WHO IS
RAVI PATEL

Ravi Patel was born in 1985 above the 18-room motel his parents owned and operated in Mena, Arkansas. After immigrating from India, his parents built their life through hospitality—living where they worked and handling nearly every part of the business themselves.

The family later settled in Burlington, Iowa, where Ravi grew up inside the hotel business. He learned early that ownership meant responsibility: no task was beneath you, reputation mattered, and every detail counted.

After graduating from the University of Iowa, Ravi became president of Hawkeye Hotels. He helped build the family business into a nationally recognized hotel ownership, development, and management platform.

Hawkeye Hotels has participated in more than 100 developments and acquisitions and more than $3 billion in transaction activity. It remains privately owned and family led.

Ravi teaches Management and Entrepreneurship at the University of Iowa.

His classes focus on the realities behind building: making decisions under uncertainty, leading under pressure, understanding incentives, allocating capital, and managing the inner demands of ambition.

The classroom combines real-world lessons with candid conversations featuring founders, investors, athletes, artists, and public leaders.

Ravi believes greater responsibility demands deeper self-awareness. He continues that work through communities that challenge how he leads, builds, relates, and defines success.