Meet the Man Guiding the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs – The Village Voice

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Artificial Intelligence, better known as AI, has been introduced into industries worldwide, from entertainment to manufacturing and beyond, to exceedingly mixed reception. For decades, the idea of authentic artificial intelligence has been the stuff of speculative narrative and science-fiction stories. More often than not, these works of fiction served as cautionary tales about the potential dangers of AI and how its introduction into some far-flung futuristic society could cause harm to humanity’s way of life. However, with AI, that possible future has become our present-day reality. While the issue of AI’s implementation is a complex and multi-faceted one, Arjun Kannan’s innovative work at ResiDesk is taking great strides to show that Artificial Intelligence is not necessarily a threat to human intelligence but that it can instead serve as a harmonious enhancement to the human mind.

When asked about his history with AI and technology, Kannan says, “My journey in technology started while I was studying physics at Cornell. I enjoyed creating software tools to help my colleagues more than working in the lab. This realization led me to pursue a career where I could use technology to solve real problems.”

This became the driving mantra of Kannan’s ideology in utilizing tech: to enhance the human experience, utilizing theoretic technology to solve real-world issues in practical ways. His first experience with testing the metal of this ideology came in the form of his position at BlackRock. “At BlackRock, I focused on bringing advanced financial tools to advisors and retirees. This work impacted over 5 million retirees, showing me the power of technology to make a tangible difference.”

Kannan’s Innovations Within the Field

After a tenure at BlackRock, during which he brought unprecedented success to their advanced financial tools division through his technological innovation and implementation, Kannan moved to a position at Climb Credit. Kannan worked as CTO/CPO in leading engineering, product, and data. Here, Kannan delved even further into the technological possibilities of utilizing AI to regulate and evaluate various potential factors and found it to be an immeasurably helpful asset to his work. “I developed an underwriting system that evaluated future earning potential, making education loans more accessible. This initiative helped over 5 million students afford education and switch careers.”

Seeing how AI was able to so actively enhance the lives of so many through these practical applications, Arjun Kannan recognized the true potential of AI and co-founded ResiDesk. ResiDesk specializes in property management, and through it, Kannan has brought innovation to this industry in striking ways.  Kannan says that his goal was to “Revolutionize property management. Our AI-powered platform has improved communication and operational efficiency for property managers and enhanced living experiences for over 1 million residents. This success demonstrated that AI could solve real problems and have a significant impact. The inspiration to co-found ResiDesk came from witnessing the transformative potential of AI. I saw firsthand how AI-driven projects could make a big difference.”

While Kannan acknowledges the possible drawbacks of an overreliance on AI in various industries, he feels strongly that the benefits vastly overpower the detractions, so long as the AI is utilized intelligently and paired with a distinctly human touch. “My focus has always been on using technology to solve real problems. These innovations have shown the impact of tech-driven solutions on everyday lives.”

Applying AI To Old Problems to Find New Solutions

By bringing these advanced technological applications of AI to property management, Kannan fundamentally altered how business can be conducted. “At ResiDesk, I led the development of our AI-driven resident concierge platform. This project fundamentally changed how property managers interact with tenants, using natural language processing to improve communication and operational efficiency.”

In this way, Kannan has made AI a tool in the hands of highly-trained and exceedingly capable real-life human employees. The AI enhances their ability to keep open communication with their tenants, helping to preserve an authentic human connection between the team and their clientele further. While many initially doubted this methodology, Kannan points out that the results speak for themselves. “The platform significantly boosted tenant satisfaction and streamlined management processes for property managers.”

To further his point, Kannan points out that his team’s “AI solutions have enhanced living experiences for over 1 million residents, demonstrating the power of technology to solve real problems. This project highlighted the potential of AI to bring about practical, impactful changes in the real estate industry.”

Changing Minds Throughout the Industry

An industry as established and steeped in doing business as real estate will likely stay the same over time. Overcoming resistance to technological change in property management involved demonstrating AI’s tangible benefits to property managers and tenants through partaking in and speaking at multiple conferences. However, the swaths of workers who have been in the industry for decades can be highly resistant to change in any capacity. “Changing an industry that does not often change, like real estate, is a significant challenge. We achieved this through building trust with our customers, and by packaging real estate know-how, relentless innovation  with AI, and incredible teamwork into software that feels friendly and familiar.”

With his work across his professional history, Kannan hopes to have left a trail of success that can help influence others to break down the perceived barriers of given industries and embrace changes that actively enhance human lives. “Every project I’ve worked on, from BlackRock to ResiDesk, has been driven by a simple mission: use technology to solve real problems and help people. That’s what keeps me motivated and excited about the future.”

Through it all, Kannan’s challenges have taught him valuable lessons about resilience and adaptability that have continued to serve him incredibly well in the specialized field of technology entrepreneurship. “Our work at ResiDesk is about more than just technology. It’s about trust. It’s about understanding residents’ needs and creating solutions that genuinely improve their living experience.”

Pushing forward, Arjun Kannan is thrilled to see growth and a larger sense of understanding when it comes to how AI can be used to improve humanity’s quality of life. Through revolutionizing industries one task at a time, Kannan helps to begin to sway the general public and skeptics alike, showing them that AI isn’t an issue over human intelligence but rather AI enhancing human intelligence.

“Our technology isn’t just leading the way; it’s changing the game. The industry was focused on resident portals and ticketing systems. Now, thanks to ResiDesk, everyone’s pivoting to AI chatbots to enhance the resident experience – but they’re still missing the power of the human connection we provide… we will revolutionize real estate financial decisions with resident insights.”

The post Meet the Man Guiding the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs appeared first on The Village Voice.

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Alexa Domash

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