Aayush is an independent researcher and builder based in Bengaluru. He is developing Celestiq Lattice, a sovereign, local-first home server and federated AI network, with a research focus on the governance and design conditions that make distributed infrastructure viable without requiring critical mass to sustain itself. He is working toward a world where individuals are self-sovereign and societies are more collaborative by design. He has a background in mechanical engineering from IIT Guwahati, spent two years building production AI systems, and holds a Graduate Certificate in Technology Policy from the Takshashila Institution. He writes at The Civic Architect: https://​​aayushessence.substack.com