hotelier / investor / lecturer
Ravi Patel is a second-generation hotelier and president of Hawkeye Hotels, one of the largest family-owned hotel developers in the country. Born above his family's 18-room motel in Mena, Arkansas, Ravi grew up inside the business and has since developed and acquired 100+ hotels and transacted over $3B across the Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, and IHG brand families. He is the co-founder of Built By Iowa, an early-stage fund backing founders with a meaningful connection to Iowa, and the founder of Patel Investments, a long-term, event-driven public equity strategy. He teaches entrepreneurship at the University of Iowa's Tippie College of Business.
a family-owned hotel ownership, development, and management company — built from a single 18-room motel into a national platform. still family led.
backing ambitious founders with a meaningful connection to iowa — founders venture capital has historically overlooked — early, with capital and operators in their corner.
an operator's mindset in public markets: long-term ownership plus an event-driven strategy built to act when markets dislocate.
entrepreneurship at the tippie college of business, university of iowa. not a lecture course — real decisions from real companies, candid off-the-record guests, and the inner demands of ambition. open to all majors, no prerequisites.
questions? email ravi