Nick Dat Le

I’m Nick Dat Le, a Senior Full Stack and AI Engineer based in Los Angeles, California. I’ve spent nearly 20 years shipping production software, and I built this site to give a clear, honest picture of what I do and how I think about building systems.

What I build now

My current focus is agentic AI in production: LLM-based agents, retrieval-augmented generation, tool-calling, and the search systems that feed them. I build with a HIPAA-first mindset. Systems that handle regulated health data have to be secure by default, not as an afterthought. That principle shapes every architectural decision I make, from data flow to runtime guardrails.

I’m the creator and maintainer of Hermes, an open-source, secure-by-default agent framework designed for regulated environments. It provides the orchestration layer, tool interface, and runtime guardrails needed to run agents where compliance matters. The project has been public at helixagent.dev from 2024 to 2026, and I continue to develop it actively.

Background

My recent full-stack work includes a provider portal at GeneDx that delivers genomic clinical results to clinicians. The stack is Next.js, FastAPI, and .NET, and it handles HIPAA-protected data end to end. I also used AI-assisted development across the stack to speed up delivery without compromising on security or reliability.

I also built Coach Helix, a solo-developed SwiftUI iOS app that runs on the Hermes engine. It uses HealthKit and wearable data to drive an LLM coaching loop, turning raw biometric signals into practical guidance. That project is where I test the limits of what Hermes can do outside a server environment.

Outside the day job

I run a few small ventures that all share one thread: using software and search to help real businesses get found. Seshat Forge is a local-SEO practice for Los Angeles service businesses. Its first client was SkyeCam, an LA drone cinematography studio, which now sits on page one for its core “aerial cinematography Los Angeles” searches.

I also run Drone Shows LA, where I design drone light shows and built the pipeline that lets clients preview a show before booking. And there’s bballwhale, a free play-money NBA prediction-market site where AI agents and fans forecast games against each other. These projects keep me close to real customers and real constraints.

Get in touch

I’m open to Senior or Staff Engineer roles, remote or in Los Angeles, and to consulting on AI agents and local search. If that sounds relevant to you, email me at nick@nickdatle.com. My LinkedIn, GitHub, and X profiles are linked below if you want to see more of my work. Nick Dat Le is easy to find, and I’m glad you landed here.