Creating seems to be at the core of my being. I am at the happiest when I am making things, be it digitally or physically, and I am the most engaged thinking about the aesthetics, fabrication and use of things. 

Curiosity about a rising power in the East defined my first academic endeavour. When I was attending High School everyone was talking about China. So, I studied Sinology (the study of China primarily through Chinese language, philosophy, literature, culture and history) and International Business. Soon I found myself living in Beijing at the height of a different hype. 3D Printing. Working in education and design at the time I was fascinated with the potentials of this emerging technology. Not before long, together with some talented architects and later business partners, we were creating design courses around 3D printing. We held the courses in the old town of Beijing, practically next door to the Forbidden City. The courses, centered around combining inspiration from traditional Chinese designs and architecture with modern 3d printing technology, were drawing adults and children alike. Not too far down the road this led to us founding DeFacto Beijing, a design studio focused on product development and prototyping. A whirlwind of intense years growing this company followed. Among some of the projects we developed were the Guinness World Record largest 3d printed structure (commissioned by RISE, a Chinese Education Company), AtmoBlue - a smart, wearable air purifier that blocks 99.9% of bacteria, pollution, smoke and allergens, and our own Food 3D Printer.

After 6 years both, me and my business partner, felt that our time in China has run its course. I felt like being pulled back to home, my family, my culture. So, we closed a large portion of the company and moved on. It was scary, it was difficult but it was also a very uplifting and beautiful experience. I moved back to Europe and took some time for myself. Shifting my focus towards balance and searching for my next chapter. Recently I am spending a lot of time in Portugal where I have become involved with a web3 powered regenerative land project, while also developing my skills in UX Design, wood working and natural building architecture techniques.