Strategic storytelling for purpose-driven brands

With over a decade of experience across media, tech, and live events, from Spotify to international broadcasters and cultural institutions, I bring structure, cultural awareness, and creative leadership to brands who want to connect meaningfully with their audiences.

Why Work with me

I bring over a decade of experience working across global tech, cultural institutions, and cross-cultural media production, combining strategic thinking, creative leadership, and operational depth.

My path includes leading complex work at Spotify and producing stories through film, exhibitions, and live events across Japan and the UK. I understand how ideas move through systems and how to build the structure, communication, and collaboration that helps them land, especially in fast-moving or uncertain environments.

After studying at Hyper Island, I shifted my focus toward social impact storytelling and digital strategy for purpose-led brands. My work today brings together systems thinking from tech, project leadership mindset, creative clarity from media, and a belief in social media as a space for connection, not just visibility.

As a one-woman studio, I work hands-on from start to finish. Clients value the clarity, continuity, and calm I bring, especially when navigating complexity, multiple stakeholders, or evolving ideas. I’m at my best when helping small, committed teams bring shape to complexity, aligning people and processes so ideas can move forward with momentum and shared understanding. I enjoy working closely with people who care about the work, their audience and the message they want to convey

Selected Work

  • A smiling person wearing glasses and a colorful hat, with text overlay saying 'The Borg vs Individualism' and '#StartrekFuture' against a space background with stars and a bright starburst.

    Equity Architect

  • Empty beautiful old theatre auditorium with rows of chairs and decorative balcony, with a overlaid copy: "Together we can keep history alive, support Skandia."

    Stockholm International Film Festival/Support Skandia

  • Hibiscus drink in a pretty basket on the table by the sea on a sunny summer day in Gamla Stan, Munkbrohamnen

    Hikkibiskus

  • A meme using renaissance painting of a woman with a distressed expression, resting her head on her hand, sitting at a table with a green background and with a message on how women are under funded as enterpreneurs

    Entrepreneurs Without Borders

  • The Age Factor@Hyper Island

  • Japanese friend chicken in a bowl with the side of caviar and creme Fresh

    The Asian Fix

Learn More

My Approach

Audience-Centric Storytelling

I help organisations shape content strategies and storytelling rooted in audience insight and cultural context, aligned with clear business and communication objectives.

My work starts with identifying the audience, not the platform, the trend, or the content format. Before deciding what to create, I focus on understanding what people already care about, what questions or challenges they’re carrying, and how a brand can meaningfully answer to those.

From there, I enjoy the work of ideation: developing ideas, grounding them in strategy, and turning them into stories and creative outputs that respond to both audience needs and organisational goals. Practically, this means asking the right questions early, creating structure where things feel unclear, and shaping ideas collaboratively.

With a background in anthropology, a third-culture upbringing, and a love for visual media, I care deeply about representation and diversifying who gets to tell the story in order to build empathy and shift perspectives.

Who I Work With

I collaborate with purpose-driven brands, cultural institutions, and social impact initiatives, with a special focus on women-led businesses and community-rooted projects. My work supports those who care deeply about how their stories are shaped, shared, and who they reach. Clients often include social enterprises, nonprofits, and creative organisations working at the intersection of culture, identity, and impact.

If this resonates, I’d love to hear what you’re working on and see if there is something we could shape together

Get in touch

“Nakako has a strong sense of storytelling and a rare ability to balance detail with the bigger picture.”

— Annick Elfström, Hikkibiskus CEO