Louis was born in Phoenix, Arizona and grew up in Glendale, Arizona where he attended Horizon Elementary, Landmark Middle School and then eventually Apollo High School. While in high school, Louis began filming the "Ari Louis Show" with his friend Matt Turley and cameraman "Gus McDanny," who was actually his brother, Danny Louis, a musician living in Israel. The show was modeled after the Conan O'Brien show.Louis attended Arizona State University in 2001 and studied online at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, eventually graduating with a degree in Religious Studies. Louis suffered a great deal of anti-Semitism and as a result focused much of his attention in college to Judaism and Zionism.