Nile Kenya

Ajay Agrawal is a leading economist and professor at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, where he holds the Geoffrey Taber Chair in Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Born in 1970, he is also the founder of the Creative Destruction Lab (CDL), a prominent incubator for early-stage, science-based companies that has helped launch over 700 startups since its inception in 2012, creating significant equity value.

Agrawal is a co-author of two influential books on artificial intelligence: Prediction Machines: The Simple Economics of Artificial Intelligence (2018) and Power and Prediction: The Disruptive Economics of Artificial Intelligence (2022), both published by Harvard Business Review Press. His research focuses on the economics of innovation and AI, and he serves on various advisory boards, including for the U.S. and Japanese governments.

In recognition of his contributions to academia and entrepreneurship, Agrawal was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada in 2022. He has received numerous awards for his teaching and research impact, solidifying his reputation as a key figure in understanding the intersection of technology and business.