Arti Arora Arti Arora
CEO and Co-Founder
Liquid Engines

Arti Arora is chief executive officer and a founder of Liquid Engines; she is responsible for aligning the company's vision and business strategy with its technologically innovative products and services.

Prior to Liquid Engines, she was director of the customer loyalty practice at Zamba Corporation. She has authored several papers outlining methodology for quantifying customer care. Most recently she published the "Executives Guide to Customer Care." Before working at Zamba, she was a senior consultant at American Management Systems where she developed a "holistic" approach to customer relationship management.

Arora has a bachelor's degree in economics and an MBA in marketing and entrepreneurship from the University of Rochester, Rochester, NY. She has several recent articles that have appeared in the Wall Street Journal and SiliconIndia.


1. What was your first job in technology?
I worked at Kodak, as part of a large team I helped develop an EIS. The EIS consisted of a series of relational databases linked by a common front-end housing data on 21 key countries pertaining to demographic, cultural, political, risk, and product specific information.

2. Who has been your most significant mentor? Why?
I have chosen my mentors much like the Chinese have chosen their religions - I take what is best in each one and incorporate it into my evolving philosophy. I have had a variety of mentors, probably too many to list, but each one has helped me capture important elements of business, education, relationships (both business and personal), etc.

3. What has been your greatest challenge and what strategies did you use to overcome obstacles?
As a woman in business the greatest challenge I have tackled was the financing of Liquid Engines during the recent market downturn. Given the tumultuous climate I had to rely on a strong support network, the ability to understand the perspectives of others and a lot of tenacity regarding following my dream.

4. Who has been the most influential person in your life? Why?
My parents have played and continue to play a significant role in my life!

5. What lessons have you learned that would be valuable to women beginning their careers in technology?
To achieve your goals pursue them aggressively!

6. What new technology do you believe will have the most positive impact on the world in the next 20 years? The most negative impact?
I am slightly biased, but looking back historically engines have significantly changed the agrarian and industrial economies! I don't think it is any stretch to see engines (search, matching, commerce, etc) changing the new digital economy.

On the negative side, I see our inability to recycle and reuse or resources being a major detriment to our lifestyle and the lifestyle of future generations. With all the technological innovation taking place, it is unfortunate that more thought is not being given to this issue!

On a lighter note:

1. If you could have dinner with any 2 people (living or not), who would they be?

Former President - Jimmy Carter
Artist - Pablo Picasso

2. What was the last book you read? What books do you love to recommend?
"Skinny Legs and All" by Tom Robbins
"Timbuktu" by Paul Auster

Books I recommend: "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee and "The Last Empire" by Stefan Kanfer

3. If you couldn't do what you are doing now, what profession would you choose?
Very interested in early education for children, have often dreamed of opening a progressive day-care center.

4. What is your definition of success?
Ability to pursue my dreams and achieve my physical and philosophical goals, be recognized by my peers and loved by friends and family.

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