Rory Rawlings
Architect
Built SparKLAW — the edge-native, multi-agent operating platform that extends a founder to the reach of a twenty-person team. Three decades as a company builder. Original architect of Avalara's AvaTax engine.
About
Rory Rawlings is Architect at SparkJAR. He built SparKLAW from scratch — an edge-native, multi-agent operating platform for founders who need leverage without losing control. It runs on the edge, cloud-optional by design, with 800+ points of integration across accounting, CRM, supply chain, manufacturing, publishing, and AI-controlled communications. One founder covers the ground of a twenty-to-fifty-person team.
Rory's bias is to architect and code. He co-founded Avalara, where he designed and built the first AvaTax engine from scratch — the taxability decision matrix, the geospatial content system, and the indirect-tax calculation logic that became the foundation of Avalara's platform. As Chief Tax Automation Officer, he shaped the technical architecture through the company's early scale, solving problems at the intersection of compliance, geospatial data, and real-time calculation.
At CraftAg (2016–2021), he built production systems for federally legal hemp genetics and post-harvest processing after the 2018 Farm Bill. Highlights: a 70M-seed-per-year propagation facility with automated climate and irrigation control; ag-scale lyophilization systems that improved usable yield by roughly 400%; inventory, distribution, and compliance tracking for a vertically integrated operation.
Earlier, he led enterprise systems during Getty Images' transformation, built ERP modules at PowerCerv, and started at Boeing in audit, tax research, and FP&A — where a forecasting model he created got adopted across business units and sponsored him into systems architecture. Three decades in, the through-line is constant: make complex, regulated operations simple, automated, and trustworthy.
Key Milestones
SparkJAR
Edge-native, multi-agent platform with 800+ direct integrations. Compliance-first, privacy-preserving architecture that extends a founder to the operational reach of a twenty-person team, with human control in every critical path.
Avalara AvaTax
Designed and built the original AvaTax engine from scratch. Architected the taxability decision matrix, geospatial content system, and real-time calculation engine. Solved compliance, geospatial data, and scale problems that became Avalara's foundation.
CraftAg Production Systems
Built 70M‑seed/year propagation facility with automated climate and irrigation control. Engineered ag‑scale lyophilization systems improving usable yield by ~400%. Designed inventory, distribution, and compliance tracking for vertically integrated hemp operations.
Early Systems Work
Getty Images: led the enterprise systems transformation. PowerCerv: built ERP modules from scratch. Boeing: started in finance and FP&A, built a forecasting model adopted across business units, sponsored into systems architecture. Three decades of turning complex operations into reliable, scalable software.
"Make complex, regulated operations simple, automated, and trustworthy."
— Rory's through‑line across three decades of building systems