Nirav S. Desai is CEO of Moonbeam (www.moonbeam.ai) a company that brings efficiency to corporate innovation through the metaverse, AI, and data science. Moonbeam, with offices in Seattle, Lisbon, and Christchurch, helps companies source, solve, sell, and invest in emerging technology in two ways: (1) Exchange: we have an AI-powered datalake with over 2M companies to help find capability; to connect innovation supply with innovation demand. (2) Envision: we have developed a VR/AI platform to for strategic collaboration enabling pitch meetings, design thinking, and lean canvas sessions across geography; VR for remote connections; conversational AI to automate note and action taking. Through these tools we are globalizing access to innovation hubs – with a particular focus on reducing the need for business travel.

Over the course of his career, Mr. Desai has led corporate innovation, CVC, and emerging technology initiatives in the technology, health, manufacturing/logistics, and government sectors including helping a major consulting firm build a 100+ person immersive technology (virtual reality, augmented reality, etc.) practice. Additionally, he advises startups and consults with corporate clients working with innovation labs, government research centers, universities, and incubators and accelerators, to identify and embrace edge technologies.

He keeps on the cutting edge of enterprise technology through contributions to civil society. He mentors startups through TechStars Seattle, the TechStars/Amazon Alexa, and Congregate startup accelerators, and the University of Washington’s CoMotion Labs. He serves as an Innovation Co-Chair for the Pacific Northwest Economic Region with a focus on helping states, provinces, and municipalities embrace disruption and position for the future economy. He is also deeply involved in the XR Access community, helping ensure that accessibility in the metaverse in not an afterthought. Mr. Desai maintains connection with academia serving the University of Washington as an Affiliate Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and as a Civic Council member for the Jackson School of International Studies. He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a B.S. in Computer Science and a B.A. in Mathematics and Philosophy.