Maxmilian Pennisi

About

I got my start at Strategyn in 2022, writing Python scripts to automate internal workflows. That quickly evolved into building full admin panels with React and TypeScript, tools that saved the team 30+ hours a month and taught me how software translates directly into business value.

From there, I co-founded Kinnect as CTO, leading the technical strategy for a fitness social app with real-time messaging and geospatial matching. After that chapter closed, I launched Zoscale, an automation consultancy where I build AI-powered systems that drive measurable revenue for B2B companies.

I graduated from the University of Florida in May 2026 with a BS in Computer Science, a minor in Economics, and an AI certificate.

Languages

TypeScript, Python, JavaScript, SQL, Java

Frontend

React, Next.js, Tailwind CSS, Framer Motion

Backend

Node.js, FastAPI, PostgreSQL, Supabase

AI / ML

OpenAI API, Claude API, LangChain, Pinecone, Prompt Engineering, scikit-learn

Tools

Git, AWS, Vercel, n8n, Docker

Experience

Founder & Lead Developer

Jul 2025 – Present · Gainesville, FL

I started Zoscale to help B2B companies stop losing money to broken workflows. We build AI-powered automation systems, from intelligent email outreach to custom dashboards, that drive real, measurable revenue.

Built an AI email system that 4x'd a client's meeting rate and closed a $105k deal in 30 days
Designed a custom ClickUp + Next.js dashboard for real-time profitability tracking
Integrated n8n, HubSpot, and OpenAI into end-to-end lead generation pipelines

n8nNext.jsHubSpotOpenAI APIClickUpRAG

Projects

Jan 2026

AI Document Extraction System

A multi-pass agentic pipeline that processes private equity capital call documents. Features a click-to-highlight review UX with coordinate-based source traceability, so reviewers can verify every extracted data point against the original PDF.

Multi-pass agentic extraction pipeline with self-correction
Click-to-highlight review UX with coordinate-based source traceability
Processes complex financial documents with high accuracy

Claude APIReactpdf.jsAgentic AI

Jan 2026

Health Dashboard

A personal health dashboard that aggregates WHOOP and Apple Health data into a single view. Includes an AI personal trainer chatbot that provides workout and recovery recommendations based on real biometric data.

WHOOP + Apple Health data aggregation with unified metrics
AI personal trainer chatbot with streaming responses
Interactive charts for tracking trends over time

Next.jsSupabaseVercel AI SDKRecharts

2025

Kinnect

Fitness matchmaking mobile app that connects people with nearby workout partners using real-time geospatial matching.

React NativeFirebaseGeoFire

2024

NBA MVP Predictor

ML ensemble model trained on 40 years of NBA data to predict MVP award winners using advanced statistical features.

Pythonscikit-learnPandas

Beyond the Work

Marathon Running

Started running in 2025. Won my first 5k in February, then trained for a marathon from July to November while lifting 5x a week. Training for and finishing a marathon taught me more about discipline than any class I've taken. Nothing like grinding out 20 miles at 6AM on a Saturday.

Beach Volleyball

Favorite sport to play. How I spend most of my free time when I'm not building. Competitive but not serious about it.

Max holding up his finisher medal in a banana costume at the marathon finish area — First marathon in the books, banana and all Nov 2025

Three runners in banana costumes before the marathon start — Ran marathon in banana costume with brothers

Max and friends at Peak Pulse after a half marathon — Half marathon finisher Feb 2026

Max and a friend after completing a 5K — My first 5K, I ran it in jeans, first place tho

Five teammates with championship shirts on the sand court — 4v4 intramural men's volleyball champions

Favorite Books

Mostly non-fiction. Strategy, psychology, how things work. I think everything is super interesting and will read pretty much anything.

Meditations

Marcus Aurelius

“GOAT book. 10/10.”

Essentialism

Greg McKeown

“The case for brutally cutting out everything that doesn't serve what you're actually going after. Not just being busy less, but having the discipline to say no to good opportunities so you can say yes to the right ones.”

The Almanack of Naval Ravikant

Eric Jorgenson

“The clearest thinking I've found on building wealth through leverage and specific knowledge. The section on productizing yourself basically became my playbook for starting Zoscale.”

Flow

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

“The science behind why a 4-hour coding session can feel like 20 minutes. Made me more intentional about designing my environment for deep focus.”

Thinking, Fast and Slow

Daniel Kahneman

“Rewired how I think about decision-making. The distinction between System 1 and System 2 thinking shows up everywhere once you see it, from product design to negotiation.”

Sapiens

Yuval Noah Harari

“Zooms out far enough that everyday problems feel small. The idea that large-scale human cooperation runs on shared myths and stories applies to everything from religion to startups.”

Homo Deus

Yuval Noah Harari

“Read this in high school. Crazy how scary it feels now.”

Stolen Focus

Johann Hari

“Made me realize how much of the attention crisis is structural, not personal. I deleted most notifications off my phone after reading this.”

Why We Sleep

Matthew Walker

“The most convincing argument I've read for taking sleep seriously. Hard to ignore when the data shows it affects everything from memory to immune function. Pairs well with tracking sleep on WHOOP.”

Deep Work

Cal Newport

“The case for long uninterrupted blocks of focused work. I try to structure my days around this, especially when I'm in a heavy building phase.”

The Changing World Order

Ray Dalio

“Dalio's framework for understanding how empires rise and fall through debt cycles and power shifts. Dense but worth it if you want a macro lens on where the world is heading.”