Data systems that hold up in the real world.
Rivetline was founded for organizations that have outgrown ad hoc reporting but don't need theatrical digital transformation. We build systems that run reliably on Monday morning.
Our story.
Founded 2018
Mara Ellison left a systems consulting firm frustrated by vaporware projects and unlimited scope. She started Rivetline to build data systems that actually work.
2019–2021: Building in earnest
First few projects with mid-market manufacturers and distributors. Fast learning. Standardized approach emerged. Early team joined: Caleb (Data Engineering), Grant (Client Delivery), Elena (Analytics).
2022: AI + Automation
Priya joined as Principal Architect. We began building intake and routing automation. Realized early that useful AI requires clear rules, accountable owners, and human review gates.
2023–2024: Scaling thoughtfully
Now 11 people. Specializations: data engineering, automation, analytics, delivery, enablement. Each project teaches us something. We still write everything down.
Today
We work with manufacturing, distribution, insurance, food production, and other industries where data reliability means money. The work hasn't changed: fix the handoffs, build systems your team owns, document everything.
How we operate.
Practical over theoretical
We don't evangelize architecture for its own sake. We ask: will this work in your environment? Can your team operate it? Is it worth the cost?
Documentation is code
Every system we build comes with runbooks, definitions, and ownership models. You're not paying us to understand your data—you're paying us to make it understandable.
Transparent methodology
No black boxes. We document every workflow, every decision, every assumption. Your team should understand the system well enough to run it solo.
You own it
We transfer ownership, not create dependency. After our engagement, your team operates the system. We're not your permanent vendor.
AI where it earns its keep
AI is a tool for reducing manual work on high-volume, rule-based tasks. It's not a replacement for thinking. We use it where the ROI is clear.
Results over process
Agile, waterfall, kanban—we use what fits the project. We care about shipping working systems on time and in budget.
People who stay close to the work.
Mara Ellison
Founder & Managing Director
"Data systems don't have to be theater. They have to work Monday morning."
Former consulting systems architect. Left after witnessing too many vaporware implementations. Founded Rivetline to build things that actually operate. Fifteen years shipping data systems.
Caleb Rowe
Director of Data Engineering
"A good pipeline is boring. It runs, nobody thinks about it, and the numbers are right."
Deep infrastructure expertise. Built data platforms at mid-market distributors before joining Rivetline. Expert in warehouse design, ELT architecture, and data quality automation.
Priya Nanduri
Principal Automation Architect
"Automation that requires a PhD to maintain isn't automation. It's a liability."
Applied AI researcher turned practitioner. Specialty in document classification, intake routing, and human-in-the-loop workflows. Believes automation should be transparent and explainable.
Grant Holloway
Head of Client Delivery
"Projects succeed or fail in the first two weeks. Everything is about clarity."
Manages discovery, scope definition, and project execution. Nine years running data projects. Expert at asking hard questions early and setting realistic timelines.
Elena Marwick
Analytics Engineering Lead
"A metric that nobody understands is worse than no metric. We document definitions like they're contracts."
Building dashboard strategy and operational reporting systems. Strong SQL and dbt expertise. Focused on making analytics reproducible and maintainable.
Jonah Pierce
Senior Data Platform Engineer
"Infrastructure is invisible when it works. That's the goal."
Specializes in warehouse infrastructure, pipeline orchestration, and operational monitoring. Kubernetes and dbt expert. Ensures systems are resilient and scale.
Simone Barrett
AI Workflow Designer
"Every workflow we design needs to answer: what happens when the model is wrong?"
Designs intake and routing automations with quality gates. Background in UX and process design. Focuses on human oversight and exception handling.
Owen Kellett
Data Quality Specialist
"Bad data makes everything downstream look broken. We catch it early."
Expert in data profiling, quality rule design, and alerting. Twenty years in operations and data. Builds monitoring systems that catch problems before they hit reports.
Tessa Whitcomb
Product Operations Strategist
"Operations people know where the pain is. We listen."
Leads stakeholder interviews and requirements gathering. Fifteen years in operations and supply chain. Translates between technical teams and business needs.
Daniel Mercer
Solutions Engineer
"Every system has limits. We help clients understand theirs before we start building."
Bridges sales and delivery. Technical but customer-focused. Runs feasibility studies and architecture reviews. Ensures clients know what they're signing up for.
Holly Fenwick
Client Enablement Lead
"Training isn't PowerPoint slides. It's making sure your team can actually run this."
Leads training and knowledge transfer. Writes runbooks and documentation. Ensures clients feel confident taking ownership after handoff. Focused on real, hands-on enablement.
Ready to work with us?
Let's talk about your data challenges and what a partnership with Rivetline could look like.
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