Over the past three decades, John Roa has built and scaled seven technology ventures, including one bootstrapped into the fastest-growing design consultancy in the U.S., later acquired by Salesforce to anchor its flagship innovation practice. At Salesforce, he led a global team that embedded design-led thinking into the company’s most strategic customer relationships, influencing multi-billion-dollar partnerships and shaping the corporate innovation agenda.

An AI-driven business leader, he is fluent in the architectures defining the next decade and the strategies that convert them into durable market advantage. With 25 years of coding and computer science experience, he bridges deep technical fluency with the commercial instincts required to scale products, organizations, and revenue.

His philosophy is clear: design is not an accessory to strategy: it is strategy. As CEO of ÄKTA, he led teams delivering transformative projects for Starbucks, BMW, and Motorola, demonstrating the enduring value of human-centered design and thoughtful user experience.

Beyond business, he has directed philanthropic initiatives supporting schools, orphanages, wildlife sanctuaries, and anti-trafficking programs in nearly two dozen countries, experiences that shaped his perspective on people, culture, and interconnected markets.

He thrives at the intersection of technology, design, and storytelling, turning transformative ideas into market realities, building world-class teams, and shaping narratives that move industries forward.