I grow products that
make people feel good.
I love all things well-being, art and technology.
Hit me up if you do too and want to chat, or need help with product, growth, marketing, communications, creative direction or innovation strategy 😎
Projects
An app that feels like home
Since 2017, I've been working in Mumbai as head of marketing and communications at an early-stage startup called HaikuJAM - a community-first mobile game that promotes self-care through collaborative writing.
In 2019, an explorative study by Örebro University in Sweden suggested that time spent playing HaikuJAM boosts user well-being, helps personal development and nurtures a sense of understanding between people.
HaikuJAM is a tight team of 20 that thrives on creativity, self-starter attitude, adaptability, rapid data-driven experimentation and radical focus.
So far, I've worked with the brand to...
💜 Define and develop HaikuJAM's branding and positioning
💜 Align all internal and external communications
💜 Find product-market fit in the wellness space
💜 Grow to ~1M users via paid and organic channels
💜 Represent the community and empower it via online and offline activations
💜 Turn its office into a cultural landmark for community and arts events
💜 Create a gift shop that spreads its message IRL
💜 Position and soft-launch B2B product, INSPO - the world's fastest consumer research tool
A space that people love
HaikuJAM's office is located at the heart of Bandra - Mumbai's most creative neighbourhood, famous for its quirky shops, buzzy cafes, Bollywood shoots and street art.
I had a lot of fun working with Bade Moochwale collective to transform the space into a living artwork /arts and community hotspot.
We introduced the space to the city with a series of events that integrated HaikuJAM into other creative disciplines, acting as an ice-breaker and a fuel for experimentation.
The events included:
💜 A dinner party covered by Vice
💜 A rap cypher
💜 A poetic house party
💜 A horror comedy night
💜 A series of collaborative listening parties
Today, HaikuJAM Cottage has become an integral part of Mumbai's cultural landscape. We run a decentralized events model, where event organisers can use our space for free in exchange for integrating HaikuJAM into their event as an ice-breaker.
In 2019, we hosted over 200 open mics, music gigs, comedy shows and workshops on everything from creative writing to mental health.
A conversation starter
"Don't talk to strangers" is something we've all heard as kids. But was that actually good advice?
The concept of (Don't) Talk To Strangers was designed to break the stigma of strangers connecting and translate the feeling of the HaikuJAM app into an IRL experience.
We inaugurated the HaikuJAM community space with an eponymous poetic house party that got 80 strangers to chat and write poetry together.
This generated media exposure, 3x word-of-mouth and lots of UGC on social media.
The concept of DTTS continues to live on IRL as HaikuJAM's bestselling limited edition clothing line and new conversations between strangers.
A loudspeaker for art
In 2013, I started working as an art PR consultant half-way through my time at UCL (BA Art History and French).
As a senior account manager at two agencies, Pickles PR (London) and later SUTTON (Hong Kong), I had the privilege of leading communications, media relations and events for some of the best visual art organisations in the world.
Read on for some of my favourites 👇
Pavilion of Turkey (Venice Biennale 2015)
Turkey's national pavilion at the 2015 Venice Biennale presented a solo exhibition, Respiro, by Turkish-Armenian artist Sarkis to coincide with the centenary of the Armenian genocide. It was a sensitive, challenging and deeply touching project, as well as a great personal lesson in international communications.
I was delighted to have secured coverage in major newspapers, such as Le Monde, The Independent, Le Figaro, La Repubblica (the only piece on the biennale), as well as numerous specialist art publications.
Lisson Gallery (London and APAC)
Lisson Gallery is one of the oldest contemporary art galleries in the world. I looked after PR for the two London galleries and later helped the brand to build its presence across APAC. I got to work on solo exhibitions by art icons, such as Ai Weiwei, Anish Kapoor and Marina Abramovic, to name just a few; presentations at global fairs, like Art Basel in Hong Kong; and museum shows, like Julian Opie's debut at the Fosun Foundation in Shanghai, China.
A lesser-known but super innovative client was STPI - an experimental gallery, artist residency and workshop specialising in print and papermaking. I helped raise the institution's domestic and international profile to new heights through creative media activations and features in publications, such as the Financial Times, Nikkei, Monocle Magazine and Frieze.
Other clients
Dominique Lévy Gallery (London)
Dutch Pavilion at 55th Venice Biennale (Venice)
Experimenter (Kolkata)
Gujral Foundation (Delhi)
India Art Fair (Delhi)
Jhaveri Contemporary (Mumbai)
MANIFESTA 10 (St Petersburg)
MONA - Museum of Old and New Art (Hobart)
Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek (Copenhagen)
Ornellaia x Michelangelo Pistoletto wine bottle edition (London)
Puerta Roja Gallery (Hong Kong)
SP-Arte 2016 (São Paulo)
START Art Fair (London)
Swiss Pavilion at 55th Venice Biennale (Venice)
UBS cultural sponsorship, Art Basel in Hong Kong (Hong Kong)
UBS cultural sponsorship, Beijing Music Festival (Beijing)
UNSEEN Photo Fair (Amsterdam)
Van Gogh Museum project (Beijing)
What Design Can Do (Amsterdam)
