Illya Bakurov

I build consumer products, and the systems underneath them. Los Angeles.

For three years I was Co-Founder and CTO at Santa's AI Lab, where we built an AI assistant you could reach from any phone, including a flip phone. It answered 345,000 calls for 40,000 people before we wound the company down in 2026. Before that I led camera design engineering at Snap.

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Experience

Santa's AI Lab

Co-Founder & Chief Technology Officersantasailab.com · stellafoster.com · outsideagent.ai

Oct 2023 – Aug 2026

past

Owned all engineering for a consumer AI venture backed by Floodgate and Rainfall, across three years and four major product pivots. Built Stella Foster, an assistant reachable by call or text from any phone: 40,000 users, 345,000 calls, 8.4 million messages, and 32% week-eight retention across a 12,649-user cohort base. Grew engineering from two founders to nine, shipped five apps across six client platforms, and gated every release on a 1,621-case evaluation suite in CI.

Where it started

Stella Foster

Our first agent: works over the phone number, understands time, checks the web, orders an Uber, buys things on Amazon.

Visit stellafoster.com →What it became

Outside Agent

The platform behind Stella. Now anyone can build reliable AI agents that interact with the outside world, knowing what to say, when to act, and when to bring in a human.

Visit outsideagent.ai →

OpenAI Voice Hackathon DemoCerebral Valley

Seniors Want AILA Tech Week · 2025

Feels Music Messaging

Senior Software Engineer & Advisorfeelsmusic.com

Oct 2022 – Oct 2023

past

Led iOS, Android, and web development for a music messaging product built on the idea that music is connection rather than content. Brought engineering from outsourced to in-house and hired the team. Built a content management platform in React and Node, and prototyped machine learning features including smart search and media synchronization.

Visit Website

Snap Inc.

Camera Lead Design Engineer

Apr 2020 – Sep 2022

past

Led and mentored a team of three design engineers across Camera, Creative Tools, and Memories, partnering with product managers, designers, and researchers on strategy and annual roadmaps. Designed and prototyped the Preview Filter Carousel, used by 64M people a day, and drove it through engineering to launch: filter impressions up 38% on iOS and 10% on Android. Also shipped creative tools used roughly 1.7 billion times daily, including Voice Over, Auto-Caption, Text-to-Speech, Lens Explorer, and Universal Search.

Story Star

Co-Founder & Head of Mobile Development

Dec 2015 – May 2020

past

Built and led development of more than 20 iOS and web applications across social networks, audiobooks, video editing, utilities, and games. The most popular reached 250,000 monthly users and the most profitable exceeded $20,000 a month. Spotlight was acquired by Snap and launched as a core feature in Snapchat.

RBC Wealth Management

Senior iOS Developer & Tech Lead

Dec 2017 – Apr 2020

past

Led development of wealth management client applications serving 25,000 daily active users and $463 billion in assets under management, under bank-grade security, privacy, and compliance requirements. Both shipped products won "Best Private Bank for Digital Client Communication in North America" at the inaugural Global Wealth Tech Awards.

Earlier: Senior iOS Developer, Kinetic Commerce (2017) · Gameplay Programmer, Turbo Rocket Games, Kyiv (2016), global winner of the Google AdMob Student App Challenge 2016 · Co-Founder, Eventlime (2015 to 2017) · Graduate Teaching Assistant, Brock University (2015 to 2017) · iOS Developer, Agency SM.Art, Kyiv (2014 to 2016)

My Values

Optimism in Life

I choose optimism as my lens to live life. Even the hard moments carry hidden gifts. I believe that (almost) anything is possible, I trust people by default, I believe in the power of kindness, and I see life as a deeply beautiful thing.

Acorn Thinking

I try to make decisions that will still matter in a hundred years. I plant seeds for systems, products, and communities that will outlive me. Long-term thinking guides how I build and who I build for.

