Projects
Everything here was built in March 2026, self-taught. I started with no engineering background — BA Theatre, Fordham University — and shipped production systems within weeks. All products are developed under HZL Studio.
Hazel
Voice-controlled personal assistant running on a Raspberry Pi 5. Custom-built from a bare OS installation. Whisper handles speech-to-text on-device. Smart model routing for language processing — lightweight model for fast queries, heavier model for complex reasoning. Persistent memory via SQLite. Integrated with Gmail, Google Calendar, Home Assistant, and Tavily for real-time search.
Python, Whisper STT, ElevenLabs TTS, SQLite, Gmail OAuth2, Google Calendar OAuth2, Home Assistant, Tavily, WebSocket
HZL Academy
PATENT PENDING
K-12 educational platform for teaching technical skills to non-technical learners. Core innovation is a dual-model verification system (provisional patent 590420394-ABX): a fast model performs first-pass content checks, a second model handles deep accuracy and pedagogical verification. Content only reaches the learner after clearing both tiers. All API calls routed server-side. XP gamification rewards completions, streaks, and assessments. Currently in customer discovery.
Next.js 14, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, dual-model content verification, server-side API routes, XP engine
HZL Studio
Hardware-integrated creative production environment built around a four-node Raspberry Pi 5 cluster. Five switchable modes — Game, Film, Music, Stream, Write — each with its own software configuration and monitoring setup. Mode switching via voice commands through Hazel or physical Stream Deck. The cluster runs distributed inference via
exo, connected over gigabit with PoE+ power and NVMe storage. Solar-compatible architecture, open-source stack, no vendor lock-in.Raspberry Pi 5 cluster (x4), exo distributed inference, Stream Deck, Focusrite Scarlett 4i4, PoE+ HATs, NVMe via PCIe, NAS, AMD GPU (ROCm), Home Assistant