Tamika Abaka-Wood
︎︎︎ Focus and Practice
︎︎︎ Qualitative Research.
︎︎︎ Ethnography.
︎︎︎ Insight and Foresight.
︎︎︎ Brand Strategy.
︎︎︎ Cultural + Creative Activation.
︎︎︎ Qualitative Research.
︎︎︎ Ethnography.
︎︎︎ Insight and Foresight.
︎︎︎ Brand Strategy.
︎︎︎ Cultural + Creative Activation.
Hello.
I am a Londoner, currently based in Brooklyn NY.
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I explore things as they are, then land what they could be at their most potent.
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I have an educational background in psychology and cultural anthropology.
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I have designed and lead 180+ projects over 13 years.
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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.