about

Hi! I'm Aarushi, a CS student at UT Austin studying Computer Science with a Design Strategies certificate and an Entrepreneurship minor.

Right now I'm co-founding FrontRow, a startup that uses computer vision to bring the board to students in the classroom who can't access otherwise. I'm also doing systems research at LDOS, building AI safety tooling, and running a nonprofit I started at 12 that funds medical care for low-income patients. These things feel connected even when they look like they aren't.

I've gotten serious about AI safety and alignment over the last year. What interests me most is interpretability: getting from “this model works” to “we understand what it's doing and why.” I think that gap is one of the most important things to close right now, and I'm trying to work on it from a few different angles.

On the startup side: the projects I get most excited about are the ones where a hard technical problem has a real human need behind it. FrontRow started that way. There was something missing in accessible education, we built something for it, and it's been awesome seeing it actually used in classrooms.

Outside of this, I love to run, dance, paint, make jewelry, and always seem to have at least two books I'm reading at a time.

Aarushi Lakhi

education

University of Texas at Austin

B.S. Computer Science · Design Strategies Certificate · Entrepreneurship Minor

Aug 2023 – May 2027

Activities: TPEO (Projects Director) · Austin AI Alignment (President) · LDOS Research Group · Effective Altruism at UT (Organizer) · Women in Computer Science · Kendra Scott Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute

Coursework: Operating Systems · Computer Architecture · Computer Vision · Data Warehousing · Research Methodologies (FRI I & II) · Undergraduate Reading, Research, & Writing · Algorithms · Design for AI · AI Playground · Pitch to Prototype · Probability & Statistics · Linear Algebra · Data Structures · Discrete Math · Intro to Programming

Glenda Dawson High School

Aug 2019 – May 2023

UIL Computer Science Team · DECA (President) · Model United Nations (Chief of Staff) · Youth Environmental Council (President) · Community Interact (President) · Music Honors Society (President) · National Honors Society · Encore Varsity Mixed Choir

interests

AI Safety & AlignmentStartups & EntrepreneurshipMachine LearningML for SystemsIntuitive Product DesignDesign for Social Good

awards & recognition

  • ·Forty Acres Founders Pitch Competition: 1st Place + Audience Choice (FrontRow)
  • ·Poets & Quants 2025 Most Disruptive Business School Startups (FrontRow)
  • ·Capital Factory Demo Selection (Agent-Parry, Latent)
  • ·SharkNinja Innovation Challenge 2026 Finalist (FrontRow)
  • ·Tapia Conference Gen AI Hackathon: Overall Winner (DocBot)
  • ·New Venture Mechanics Entrepreneurship Project: Best Overall (CityBuddies)
  • ·HackTX: Best Overall Design (BioDex)
  • ·Texas Women in CS Hackathon: Best FinTech Hack, sponsored by Hudson River Trading (OMAR)
  • ·Congressional Award Gold Medalist
  • ·Presidential Volunteer Service Award: Gold (3x)
  • ·UTCS Parker Skiba Memorial Endowed Presidential Scholarship
  • ·UTCS Tapia Conference Scholarship
  • ·Dell Technologies Merit Scholarship
  • ·Citadel × Correlation One Terminal: Selected AI Strategy Competition Participant

beyond the keyboard

🏃

long-distance running

🎨

painting

💎

jewelry making

🎵

singing

📖

reading

currently reading

📖 When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

📖 Peace Is Every Step by Thich Nhat Hanh

get in touch

Always happy to connect, whether it's about AI safety, cool projects, or just to say hi. Reach me at aarushi.lakhi@utexas.edu