Rafat Ali

CEO & Founder, Skift; Dad of Two Boys

Rafat Ali is a prominent figure in the field of travel business intelligence and marketing, known for founding and leading Skift, the industry's largest platform offering a comprehensive range of news, data, and services globally.

Before establishing Skift, Rafat founded and served as the CEO of paidContent and ContentNext. He later sold the companies to the UK's Guardian News and Media in 2008. Subsequently, he ventured into managing editor roles, notably at Silicon Alley Reporter.

Rafat Ali's academic journey includes a Master's in Journalism from Indiana University, where he was recognized as a Knight Fellow. Prior to that, he obtained a Bachelor's in Computer Engineering from Aligarh Muslim University in India.

Beyond his role at Skift, Rafat Ali has been actively engaged in various organizations, serving on the board of Investigative News Network, Media Development Investment Fund (DigitalNewsVentures), Asia Society, and Gigaom. Additionally, he has also made significant contributions as a digital media reporter at Inside.com.

Highlights

Yesterday · twitter

Hundreds of employees to lose jobs at Marriott, in a company wide restructuring, reports @sean_oneill.

Nov 11 · twitter

Lotsa discussion around how obsolete mainstream media was this cycle, I would also add that the new-ish DC-focused digital media companies and startups were also almost similarly out of touch and, dare I say it, irrelevant. A huge relevance test for them next four years.

Sep 28 · The Globe and Mail

Halal travel is spiking in popularity, and the tourism industry is listening - The Globe and Mail