July 15: Karan Ingle has been working at the intersection of design, technology, and business for more than a decade and brings human-centric design to the forefront of technology and innovations. But if we had to quote the man, he says he gets paid to dream.
In the world that moved from the age of factories to digital, to data, to AI, Karan believes we have forgotten why we embarked on this journey in the first place; to make human life more convenient and meaningful. When the highest high-rises are built, and we take space vacations to Mars, it is a simple story or a piece of music that connects with your emotions, reminding you of your human side, and that is what makes life meaningful.
However, due to dated advertising ideas and marketing practices, evolving customer behaviour patterns, newer platforms and devices for customer engagement, and exponential advances in technology, it is very easy to lose sight of the customer and their desires. Hence, there is usually a retrofit of customer experience, re-branding, campaigns, etc., to reduce this gap between brands and customers as an afterthought.
Karan provides clarity to his clients in this complex landscape to ensure they solve the right problem for the right people. He believes that is when the brand and customer experience will automatically have a greater connect the people interacting with it.
He has helped Industry leaders across sectors of banking, healthcare, travel & tourism, fashion, FMCG, life sciences, etc., ideate and goes to market faster with meaningful solutions for their customers, creating profitable business ventures. Obsessed with customers and problems, he enjoys taking his clients through a rigorous journey of research, workshops, fast prototyping, building business venture blueprints, and architecting roadmaps for future growth. His vast experience in digital and cross-functional skills helps him guide clients to innovative and creative solutions.
Karan started his career as an ethical hacker in a large Indian Conglomerate in 2009, providing security consulting to a number of Indian banks, financial institutions, research labs, etc. He then co-founded a start-up in 2012, providing digital services and strategic advice to the travel and tourism sector. He later joined the largest Big four consulting firm in 2017 and has continued to help their tier-1 clients worldwide in developing world-class solutions.
Mr. Ingle is an empathetic leader who drives his high-performance team with electrifying passion and transparency. He urges them to ask questions and bring their unique selves, experiences, and ideas to the table. His style of leadership has earned him great respect and credibility from senior leaders who entrust him with larger intrapreneurship responsibilities. He has also set up creative studios to cater to the US and India’s growing needs for quality experiences, creative ideas, and compelling content.
From re-positioning and re-branding firms to end-to-end digital transformation, Karan has worked with clients in the US, Australia, UK, India, Southeast Asia & Middle East. Some of his notable work includes helping a major tourism board in India with their re-positioning strategy and e-commerce implementation, creating an eco-system for healthcare institutes in the US centred around remote patient care through connected devices and apps, and re-imagining a major consumer brand’s customer experience for digital and in-store interactions.
Besides, he actively supports young start-ups and mentors some, especially with future strategy, go-to-market & new product design.
Karan is also passionate about emerging technologies like metaverse, blockchain, AI/ML, etc., and either reads up or makes proofs-of-concept in his spare time. He also composes music in his home studio. He has DJed and performed live at many music festivals and clubs. He believes that he connects with his audience through music, and it helps him be more empathetic, which is the secret formula to human-centric design.
These lessons from Karan’s approach to work and life are truly an inspiration for us all to keep it simple and create magic all around.