diff --git a/spiffworkflow-backend/bin/run_process_model_with_api b/spiffworkflow-backend/bin/run_process_model_with_api
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..c62e43ad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spiffworkflow-backend/bin/run_process_model_with_api
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+function error_handler() {
+  >&2 echo "Exited with BAD EXIT CODE '${2}' in ${0} script at line: ${1}."
+  exit "$2"
+}
+trap 'error_handler ${LINENO} $?' ERR
+set -o errtrace -o errexit -o nounset -o pipefail
+
+script_dir="$( cd -- "$(dirname "$0")" >/dev/null 2>&1 ; pwd -P )"
+
+if [[ -z "${KEYCLOAK_BASE_URL:-}" ]]; then
+  export KEYCLOAK_BASE_URL=https://keycloak.dev.spiffworkflow.org
+fi
+if [[ -z "${BACKEND_BASE_URL:-}" ]]; then
+  export BACKEND_BASE_URL=https://api.dev.spiffworkflow.org
+fi
+
+process_model_identifier="${1:-}"
+username="${2:-admin}"
+password="${3:-admin}"
+realm_name="${4:-spiffworkflow}"
+if [[ -z "${1:-}" ]]; then
+  >&2 echo "usage: $(basename "$0") [process_model_identifier] [username: OPTONAL] [password: OPTONAL] [realm_name: OPTONAL]"
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+modified_process_model_identifier=$(tr '/' ':' <<<"$process_model_identifier")
+
+function check_result_for_error() {
+  local result="$1"
+  error_code=$(jq '.error_code' <<<"$result")
+  if [[ -n "$error_code" ]]; then
+    >&2 echo "ERROR: Failed to run process instance. Received error: $result"
+    exit 1
+  fi
+}
+
+function process_next_task() {
+  local next_task="$1"
+
+  if [[ -n "$next_task" && "$next_task" != "null" ]]; then
+    task_type=$(jq -r '.type' <<<"$next_task")
+    task_state=$(jq -r '.state' <<<"$next_task")
+    task_guid=$(jq -r '.id' <<<$"$next_task")
+
+    if grep -qE "Manual ?Task" <<<"$task_type" && [[ "${task_state}" == "READY" ]]; then
+      next_task=$(curl --silent -X PUT "${BACKEND_BASE_URL}/v1.0/tasks/${process_instance_id}/${task_guid}" -H "Authorization: Bearer $access_token")
+      check_result_for_error "$next_task"
+      process_next_task "$next_task"
+    elif [[ "$(jq '.ok' <<<"$next_task")" == "null" ]]; then
+      echo -e "\n\nThe next task is not a Manual Task and requires user input. It must be completed manually."
+      echo "$next_task"
+    fi
+  fi
+}
+
+access_token=$("${script_dir}/get_token" "$username" "$password" "$realm_name")
+curl --silent -X POST "${BACKEND_BASE_URL}/v1.0/login_with_access_token?access_token=${access_token}" -H "Authorization: Bearer $access_token" >/dev/null
+result=$(curl --silent -X POST "${BACKEND_BASE_URL}/v1.0/process-instances/${modified_process_model_identifier}" -H "Authorization: Bearer $access_token")
+process_instance_id=$(jq '.id' <<<"$result")
+if ! grep -qE '^[0-9]+$' <<<"$process_instance_id"; then
+  >&2 echo "ERROR: Did not receive valid process instance id when instantiating process model. result was ${result}"
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+result=$(curl --silent -X POST "${BACKEND_BASE_URL}/v1.0/process-instances/${modified_process_model_identifier}/${process_instance_id}/run" -H "Authorization: Bearer $access_token")
+check_result_for_error "$result"
+next_task=$(jq '.next_task' <<<"$result")
+process_next_task "$next_task"