Professor
Carnegie Mellon University
Ari Lightman is a Professor of Digital Media and Marketing at Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College, where he is widely regarded as a subject matter expert on AI strategy, data analytics, and digital transformation. His work spans teaching, applied research, and executive advising — bridging the gap between emerging technology and real-world organizational impact.
He is the founder of Measuring Social, a pioneering experiential learning program now in its 16th year, which has engaged over 150 global organizations — including Nvidia, Microsoft, Sony Pictures, the NFL, The New York Times, and L'Oréal — in applied data and digital strategy projects.
Ari advises Carnegie Mellon's AI and Healthcare centers on strategy and commercialization and leads executive education programs for senior leaders across industries. He is the co-author of Monster Transformation, which offers a story-driven framework for navigating the human and structural challenges of AI adoption at scale.
Thursday Jul 23
8:30am - 9:15am
Retail’s biggest transformation barriers aren’t technical – they’re organizational. In Monster Transformation, authors Rafeh Masood, Ari Lightman, and Gary Hirsch identify the hidden “monsters” – misaligned incentives, cultural resistance, legacy processes, and leadership blind spots – that quietly derail digital and AI initiatives. For senior retail leaders, these monsters are the real reason promising AI pilots fail to scale, transformation stalls, and ROI remains elusive. This session introduces a practical framework to identify, confront, and dismantle these blockers, enabling organizations to move beyond experimentation to sustained, profitable change. Attendees will gain tools to align teams, redesign decision-making, and build transformation-ready organizations, turning AI and digital investments into measurable business advantage rather than isolated innovation.
