Vivek Dhingra
AI / Systems Engineer blending causal reasoning, multi-agent RL, and high-velocity product shipping.
I design systems that turn research-grade AI into shipped products, lead teams through ambiguity, and obsess over measurable outcomes.
Story
Product engineer with research depth and leadership range.
I specialize in building systems where AI meets real users — from multimodal product features to causal RL research — while leading teams that ship.
As CTO at Pantry, I guided a Swift + Firebase stack to deliver a TikTok-style food platform, integrating GPT-4o-powered pantry scanning that reduced food waste by 30% in beta feedback.
In research, I build causal model-based reinforcement learning systems to enable intervention and counterfactual reasoning in multi-agent environments — bridging theory with deployable systems.
At LMU, I mentor 100+ students as an Algorithms/AI TA and co-lead the ACM community, scaling hackathons and holding events across campus.
I translate ambiguous goals into clear product roadmaps, balancing research rigor with high-velocity execution in early-stage teams.
Experience
Leadership + engineering across products, teaching, and community.
Chief Technology Officer
Pantry · Los Angeles, CA
- Architected and led a TikTok-style food social platform to internal beta with 100% user engagement during testing.
- Built a multimodal AI pantry scanning flow using GPT-4o to generate personalized recipes, reducing food waste by 30% in beta feedback.
- Managed a large Swift codebase with Firebase + Cloud Functions, optimizing video compression for large media uploads.
Teaching Assistant (Algorithms / AI)
LMU Computer Science Department · Los Angeles, CA
- Evaluated assignments for 100+ students and improved average performance by 25% with detailed feedback.
- Led weekly algorithms recitations, increasing comprehension scores by 30%.
- Held 6 hours of weekly office hours mentoring 50+ students per semester across AI and programming courses.
Co-President
LMU Association for Computing Machinery · Los Angeles, CA
- Delivered 5+ technical events per year reaching 200+ students and professionals.
- Grew LMU Hacks 2025 participation by 180%, spotlighting 3+ new technologies built by attendees.
- Led bi-weekly executive board meetings with seven members to coordinate events and outreach.
Education
CS foundation with applied AI focus.
Graduate and undergraduate training grounded in systems, AI, and data.
Loyola Marymount University
M.S. Computer Science · GPA 3.94
Los Angeles, CA
Loyola Marymount University
B.S. Computer Science, Cum Laude · GPA 3.69
Los Angeles, CA
Research
Causal model-based RL in multi-agent systems.
Manuscript under review exploring interventions, counterfactuals, and policy coupling.
Hierarchical Population Causal Models
Advisor: Dr. Andrew Forney
A hierarchical multi-agent reinforcement learning framework grounded in structural causal models to enable interventions and counterfactual reasoning in complex decision systems.
Problem
It is difficult to predict the long-term effects of interventions in complex decision systems.
Key techniques
- Structural causal models and intervention planning
- Counterfactual analysis for policy evaluation
- Multi-agent policy coupling across evolving rewards
Projects
Featured Projects
Systems, AI, and data visualization projects with measurable outcomes.
Memor — Modern Flashcards
Cross-platform React Native flashcards app with spaced repetition, offline mode, and cloud sync for 1,000+ potential learners.
Shia LaBeouf DPO LoRA
Direct Preference Optimization pipeline with LoRA adapters, emotion classification, and iterative preference learning for narrative alignment.
Du Bois Data Portraits
Recreated W.E.B. Du Bois spiral data portraits using custom radial geometry in R and ggplot2.
Passive Trading Bot
Automated portfolio manager with Alpaca + AWS Lambda, delivering ~2% net growth since Oct 2025.
Open Source
GitHub activity snapshot
Live repo metadata.
Competitions & Awards
Recognized for leadership and technical excellence.
LMU Datathon Winner
Resolution Economics-sponsored competition; awarded from $10k prize pool.
ICPC Regional
53rd place at the Southern California regional.
LMUHacks
2nd place for rapid prototyping and technical execution.
Git Gud
Runner-up in competitive programming contest.
LMU BEST Certificate
Entrepreneurship bootcamp and AI calendar MVP.
Skills
Stack that spans AI research to production systems.
Languages
Frameworks
AI / ML
Tools
Let's connect
Open to AI engineering, systems roles, and research collaborations.