Robert Blackwell Jr., CEO & Founder

A process and technology transformation industry leader with a career spanning nearly 30 years, Robert Blackwell Jr. has cultivated Electronic Knowledge Interchange (EKI) into a leading management and technology consulting firm well-known for its ability to respond to complex business challenges with efficient, intelligent and innovative solutions. EKI has helped some of the largest public and private sector organizations gain measurable efficiency gains leveraging process and technology modernization. Robert has significant experience in leveraging technology to identify fractional gains in efficiency that lead to large savings in very large organizations. EKI was responsible for identifying over $1B in operational efficiency opportunities in Cook County government. EKI has done significant business with large corporations, governments and health care organizations.

Starting at IBM in 1981, Blackwell began his long career in building innovative systems that improve business operations. With a keen passion for entrepreneurship, he then went on to found several Chicago-based companies, including Urban Fishing Development, Bytewise International and Blackwell Consulting Services. For several years Robert was a trader specializing in writing models and executing trading strategies.

Blackwell also founded Killerspin, America's leading table tennis brand and the leading producer of table tennis themed media in the world.

Blackwell currently serves on the executive committee of the Choose Chicago, is Vice Chairman of the Chicago Sports Commission, Chairman of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce's Technology Committee, a board member of the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center and is active in the Executive's Club of Chicago and the Business Leadership Council. He has also been a member of the Chicago Board of Trade and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Blackwell also services on the board of several civic organizations.