Idris Mootee

Idris Mootee is a serial entrepreneur and experienced executive currently serving as the Co-founder and CEO of coolab.ai (by urbancoolab), an AI design lab.14 He has a diverse background in innovation, strategy, and leadership roles across various industries.

Career Highlights

• Co-founder and CEO of coolab.ai: Founded in August 2018, coolab.ai is an AI-driven design platform that aims to democratize design, making it accessible to everyone.12

• Former Global CEO of Idea Couture: Co-founded and led this global innovation firm from August 2007 to September 2018. The company was acquired by Cognizant (CTSH) in 2016.13

• Former Global CMO and Chief Strategy Advisor at HTC: Served in this role from January 2014 to January 2016.1

• Author and Educator: Published five books on business and innovation, including the best-selling "Design Thinking for Strategic Innovation." He has also taught design thinking programs at Harvard University Graduate School of Design.13

Other Notable Roles

• Advisor and investor for various companies, including Village Technologies and Wondeur AI.1
• Vice Chair of the Board of Governors at OCAD University from 2015 to 2021.1
• Advisor at Creative Destruction Lab from 2018 to 2021.1
• Co-founder and Chairman of the Institute of Human Futures.3

Education and Expertise

Mootee is a graduate of the London Business School and Harvard Business School.5 His expertise lies in corporate strategy, transformation, and leveraging emerging technologies for innovation. He has worked with global leaders and major brands such as Burberry, Nike, Samsung, Pepsi, BMW, and various financial institutions.13

Idris Mootee continues to be active in the startup and innovation ecosystem, with coolab.ai entering its open beta phase in August 2023.4 His vision for coolab.ai is to make everyone a capable designer, leveraging AI to augment creativity and redefine the role of design in various disciplines.2