# Atul Arya

> Atul Arya is the Tampa-based founder and CEO of Blackstraw, which he launched in 2018 after leading AI and innovation work at Nielsen. His work focuses on taking enterprise AI projects into production, while his Chennai upbringing informs his connection to the company’s Indian engineering base.

- **Role:** Founder & CEO at Blackstraw
- **Organizations:** Blackstraw, Nielsen, Tata Consultancy Services
- **From:** Chandigarh, India
- **Education:** Electrical engineering, Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute, Mumbai
- **Known for:** Founded Blackstraw in 2018., Tampa Bay Business Journal 40 Under 40 honoree in 2020., Led AI and machine learning product development at Nielsen before founding Blackstraw.

## Career timeline

- **1989** — Moved to Chennai as a child following his father’s bank transfer.
- **2002-2005** — Studied electrical engineering at Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute.
- **Before 2018** — Held technology director roles at Nielsen and became Global VP of Innovation, leading AI-related product work.
- **2018** — Founded Blackstraw in Tampa, with an Indian delivery base in Chennai.
- **2020** — Named a Tampa Bay Business Journal 40 Under 40 honoree.
- **2024** — Blackstraw entered a manufacturing AI partnership with Jeh Aerospace.
- **2026** — Published commentary about agentic AI governance and enterprise operations.

## Achievements

- Founded Blackstraw in 2018.
- Tampa Bay Business Journal 40 Under 40 honoree in 2020.
- Led AI and machine learning product development at Nielsen before founding Blackstraw.
- Blackstraw received its fourth consecutive Great Place to Work certification in February 2026.

## Latest updates

- **2026-09** — Published AI Agents for Businesses: The CIO’s Guide in Impakter on September 21.
- **2026-09** — Published commentary on agentic systems and government contracting in Washington Technology on September 21.
- **2026-08** — Discussed the full operating costs and accountability requirements of agentic AI in a TNGlobal Q&A published August 27.
- **2026-03** — Discussed his management style, family and need to filter new technology in a tele.net profile published March 11.
- **2026-02** — Blackstraw announced its fourth consecutive Great Place to Work certification on February 27.

## Links

- Website: https://blackstraw.ai/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/atul-arya-3685016

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/atul-arya
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-24