Anil Rathi Email & Phone Number

When Anil was a kid, he had an insatiable curiosity. He was drawn to problems that needed solving, dedicating himself to figuring out how to improve things and make life better. One of those problems was his own. "I was born with one ear," he reveals. "I couldn't hear until I had 18 surgeries.”As with every other challenge he faced, he sought solutions, leading him down a path where problem-solving became a way of life. He kept a book of inventions and even called consumer electronics companies, pitching his way to product managers and R&D departments. But the response was always the same: "Sorry, we don't accept third-party ideas.""Why" he wondered, "do these companies not pay attention to other avenues of innovation? Why miss out on the next growth opportunity?"At last, he'd found the problem — the one he'd dedicate his career to solving. "For the past 20 years, I've made it my mission to carve out a crossroads where organizations can easily access curated networks of high-quality innovators from all walks of life, who can come together and share their ideas for a tech-enabled future," he says.During this time, he has produced more than 600 challenges generating over $300 million in prizes for organizations like Cisco, LG, and The Department of Energy. Just as critically, he's harnessed those experiences to cultivate vibrant tech-scouting networks that have their finger on the pulse of technological innovation around the globe. "The sheer data on emerging technologies can be overwhelming, and the vastness can slow us down," he notes. "Few organizations have the time, resources, and expertise to engage a larger and more diverse crowd. This is precisely where tech-scouting networks step in."Today, Anil and his team oversee networks connecting companies to a diverse ecosystem of technology scouts. "These networks help connect the dots to what executives are looking for," he says. "They allow us access to relationships, technology, and emerging trends, arming us with the insights to stay ahead of the game. Building these networks isn't about casting the widest net — it's about casting the right net. With a time-box event like an innovation challenge, you can rapidly amass a lot of the right networks of the people who will be your eyes and ears."Solving problems and making life better isn't what it used to be. With the rapid acceleration of AI, not to mention the convergence and cross-pollination of dozens of emerging technologies, connecting the dots is more difficult — and more important — than ever before.

Listed skills include Entrepreneurship, Strategy, Leadership, Management, and 34 others.