Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Accomplishments
References
Timeline
Generic

Senara Millawabandara

Sacramento,CA

Summary

Technically skilled Product Manager with deep experience in backend development, civic tech innovation, and AI/ML integration. Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and deliver scalable infrastructure, data platforms, and secure authentication systems. Adept at translating complex requirements into actionable features, owning the full product lifecycle—from customer discovery through architecture, deployment, and iteration. Backed by UC Davis Innovation Lab, CITRIS, and Google Cloud.

Overview

3
3
years of professional experience

Work History

Freelance Software Engineer

Adventure Montessori School
Sacramento
03.2022 - 01.2024
  • Led end-to-end development of a responsive and accessible web platform, driving measurable increases in user engagement and enrollment inquiries.
  • Translated administrator needs into scalable frontend solutions using HTML, JavaScript, and TypeScript, aligning design with school branding and family-facing UX goals.
  • Collaborated with management, internal and development partners regarding software application design status and project progress.
  • Proposed technical solutions based on customer requirements.

Product Manager - Contracted

City of Pasadena
05.2025 - Current
  • Spearheaded design and development of project management platform for City of Pasadena, overseeing multi-million-dollar initiatives.
  • Architected secure authentication with Auth0, integrated Supabase for scalable data management, and developed backend services in JavaScript and Python.
  • Managed cross-functional teams across departments, including engineering, marketing, and sales.
  • Identified customer needs through user interviews, surveys, focus groups, and other feedback mechanisms.
  • Provided technical guidance during troubleshooting efforts when needed.
  • Presented clear findings from data analysis, facilitating understanding among stakeholders across all organizational levels.
  • Monitored industry trends and identified opportunities for innovation within the product portfolio.

Freelance Software Engineer

LandPark Infant Center & Preschool
Sacramento
07.2023 - 01.2024
  • Built a dynamic, lead-generating website tailored to early childhood education services, integrating modern design standards and mobile-first interfaces.
  • Collaborated with school leadership to scope features, refine content structure, and deliver iterative updates that improved site usability and conversion.
  • Designed and developed forward-thinking systems that meet user needs and improve productivity.

Director of Technical Workshops

AI Student Collective
01.2025 - Current
  • Plan, coordinate, and manage end-to-end execution of AI/ML technical workshops, overseeing timelines, resource allocation, and stakeholder engagement.
  • Led the successful delivery of 10+ large-scale workshops attended by 100+ participants, ensuring content quality, cross-functional collaboration, and measurable learning outcomes.
  • Align workshop development with organizational goals by managing feedback loops, setting milestones, and iterating on curricula based on performance data.
  • Led cross-functional teams in the development of innovative solutions to complex problems

Founder

Data Pigeon
11.2024 - Current
  • Launched a startup specializing in data analytics, project management, and AI/ML-driven prediction platforms for municipal clients, including San Francisco, Long Beach, and Pasadena.
  • Manage a portfolio of city-level deployments, overseeing planning, execution, and performance tracking for smart infrastructure projects worth millions of dollars.
  • Supervised and directed multiple software and hardware projects, including a patent-pending parking sensor capable of distinguishing EV vehicles from non-EV vehicles.
  • Received backing from CITRIS and the Banatao Institute, and the UC Davis Innovation and Research Lab for developing an innovative solution.
  • Entering Google Cloud Startup Program

Education

BS - Computer Science and Engineering

University of California, Davis, College of Engineering
Sacramento, CA

Associate of Science - Computer Science

American River College
Sacramento, CA

Skills

  • Technical Program Management
  • Cross-Functional Leadership
  • Agile & Scrum
  • Jira & Trello
  • Project Scheduling (MS Project)
  • Root Cause Analysis & SIPOC
  • KPI Tracking & Understanding of OEE
  • AI/ML Integration
  • Stakeholder Communication
  • Risk Mitigation
  • Data-Driven Decision Making
  • Product Lifecycle Management
  • Process Optimization
  • Data Analysis
  • SQL & Python

Accomplishments

  • Google Maps Platform Awards - Current Participant
  • AgentHacks (Y Combinator Backed) - Winner - Agentic AI traffic simulation & AI forecasting congestion with curb data
  • HackDavis 2025 - Winner - Sustainable IoT sensors for curb management & LLM development for report generation
  • SacHacks 2025 - Winner - Computer vision & OCR to find parking spots easily

References

References available upon request.

Timeline

Product Manager - Contracted

City of Pasadena
05.2025 - Current

Director of Technical Workshops

AI Student Collective
01.2025 - Current

Founder

Data Pigeon
11.2024 - Current

Freelance Software Engineer

LandPark Infant Center & Preschool
07.2023 - 01.2024

Freelance Software Engineer

Adventure Montessori School
03.2022 - 01.2024

BS - Computer Science and Engineering

University of California, Davis, College of Engineering

Associate of Science - Computer Science

American River College

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