Samir Patel

Biography

Samir is Chief Innovation Strategist at Blue State Digital, where he works with a range of organisations to drive civic engagement, impact communities, and innovate in marketing. He has over 20 years of experience in helping brands and non-profits alike put people first to achieve their objectives.

Samir has worked across a range of causes and clients including storytelling for GE, brand experience for Virgin, digital products for Google, strategy and digital platforms for Co-op, digital experiences for Tate, user experience for Natural History Museum, campaigns for HOPE not hate, global advocacy strategy and campaigns for Internet Society, and campaign creative for WaterAid.

Some of the communities Samir has worked with include the Inuit population in Nunavut, Canada; mothers in need of healthcare in Accra and Kumasi, Ghana; Olympics volunteers in Beijing, China; technology consumers in Tokyo and Shanghai; digital skills learners across 40 markets in Europe; hard-to-reach potential voters in the UK; and consumers and supporters in the UK and US.

His previous experience covers innovation, digital strategy, storytelling and filmmaking, as freelance, as owner of a creative video agency, and at agencies such as frog design.

A US-UK dual citizen, Samir has a BBA in Management Information Systems from the University of Georgia (US) and an MA in Film from Staffordshire University (UK).

Samir has been a commentator and interviewee for BBC, Virgin, Guardian, Ad Age, and Campaign magazine. Speaking topics have included digital acceleration and engagement, culture and diversity, politics and storytelling at events including Museum Next, Digital Marketing Exchange, Creative Mornings and numerous client offsites.