Rajan Patel

Rajan Patel is the Co-Founder and former CEO of Dent Education, an organization based in Baltimore, Maryland, focused on empowering under-resourced youth through a hands-on curriculum that emphasizes design thinking, making, and entrepreneurship. He held the CEO position from January 2017 until March 2023 and currently serves as a board member for the organization.13

Education and Background

Patel has a strong academic background, holding a Bachelor's degree in Biomechanical Engineering from Stanford University (2005-2009), a Master's degree in Public Administration from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government (2013-2016), and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business (2014-2016). He was also awarded the Stanford Social Innovation Fellowship in April 2016 to support the launch of Dent Education.1

Professional Experience

Before co-founding Dent Education, Patel worked in various roles that focused on design thinking and social entrepreneurship. He was an associate at Root Ventures and led design thinking initiatives at ATÖLYE İstanbul. Additionally, he has experience conducting workshops across Asia, focusing on design thinking and social entrepreneurship.12

Patel is committed to fostering creativity and equity among youth, believing in the potential of hands-on learning and community engagement to drive real change.13