Radical Curiosity

I ask questions others overlook. I dig deep, learn fast, and cross boundaries between disciplines. Curiosity keeps me moving—it fuels my creativity, helps me connect dots, and pushes me to explore the edges of what's possible.

Empowerment Through Knowledge

I don't want to hold the answers—I want to help others find their own. I share ideas, frameworks, and tools so people can act with confidence. Empowerment, for me, is about making others more capable.

Integrity in Creation

I care about what I put into the world. I try to build things that are thoughtful, honest, and built to last. I don't chase hype—I focus on usefulness, trust, and the kind of quality that compounds over time.

"An idea is a gift to you from the universe, an action is a gift from you to the universe"

Everyday Life

Featured Talks

Can tennis reduce conflicts, and even wars?

TEDxPacific Avenue

Tennis & Pickleball Community

Community Organizer & Coach

current

Organizing and leading a vibrant community of 20+ players who share a passion for tennis and pickleball. As a community organizer and coach, I run live ball sessions, teach fundamental skills, and coordinate friendly games. Creating an inclusive environment where players of all levels can improve their game while enjoying the social aspects of these sports.

Health & Wellness

Active Lifestyle

current

Staying active with tennis, volleyball, pickleball, gym workouts, yoga, and swimming. Taking a holistic approach to health, focusing on eating well, getting good sleep, staying mindful of breathing, and making exercise a regular part of life.

TEDxPacific Avenue

Event Organizer

current

Helping organize and curate talented speakers for TEDxPacific Avenue, focusing on bold provocative ideas that will change the world. A platform for sharing innovative ideas and inspiring stories that have the power to transform attitudes, lives, and ultimately, the world.

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Children's Books

Author

current

Author of children's books, including 'Bruno the Fox and the Butterfly' (available in English and Ukrainian). Always open to collaborate with parents, education professionals, illustrators, editors, and publishers.

Pro Groshi Community

Financial Education

current

A community focused on financial education and personal growth. Sharing knowledge and experiences to help others achieve financial freedom.

Financial Planning Tool

Retirement Calculator

current

A comprehensive financial planning tool designed to help individuals plan for retirement. Features include investment projections, tax considerations, and lifestyle planning.

Financial YouTube

Content Creator

current

Creating educational content about personal finance, investing, and financial independence. Sharing practical advice and strategies for financial success.

Visit Website

Gossips Art Game

Creative Project

current

An innovative art game that combines creativity with social interaction. A unique platform for artistic expression and community engagement.

Visit Website

Learning Spanish

Language Learning

current

Aprendiendo español porque me encanta aprender más idiomas. Actualmente hablo cuatro idiomas: ruso, ucraniano, inglés y español. También me encanta la idea de viajar por América Latina y trabajar allí enseñando a niños.

Family Tree

Genealogy Project

current

Building a comprehensive family tree with over 400 individuals, preserving our family history and heritage. Documenting stories, photos, and connections across generations to create a lasting legacy for future generations.

Family Recipe Book

Culinary Heritage

current

Collecting and preserving traditional family recipes, creating a digital cookbook that captures our Ukrainian culinary traditions. Documenting cooking techniques, family stories, and food memories.

Philately

Stamp Collector

past

Built an extensive collection of over 1,000 Canadian and Ukrainian stamps, showcasing the rich history and cultural heritage of Canada through its postal history.

Education

KINN

Oct 2024

Public Speaking Course with Richard Greene
Author of "Words that Shook the World" and renowned speaker who worked with Tony Robbins, Princess Diana, and many others. Completed a 6-week in-person course focused on becoming an incredible and effective speaker.

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USC Marshall School of Business

Sep 2024

Leadership Development for Building High Performing Teams. Taught by professor Dave Logan, during this course I gained hands-on experience applying organizational design frameworks to real-world leadership and business challenges.

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Exos

Mar 2023

The Game Changer. A 6-week digital program by Exos that builds self-awareness, personal responsibility, resilience, and adaptability — that empowered me to make a meaningful impact at work and in life.

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