About me
Phanindra "Phani" Parlapalli is the CEO and co-founder of Aitomic, the first AI technology company built specifically for the gift and home industry, which he launched on January 1, 2026. Based in Pittsfield Township, Michigan, he brings almost 30 years of experience spanning technology and the giftware/home décor sector.
Phani began his career as a software engineer in Hyderabad, India, where he helped build one of the first intranet sites in the country. In 1997, he joined Young's Incorporated in Dundee, Michigan, first as an IT Consultant and later as Chief Operating Officer, a role he held from 2005 to 2025. There, he drove 3x revenue growth and a 42% reduction in operating expenses, architected the company's proprietary ERP, CRM, and WMS systems, and established international operations in China and India. He began working with AI in 2019, pioneering its use years before most of the industry understood it.
He holds an MBA in Corporate Strategy and International Business from the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business, and a Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science from Kuvempu University in India, where he graduated in the top 2% of his class.
Outside of his professional life, Phani finds solace in outdoor adventures, including running marathons and climbing mountains in Tibet and Africa. Summiting Mt. Kilimanjaro alongside his family holds a special place in his heart. Closer to home, he's a devoted fan of Michigan football and basketball, and rarely misses a chance to cheer on the Wolverines.
