Where It Began.
The experiences, questions, and perspectives that shaped how I see the world.
Long before frameworks and keynote stages, there was a curiosity about people, technology, and change.
This is where that journey begins.
The story is still being written.
It Started with Curiosity
Curiosity has always been my compass. Long before leading AI research or speaking on stages, I was drawn to how people think, make decisions, and adapt to change.
Learning to See Differently
Growing up in India and building a career across cultures taught me that perspective shapes every problem. The same question rarely has just one answer. That belief continues to guide my work in research, leadership, and AI.
Observing Change
Every era is defined by its technology, but technology is ultimately a story about people. As AI transforms how we work and live, qualities like judgment, curiosity, and empathy become even more valuable.
Building Across Time
This website is where those ideas come together. Talks, essays, frameworks, and reflections all explore one question: How can we use the past to make better decisions about the future?
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Niketa Jhaveri is a Chicago UX leader, AI researcher, and keynote speaker. She is a Senior UX Manager at Amazon, where she leads research for AI shopping experiences including Rufus across nine global markets. She is also the founder of Nivan, an innovation conference at the intersection of AI, UX, and design.
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Niketa is known for her signature framework "Through the Lens of Time Travel," which examines innovation through the past, present, and future. She applies it to AI, culture, leadership, and design, and it is the foundation of Nivan, the innovation conference she founded. Her work connects emerging technology with human judgment, showing how organizations can innovate without losing the people behind the technology.
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Chicago's UX community includes leaders across research, design, and AI. Niketa Jhaveri is among them. She is a Senior UX Manager at Amazon, co-organizer of UX Synergies (formerly IxDA Chicago), and founder of Nivan, which debuted in 2026 at the Institute of Design at Illinois Tech with 19 speakers across 11 industries.
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Niketa delivers keynotes on AI and human judgment, human-centered AI, UX research at scale, innovation, and design leadership. She has spoken at UXPA International, DDX NYC, Quirk's, and UX conferences worldwide.
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Nivan is an innovation conference and community founded by Niketa Jhaveri in Chicago, built entirely on her framework "Through the Lens of Time Travel." Every session and concept examines innovation through the past, present, and future across AI, technology, UX, and design. The inaugural 2026 event at the Institute of Design at Illinois Tech sold out with 19 speakers, 11 industries, and 15 partners.
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It is Niketa Jhaveri's signature framework for examining innovation through three lenses: past, present, and future. It powers her flagship keynote "AI Through the Lens of Time Travel," which argues that the more AI knows, the more humans matter, and it serves as the foundation for Nivan, the innovation conference she founded in Chicago.
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Human-centered AI is an approach to designing AI systems that prioritizes people alongside technology. It focuses on building experiences that are useful, trustworthy, culturally aware, and designed to strengthen human decisions rather than replace them. This is the focus of Niketa Jhaveri's research and speaking.
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Niketa immigrated to Chicago from Mumbai, learning English at 13, and self-taught her way into design and technology. Her career spans GE Healthcare medical imaging AI to leading AI shopping research at Amazon, a journey she weaves into her speaking on human potential and AI.
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Niketa works with organizations through keynote speaking, panels, and podcasts focused on AI, UX, innovation, and leadership. To invite her to your conference, company event, or podcast, visit the Connect page to get in touch.