Fred Marks is a third-generation Jacksonville native. Family in Jacksonville since 1914. Bolles School, Class of 2000. University of Florida. Building with AI since December 2022. Founded VibeCode JAX. Ronald McDonald House volunteer for 9 years, Earth Angel Award recipient. Single dad to a 5-year-old daughter. Man of faith. SCORE business mentor. Dad carried the Olympic torch through North Florida in 1996. Contact: fred@fredmarks.com, 904-352-7555, 1301 Riverplace Blvd Suite 800 Jacksonville FL 32207.
In the fall of 1997, I came home from a cross-country race and there was an AOL disc on the kitchen table in Mandarin. I signed on for the first time and my mind was blown. I knew something big was happening. I was just too young to do anything about it.
Then I watched the dot-com boom. Same feeling. Same result. I watched other people move.
Then December 2022 happened. I tried ChatGPT and knew almost right away: this is massive. I went hard. Nights. Weekends. Too many hours. Too many paid accounts. Testing. Building. Breaking things. Seeing what was real.
Two waves missed. Third wave caught.
Cause I think most business owners do not have time to do what I did.
They are busy running the business, taking care of their people, taking care of their families, trying to keep the whole thing moving.
So I took the obsession hit.
That is the trade.
I go deep so you do not have to.
I built an AI receptionist from scratch.
I can put it in a business fast.
I sat through 15+ bleeding-edge AI demos at Ackerman Cancer Center.
I founded VibeCode JAX because Jacksonville needed a build-with-AI community and there was not one.
I teach vibecoding camps. I show up at libraries. I host Coffee at the Tower. I am building the thing I wish Jacksonville already had.
I'm a third-generation Jacksonville native.
My family has been in this city since 1914.
Bolles School, Class of 2000.
University of Florida.
My dad practiced law here for decades.
My mom taught in Jacksonville public schools.
This is not a "market" to me. It is home.
I use AI so I can be at my daughter's school play on a Tuesday.
That is what I am selling.
Not AI.
Time back.
I spent nine years volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House here in Jacksonville. Hundreds of visits.
I'm a single dad.
I'm a man of faith.
I think the world was better before AI in a lot of ways. I also think the world is better now that I know what AI actually makes possible.
Both of those things are true.
Because I do not just talk about this.
I test it.
I build it.
I install it.
I keep showing up.
I live here.
And when I do not think something is right for your business, I will tell you that too.