Dr. Hitendra Patel is the Founder and CEO of the IXL Center, a Cambridge-based global innovation consulting firm dedicated to helping organizations build breakthrough innovation capability and achieve transformative growth. With an exceptional track record driving enterprise transformation and scaling innovation management across industries, Dr. Patel is a trusted advisor to executive leadership teams and a highly sought-after keynote speaker at international conferences and executive summits.
At IXL Center, Dr. Patel pioneered programs such as the IXL Innovation Olympics, a global open-innovation consulting initiative that engages senior executives with MBA teams from around the world to tackle real business growth challenges. He also created the IXLerator, the largest SME accelerator focused on delivering 10X growth through adjacent business innovation. Under his leadership, more than 400 companies have graduated from IXLerator, and over 6,000 professionals worldwide have earned Innovation Standards and Certification through the Global Innovation Management Institute.
Dr. Patel’s influence extends into academia where he teaches innovation and growth at the Hult International Business School, Rotman’s EMBA Program, Yonsei Business School, and Thunderbird, having taught over 5,000 MBA students. He also serves on the Board of the Hult Prize, the world’s largest social-impact start-up accelerator with a $1 million annual award.
A seasoned innovation practitioner, Dr. Patel began his career in technology at Motorola and holds six patents. He was a senior leader and co-founder of the Innovation Practice at the Monitor Group and a senior manager at Arthur D. Little. Dr. Patel has authored influential books including Greenovate!, Connectivate!, and Healthovate!, and he continues to advance innovation thinking through his ongoing work.
