Andrew Erie
Founder & Fractional CTO, HiTek
Andrew Erie is the founder of HiTek and a fractional CTO who helps small and growing businesses apply practical AI, build custom software, and connect the systems they already run. He brings senior technical judgment — what to build, what to buy, what to integrate, and what to leave alone — to companies that need CTO-level decisions without hiring a full-time executive.
What Andrew does
- Fractional CTO
- Senior technical ownership without a full-time executive hire — roadmap, architecture, build-vs-buy calls, vendor oversight, and risk.
- Practical AI
- AI built into real workflows with the right context, permissions, review steps, and guardrails — not a chatbot bolted onto the side.
- Custom software & platforms
- Operational software shaped around how a business actually works: internal tools, portals, dashboards, and product builds.
- Integration & data flow
- Connecting CRM, ERP, accounting, and vendor systems with APIs, Boomi, and EDI so they stop drifting out of sync.
With over 25 years in software development and technology consulting, Andrew focuses on solutions people actually want to use — diagnosing the real constraint first, building the smallest useful version, and leaving the system stronger than he found it.
Andrew's track record
25+ years building before HiTek.
The experience Andrew brings to an engagement: two and a half decades shipping for Hollywood studios, Fortune 100 brands, and enterprise integration teams before starting HiTek.
Founder, HiTek & TekPartner
A senior technical consultancy and an AI-native platform business — the platforms in the portfolio are the proof.
- Multi-tenant SaaS, e-commerce, and AI systems for real businesses
- Fractional CTO and hands-on builder, no junior handoff
- AI agent workflows tied to real operations, not chatbot theater
Enterprise Integration at Boomi
Six years on the Boomi Flow low-code platform as Sr. System Engineer, then Enterprise SME.
- Co-inventor on a Boomi AI/workflow patent
- Architected integration and automation for enterprise customers
- Enabled and mentored solution-consultant teams
Director of Frontend, AYC Media
Led front-end delivery across client web experiences, internal tooling, and brand campaigns.
- Production websites for clients up to Fortune 100
- Helped design a proprietary CMS and a reusable front-end framework
- Prototyped VR/WebGL and interactive brand experiences
Co-Founder, Hybrid Logic Media (Hollywood)
Built interactive experiences for major film studios and entertainment brands.
- Work for MGM, Sony, Warner Brothers, Lionsgate, and Bold Films
- MGM "Lion’s Den" secure video library for 50,000+ titles
- DoAsOne.com reached millions of visitors worldwide
- W3 Best in Show 2009 for the "Get Smart" interactive site
Writing by Andrew
- Introducing TekMail: Email Infrastructure for AI AgentsAI agents need their own email identities, but autonomy without boundaries is not a production strategy. We built TekMail to give agents real inboxes while keeping policy and people in control.
- AI for Small Businesses: A Practical Starter GuideA plain-English guide to using AI in a small business — how to pick a first use case, what it costs, how to keep it safe, and when not to use it at all.
- AI Agents Need Context, Not HypeMost businesses do not need more AI buzzwords. They need cleaner context, clearer workflows, and practical guardrails so AI can safely help with real operational work.
- What a Fractional CTO Actually DoesA practical look at when a business needs senior technical judgment, how a fractional CTO helps, and why the job is less about buzzwords and more about making better technology decisions.
- A Current WebRTC Pattern for the OpenAI Realtime APIA browser can connect to OpenAI's Realtime API without exposing your permanent API key. The app server authorizes a short-lived session; WebRTC carries the live audio and events.
Have a critical workflow, disconnected system, or AI idea that needs to become real?
Talk directly with Andrew Erie, CEO of HiTek, about the problem, the trade-offs, and the shortest practical path forward. No bloated discovery process — just senior technical judgment and clear next steps.