Rohit Bhargava (Row-hit Bar-ga-va) is an expert in marketing, innovation, trends and the future. He believes the world needs more non-obvious thinking and his mission is to help people see what others miss.
Read on to experience his story.
Born in India, Rohit took his first flight at nine months old to move to America. By the age of 18, Rohit visited more than 30 countries and went on to graduate with an English major studying screenwriting and poetry in college. After waiting tables for a year to earn money at the iconic Kramerbooks & Afterwords Cafe in DC, he moved to Australia in 1999 at the dawn of the dot com boom to start his career in advertising working at the legendary ad agency, Leo Burnett.
In 2004 Rohit moved back to DC to join the emerging digital team at Ogilvy and started his blog the same year. His writing was featured in AdAge magazine and opened the door for his first book deal with McGraw-Hill in 2008 to write Personality Not Included.
The book would go on to win the prestigious Gold Atticus award from WPP and provide a platform for Rohit to start his speaking career. It also led to him doing one of the most memorable photo shoots of his life … covered in Post-It Notes!
At Ogilvy, Rohit was a founding member of the pioneering Digital Influence group that was the first agency division to integrate behavioral economics insights into client work. For eight years he was part of an award-winning group advising large global brands like Intel, Dove, Coca-Cola and Ford on digital strategy. Along the way, he published one more book with a traditional publisher (Likeonomics) and self-published two books (ePatient 2015 and Always Eat Left Handed).
By 2014 with his speaking career growing, Rohit was ready to write another book but disillusioned with both traditional publishing and self-publishing so he decided to start his own publishing company called Ideapress Publishing alongside his wife Chhavi. The next year he released his breakout hit book Non-Obvious which hit the WSJ bestseller list and catapulted him to leave his day job at Ogilvy, become a full-time speaker and also start the Non-Obvious Company.
For the next several years, Rohit published an updated annual edition of Non-Obvious with new trend predictions, eventually reaching over a million readers. He also expanded the brand, trademarking the name “non-obvious” and also starting a weekly newsletter, podcast, book awards program and hosting live gatherings. In 2020 when he published the tenth (and final) edition of his book series called Non-Obvious Megatrends, it was an instant #1 Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller.
When the world shut down, there were no live events anymore … so many speakers (including Rohit) decided to spend their at-home time writing instead. Over the next three years, Rohit wrote two guide books as part of the Non-Obvious Guide series and co-authored Beyond Diversity with Jennifer Brown.
The World’s Most Ambitious Gathering on Belonging
Meanwhile, Ideapress started to attract renowned authors including Tom Peters, Nancy Duarte and Ram Charan by pioneering one of the most author friendly publishing companies in the business. Coming out of the pandemic, like most Ideapress authors, Rohit also started researching and writing a new book ... this time aiming to pick up where the Non-Obvious Trend Series had left off.
In 2023 after nearly three years of research, Rohit released his ninth book called The Future Normal with fellow trend expert Henry Coutinho-Mason. The book featured 30 trends shifting the world and launched at the SXSW Festival in Austin, igniting a new wave of interest and bookings for Rohit as a futurist keynote speaker and workshop facilitator for forward thinking organizations including NASA, Disney and dozens of others.
At events around the world, in the past few years Rohit has started focusing on more than the keynote stage. He began hosting his signature Non-Obvious 7 Minute Meetup at events as a more authentic way for people to make connections. While traveling to new cities, he often organizes his own Non-Obvious Dinners as well. Bringing people together is now a key part of his work and the Non-Obvious brand.
Near the end of 2024, Rohit published his tenth book along with VC Ben duPont. Fully illustrated and much more condensed than his previous books, Non-Obvious Thinking revealed the four step “SIFT” method for having more non-obvious ideas and has already inspired thousands of professionals to integrate more creativity and new thinking into their work and lives. Since the book’s release, Rohit has been bringing this non-obvious thinking model to audiences and organizations around the world with more than 8000 rave reviews from event attendees (so far).
“Fuels breakthrough thinking!”
Tony Robbins#1 NY Times Bestselling Author“A delightful guide to questioning old assumptions.”
Adam Grant#1 NY Times Bestselling Author of Think Again and Hidden Potential“Big leaps come from non-obvious thinking. This is a must read!”
Sal KhanFounder & CEO of Khan Academy“Filled with riveting stories and quick takeaways.”
Dorie ClarkBestselling Author of The Long Game“Fun to read and wonderfully actionable!”
Dolly ChughNYU Stern Professor & Bestselling Author“This book will open your eyes and uncork your brain!”
Daniel H. Pink#1 NY Times Bestselling Author of Drive, When, and The Power of Regret
In 2026 both of Rohit and Chhavi’s boys graduated: Rohan from George Washington University and Jaiden from High School (and headed to Penn State). As a dad, Rohit believes the most impactful job he will ever have is teaching his two boys to be kind when no one expects it, curious about the things others take for granted, and confident enough to change the world. The double graduation officially made Rohit and Chhavi empty nesters, and for a life filled with new beginnings, this is yet another big one along the way!
In late 2026, Rohit will again team up with Henry to launch is newest (and 11th) book - Future Words. Based on nearly two decades of research, this giftable book introduces 100 words that should exist but don’t ... yet. The book will be out in stores globally in late October.
Beyond the business story, there’s more to Rohit! He lives with his wife, kids and mini golden doodle (JJ!) in the DC area and despises cauliflower (yuck!). He loves the Olympics and has attended six (so far!), including Paris 2024 and will be at LA 2028. His wife Chhavi is also the author of A Kid's Book About Diwali and both of them are active in supporting South Asian and female entrepreneurs in their community and around the world.
As the Non-Obvious brand continues to evolve, and Ideapress grows … Rohit is looking forward to plenty more unexpected and magical experiences (like meeting puppet celebrities!) and hopes to meet you at a non-obvious event or industry show at some point in the future.
Want More Non-Obvious Ideas?
The Non-Obvious Insights Newsletter brings you the five or six most fascinating and overlooked stories of the week, with a quick take on why each one matters.
One email every Thursday. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Rohit Bhargava is on a mission to inspire more non-obvious thinking in the world.
© 2026 Rohit Bhargava. Washington DC.
