“I still want to be a sneaker designer, to this day.” Spoken like a true sneakerhead. Rah Mahtani describes himself as a “curious sh-t starter” — driven by creativity, curiosity and a willingness to disrupt to get results. I had read about Rah before we ever met. His Syracuse Industrial Design background, career journey and love of sneakers made him a natural guest for my Signature Shoe Playbook and Professional Development courses. There was only one catch: I had never met him. We met just before class, then let the conversation fly. I love that challenge - and with the best guests, it feels seamless. Rah was one of them. Now Head of Marketing and Commercial Strategy, US at Alibaba.com, Rah talked about what he looks for in people: curiosity - especially about the business and customer - and proactivity. Our Falk students showed both - with great questions and ideas for continuing the conversation after class. Rah has built an incredible career. But I loved that there’s still a...