Ari Lightman

Ari Lightman is a Distinguished Service Professor of Digital Media and Marketing at Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy. He serves as Co-Director of the CISO Executive Education Program and Commercialization Advisor for the Center for Machine Learning and Health. He also directs the CIO Institute, an executive education program focused on training IT managers.

His research interests center on social networks in regulated markets, the impact of Generation Z on workplace dynamics, and knowledge diffusion in collaborative systems. Lightman has over 20 years of experience in technology development and commercialization, with prior roles in venture-backed startups and consulting for wireless carriers. He teaches courses on digital transformation, social initiative measurement, and data science for product management, collaborating with companies like eBay, Microsoft, and Verizon.

Lightman’s work emphasizes experiential learning through project-based courses where students partner with corporate sponsors. He has also advised universities on strategies to accelerate technology commercialization through expert community building.