovative technologist and lifelong maker. Whether I'm architecting enterprise platforms, cutting joinery in my basement wood shop, or soldering something together in the Nerd Lab — my office packed with electronics and 3D printers — I love learning a craft and pushing it to be cutting-edge and original. My interests range from woodworking and sports to programming, 3D printing, and electronics.


Carter Minear, maker behind Nerdlabprojects

Enterprise Architect & AI Integration Specialist

I design and build enterprise systems end to end, from architecture and AI integration to automated builds, CI/CD, and cloud-native DevOps.

  • Location: Des Moines, Iowa
  • Degree: Bachelors in Information Technology

I hold a bachelor's degree and continue to earn certifications to stay ahead of the latest technology. My expertise spans enterprise architecture, AI integration, DevOps and automation, and full-stack development. That curiosity carries into smart-home innovation, virtualization, and micro-electronics.

Resume

Summary

Carter Minear

Innovative and deadline-driven Enterprise Architect with over a decade of experience designing, automating, and delivering technology platforms, from initial concept to polished, production-ready systems. Specialized in AI integration, DevOps, and CI/CD-driven delivery.

Education

Bachelor of Science in Information Technology

2015 - 2017

University of Phoenix, AZ

Finished at the University of Phoenix online, taking classes at night with a 3.5 GPA while I continued to work at IMT Insurance in the IS/Programming department.

Bachelor of Science in Computer Science

2010 - 2013

Florida Gulf Coast University, FL

Started in FGCU with a computer science degree which was going great. Over summer I was offered a internship in my field and at the end of the internship I was offered a full time position with full compensation to finish school.

Professional Experience

Enterprise Architect

2025 - Present

IMT Insurance, Des Moines, IA

  • Define enterprise-wide technical strategy and architecture, aligning systems design with long-term business goals.
  • Lead AI integration initiatives, embedding machine learning and generative AI into internal platforms and developer workflows.
  • Architect and implement automated build and CI/CD pipelines that accelerate delivery while improving reliability.
  • Drive DevOps practices and infrastructure-as-code across teams, standardizing deployment, observability, and security.
  • Design and implement scalable, secure systems from initial concept through production rollout.

Systems Architect II & III

2019 - 2025

IMT Insurance, Des Moines, IA

  • Led the design, development, and implementation of CI/CD pipelines.
  • Created and implemented Kubernetes clusters with auto-scaling workloads.
  • Managed VM backups to an offsite facility.
  • Led pentest mitigation efforts.
  • Partnered with developers to deploy code through automation.
  • Languages and technologies I'm comfortable with: Perl, Python, PHP, Ruby, Bash/Shell, HTML/CSS/JS, Java, Swift, Objective-C, Docker, Kubernetes, Ansible, and VMware.

Network Architect

2016 - 2019

IMT Insurance, Des Moines, IA

  • Managed and maintained the phone system.
  • Assisted with virtual machine creation and maintenance in VMware.
  • Configured View desktop pools for virtual desktops.
  • Worked with vendors to integrate 3rd party products.

Mobile App Developer

2014 - 2016

IMT Insurance, Des Moines, IA

  • Led the design, development, and implementation of IMT's mobile app for insureds on iOS and Android.
  • Led the design, development, and implementation of IMT's mobile app for agents on iOS and Android.
  • Led the design, development, and implementation of an internal inspection app for iOS.

Programmer Analyst

2013 - 2014

IMT Insurance, Des Moines, IA

  • Rewrote systems to be faster and more efficient.
  • Worked with a team of programmers to implement project requests and new features.
  • Fixed bugs or any errors that came up in production systems.

Intern - IT Help Desk

2012 - 2013

IMT Insurance, Des Moines, IA

  • Handled trouble tickets for users with technical problems or hardware issues.
  • Assisted Network and Systems Architects on various tasks.
  • Created some simple scripting to automate migration from legacy systems to modern replacements.