Tamika Abaka-Wood


  


Tamika Abaka-Wood



︎︎︎ Focus and Practice

︎︎︎ Qualitative Research.
︎︎︎ Ethnography.
︎︎︎ Insight and Foresight.
︎︎︎ Brand Strategy.
︎︎︎ Cultural + Creative Activation.


Hello.


I am a Londoner, currently based in Brooklyn NY.
__

I explore things as they are, then land what they could be at their most potent. 
__

I have an educational background in psychology and cultural anthropology.
__

I have designed and lead 180+ projects over 13 years. 
___


i.

Life’s Work.


︎︎︎ why?

Shifting perspectives, cracking open, reimagining and making space for more expansive, regenerative and equitable futures.

︎︎︎ what?

Strategic and creative thought-partner.
With deep focus and practice in research, insight + foresight. 

︎︎︎ with?

Nike [Women, Kids, NXT Innovation, Consumer Research + Insights, Brand Catalyst Marketing, SNKRS + NBHD]NARS, Clinique, LEGO, The Girl Effect, Beats by Dre, The Barbican, BeautyStack, Rimmel, LA Philharmonic Orchestra, Converse, NOCTA, The Nue Co, MasterClass, adidas, Berklee School of Music, SheaMoisture, EA Games, WeTransfer and more.

︎︎︎ where?

+London +Paris +Johannesburg +Amsterdam +Lagos +Berlin +Tokyo +Sao Paulo +Shanghai +Addis Ababa +Abuja +Riyadh +Jeddah +Kigali +Mexico City +Bahir Dar +Chicago +Los Angeles +Houston +Atlanta +Oakland +Miami +Gonder +Mumbai +Dakar +Edinburgh +NYC [+digitally across all 51 states in the US].

︎︎︎ when?

2008-2012 at Ruby Pseudo.
Here I crafted my creative-research practice, by leading a year-long project in 9 cities in Africa for the Nike Foundation, and developing one stream of adidas 2012 Olympic campaign.  

2012-2014, Freelance Consultancy. + NeuroScience PhD assistant (Brunel University) + clinical psychology apprenticeship (NHS).

2014- current at B+A.
As the first employee, I have helped catalyse and develop the external brand consultancy offering, our team across the UK and US and B+A’s business strategy for 9+ years. 

︎︎︎ how?

Seeing from the inside-out.
Imagining from the outside-in.

Interviews. Workshops. Frameworks. Facilitated Experiences. Ethnography. Living my life. Trying on yours for size. Writing. Holding silence. Practising. Sharing. Post-it notes. Plans. Timelines. Sharpies. Creativity. Playfulness. Rigour. Frameworks. Thinking + doing simultaneously. 

Asking good questions at the start.
Better questions in the middle.
And the question by the end.