FOUNDER AND CEO
Virju Patel
About Virju Patel, Founder & CEO
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Virju Patel founded Data Maverick with a mission to cut through the AI hype and deliver data strategies that drive measurable business outcomes. With nearly two decades of enterprise data experience, Patel brings a rare combination of deep technical expertise and proven sales business acumen to help organizations transform their data into competitive advantage.​
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From Infrastructure to Intelligence
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Patel's career began in 2006 at EMC, where he spent eight years on the front lines of enterprise data infrastructure. Working directly in data centers, he led large-scale migrations across various Unix operating systems, architected fiber channel storage networks, and implemented business continuity solutions using technologies like SRDF by EMC. This foundation in data storage and protection gave him an intimate understanding of how enterprise data actually works—not just in theory, but in production.
After EMC, Patel joined Nimble Storage as a Senior Sales Engineer, earning President's Club recognition in both 2016 and 2017. He then spent nearly three years at technology reseller , where he expanded his technical breadth by helping customers navigate complex data center migrations, automation initiatives, and application performance monitoring.
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The Modern Data Era
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In 2020, Patel transitioned to VMware as an Account Executive, where he helped enterprises secure and mobilize their cloud environments through SaaS solutions focused on cybersecurity and data protection. This role marked a pivotal shift from traditional infrastructure to cloud-native architectures.
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The defining chapter came at Databricks, where Patel spent nearly four years mastering modern data architecture. Starting as an Account Executive and advancing to Senior Account Executive, he earned President's Club honors in 2023 and was on track for 2025 Presidents club before founding Data Maverick. At Databricks, Patel gained a front-row seat to the data and AI revolution, helping organizations migrate from legacy systems to lakehouse architectures that unify analytics, data science, and machine learning.
A Different Approach to Consulting
Data Maverick was created with founding principles of customer obsession, deep technical roots, and a relentless commitment to doing consulting differently. Rather than lengthy, expensive engagements, Patel focuses on and "WHY--first" that demonstrates value quickly while building scalable foundations for long-term innovation. Patel's philosophy is simple: if it doesn't drive meaningful business outcomes, it's not worth pursuing.
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Patel holds a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology from Purdue University and is based in the Greater Philadelphia area with his wife and two young children.