EduComic
Hackathon-winning classroom storytelling prototype that turns lesson materials into source-grounded comics starring fictional student avatars. Built by a five-person team during START Munich's 24-hour hackathon.
Munich, Germany
Hi, I'm Ben Theurich — Software & AI Engineer at Hefex Labs and M.Sc. Informatics student at TUM.
I build practical software and computer-vision systems with as little unnecessary complexity as possible.
About
I'm a software engineer from California, now based in Munich. Before starting my Master's at TUM, I spent more than two years at Systems Planning and Analysis in San Diego. I developed Java-based analysis software and later led its user-driven roadmap and release process.
I recently completed my TUM Interdisciplinary Project with Hefex Labs, where I built computer-vision pipelines and integrated segmentation models into an applied system. I now continue that work part-time as a Software & AI Engineer while pursuing my M.Sc. in Informatics at TUM.
I've been coding since I was a kid, and I still build side projects whenever a problem catches my attention. I like systems that are easy to understand, hard to misuse, and no more complex than the job requires.
I work in English and German. The best way to reach me is on LinkedIn.
Achievements
Hackathon Winner — Stocker
Won first place in LPL Financial's 24-hour hackathon with a stock prediction web app using AWS Forecast, Python (Flask), Natural Language Processing for news article sentiment analysis, and a custom HTML/CSS/JS frontend.
Hackathon Winner — EduComic
Built in 24 hours by a five-person team, EduComic won the Black Forest Labs challenge at START Munich's hackathon. The working demo turned lesson materials into source-grounded comics using FLUX.2 and OpenAI.
Hackathon 2nd Place — CMats
Won 2nd place in the Comstruct challenge with CMats, a voice agent system that lets construction foremen order C-materials like screws, bolts, and gloves, paired with a management platform for construction site overview and order tracking.
Experience
Software & AI Engineer (Part-time) — Hefex Labs
Aug 2026 – Present • Munich
- Continue developing applied software and computer-vision systems after completing my TUM Interdisciplinary Project with Hefex Labs.
Software Engineer (TUM Interdisciplinary Project) — Hefex Labs
Mar 2026 – Aug 2026 • Munich
- Built computer-vision pipelines and integrated segmentation models into an applied system for Hefex Labs.
Software Engineer II — Systems Planning and Analysis (SPA)
Jul 2025 – Oct 2025 • San Diego, CA
- Led ongoing development of a Java-based analysis tool; prioritized user feedback and coordinated cross-team work to keep releases on track.
- Streamlined user workflows by reducing manual steps ~30–50%, improving task throughput.
- Established a structured internal release cadence with pre-release QA gates; automated build versioning and standardized sprint release notes for traceability.
Software Engineer I — Systems Planning and Analysis (SPA)
Jun 2023 – Jul 2025 • San Diego, CA
- Expanded an existing Java analysis tool with new capabilities, improving reliability and usability.
- Delivered on-site, hands-on training to DoD users; captured and prioritized feedback to drive the enhancement backlog.
- Shipped the first customer-ready release on schedule in an Agile environment with positive acceptance.
Contract Software Engineer — HM Electronics (HME)
Sep 2022 – Jun 2023 • Carlsbad, CA
- Coordinated with multiple teams to establish a CI pipeline between dev builds and automated testing using Jenkins and Azure.
- Used Ansible to improve Raspberry Pi setup, increasing productivity by ~200%.
- Revamped automation architecture to simplify selecting executor nodes.
Software Engineering Intern — HM Electronics (HME)
Jun 2022 – Aug 2022 • Carlsbad, CA
- Developed a front-end interface for a simulator app using Python + Flask.
- Streamlined install & deployment to Raspberry Pi devices via shell scripts and Linux services.
- Identified and fixed issues in Python-based Selenium browser test automation.
Software Engineer Intern — Tech For Good Inc
Jun 2021 – Aug 2021 • Boston, MA
- Implemented donation collection and distribution features in Solidity on Ethereum.
- Collaborated remotely with a team of 7 interns using GitHub, Zoom, and Notion.
Coding Instructor — Delaware STEM Academy
Jun 2021 – Aug 2021 • Remote
- Taught summer coding camps in JavaScript to middle school students.
- Fostered interest in coding and encouraged continued exploration.
