Steven Royster

Steven Royster Enterprise architecture. Practical AI. A coach’s mindset.

I’m a System Architect Principal at a Fortune 100 company, an AI automation and agent enthusiast, and a USATF Level 1 Certified Track Coach based in Orlando, Florida.

Explore My Focus Connect With Me
Steven Royster, smiling, wearing glasses and a blue button-down shirt, photographed against a dark studio background.
  • RoleSystem Architect Principal
  • ExperienceMore than 25 years in IT
  • EducationFlorida State University
  • Based inOrlando, Florida

About

Systems thinking, on and off the clock

I’m Steven Royster, a Florida State University graduate with more than 25 years of experience in information technology. My professional work centers on systems architecture, and today I’m a System Architect Principal at a Fortune 100 company.

Outside that role, my interests run in two directions: AI automation and agents, and track and field coaching. I’m a USATF Level 1 Certified Track Coach, and I spend a good share of my own time experimenting with how AI tools and agents can handle practical work.

What connects all three for me is systems thinking. Whether it’s a technology platform, an automated workflow, or a training plan, the useful questions are similar: how do the parts fit together, what does each part need, and how does it get better with steady practice? I’m still learning in every one of these areas, and that’s a big part of why they hold my interest.

Areas of focus

Where I spend my attention

Three areas shape most of my work and curiosity. One is my profession, one is a hands-on interest, and one is a credential I’m proud to hold.

Profession

Enterprise Architecture

My day job is architecture. As a System Architect Principal at a Fortune 100 company, I think about how systems are structured so they genuinely support the needs of the business.

After more than 25 years in IT, I value architecture that makes complex things understandable: clear boundaries, deliberate connections, and designs that teams can operate and change over time.

The details of my employer’s systems and projects stay private. What you’ll find here is my own perspective.

Hands-on interest

AI Automation and Agents

I’m an enthusiast, and I treat this as hands-on exploration. I’m interested in practical workflows: connecting tools, moving information to where it’s needed, and finding where AI agents can reliably take on parts of real work.

Most of what I do here is experimentation: trying ideas, keeping what works, and being honest about what doesn’t.

Experiments are labeled as experiments. Anything presented as a project will say clearly what stage it’s in.

Credential

Track and Field Coaching

USATF Level 1 Certified Track Coach

I’m a USATF Level 1 Certified Track Coach. Coaching is a meaningful part of who I am, not a side note.

It draws on the same habits as my technical work: respecting fundamentals, building on them step by step, and improving through deliberate practice.

More on coaching

Exploring

What I’m exploring

These are areas of ongoing interest and hands-on experimentation, not finished products or case studies.

  • Interest 01

    AI agents and workflow automation

    How agents can carry out multi-step tasks inside a workflow, and where a person should stay in the loop to review and decide.

  • Interest 02

    Connecting tools and information

    Linking the applications and data sources people already use so information moves between them with less manual effort.

  • Interest 03

    Practical uses of AI in everyday work

    Small, specific uses of AI that save time or improve quality in ordinary tasks, rather than broad promises.

Track coaching

A Coach’s Mindset

I hold a USATF Level 1 coaching certification from USA Track & Field. Coaching is another part of my background and interests, separate from my technology career but closely tied to how I think.

Track has a way of keeping things honest. Fundamentals come first, progress comes from consistent work, and every athlete is different. I try to bring that same outlook to systems and to automation.

Putting coaching into writing

I’m the editor of two training resources for sprinters and hurdlers.

Certification

USATF Level 1 Certified Track Coach

USA Track & Field (USATF)

  • Fundamentals first

    Strong basics make everything built on top of them more reliable.

  • Deliberate practice

    Improvement comes from focused, repeated effort, not shortcuts.

  • Attention to the individual

    People, like systems, have different needs. Good plans account for that.

Contact

Let’s connect

If you’d like to talk about systems architecture, AI automation and agents, or track coaching, send me a note. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.

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