Blade Kotelly is a globally recognized expert in innovation strategy, user experience, and human-centered design. He holds a Master of Science in Engineering and Management from MIT and a Bachelor of Science in Human Factors Engineering from Tufts University. His work bridges advanced design thinking with systems-level innovation, helping organizations build products and services that deliver meaningful, measurable impact.

As an advisor to Paragon Rock, Blade brings deep expertise in design-led transformation. He supports our clients in embedding innovation into core operations and leadership strategy. His perspective helps ensure that complex problem-solving is grounded in real user needs and strategic foresight.

Blade teaches design-thinking and innovation at MIT, where he serves as a Senior Lecturer in the School of Engineering and leads programs within MIT Professional Education. His innovation insights have been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, MIT Sloan Management Review, NPR, and the BBC.

He is also the author of The Art and Business of Speech Recognition (Addison-Wesley), a foundational text in interface design.

Blade has led experience strategy at companies including Sonos, Jibo, and Endeca, and has worked with organizations such as Google, Cisco, Bose, Nissan, Mercedes-Benz, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. His work continues to shape how leading enterprises think about innovation—from product ideation to digital transformation.