Growing Communities Through Business

Meet Narayan Ramasubbu

By Gabby Gartner-Coliane

Narayan Ramasubbu is a professor of business administration. If heweren’t working in academia, he would write children’s stories. Yes, you read that right.

Ramasubbu embraces the positive side of business. “Business sometimes gets a bad rap, often seen as cutthroat, profit‑maximizing, zero‑sum,” he says. “My conviction is that business is a powerful force for good. It has the unique capacity to innovate, create value, empower individuals, and build stronger communities. That’s the kind of business I am excited to be a part of and cultivate through Pitt Business.”

What first sparked your interest in business, and how did that evolve into a career in academia?

“About 25 years ago, as an engineer, I faced a pivotal choice — adopt open-source Java or stick with our proprietary system. I championed Java, but when the company chose otherwise, I wondered why—and realized business factors often outweigh technical ones. That curiosity led me beyond engineering. Later,I watched global outsourcing of knowledge work unfold. At first,I saw it as a threat to productivity—but large-scale implementations forced me to rethink that view. That journey inspired me to pursue a PhD in business, culminating in a dissertation on globally distributed product development.”

How did your path lead you to Pitt?

“Pitt Business has long been one of the few business schools that truly values the intersection of software development and economics, blending these fields to advance research and business practices. This unique approach was a big draw for me.

The alignment of values and research focus made Pitt an ideal place for me to contribute and grow.”

What’s your favorite part of working at Pitt Business?

“I love working alongside genuinely warm and supportive colleagues and the liberating environment that allows us to go beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries in research.”

What are you currently working on, and why does it matter?

“My research centers on assistive tech—especially human-AI collaboration and community-driven development. Assistive systems, including AI, should amplify human strengths, helping users learn and overcome limitations. This is the essence of human-centered AI, which focuses on tools that extend rather than replace people. Equally important is community-oriented development. Open-source and participatory design efforts consistently show that diverse collaboration leads to stronger, more inclusive solutions. AI can democratize access—but only when communities are actively involved in co-creating and sustaining these tools. My goal is to design and deploy technologies that both elevate individuals and are shaped by community input—ensuring assistive innovation truly serves and empowers everyone.”

 How does your research intersect with the real world or current issues?

“Assistive technologies and community-driven development intersect on real-world issues—and the impact is immediate.

In workplaces, AI can boost productivity, but only if it’s designed with workers’ needs and inclusivity in mind. That trade-off is central to my research. In community-driven projects, balancing radical openness with quality, security, coherence, and accountability is a key tension.

If we don’t carefully manage these trade-offs, well-intentioned assistive tools may underperform, exclude users, introduce problems, or fail adoption. My research seeks to understand these dynamics and design systems that truly empower individuals and communities—turning technology’s promise into equitable, value-driven outcomes.”

What’s one business principle or idea you think everyone, no matter their field, should understand?

“It’s not just about winning; it’s about achieving win‑win. That’s the truly smart, noble, and sustainable way to play—no matter what you do.”