Meet the NSW Assisters
Sonja Källström

What inspired you to do what you are doing now?

I was always really interested in travel and understanding other peoples perspective and cultures. I studied anthropology, which was amazing but I didn’t want to become an academic. At the time, brands were getting into ethnographic research and emerging subcultures, so I got inspired to try applying what I did in anthropology to consumer products. In some ways, I still do that all the time at the start of projects. Understanding what matters to people and what companies can do in response. It’s an evolving conversation.

Could you tell us a bit about your professional background?

I’m from Los Angeles and my first significant job (after a lot of searching and even starting my own business) was at Disney, in a team that focused on connecting people to the brand through collaborations with artists and product brands. It was a really formative experience, I worked hard and was given a lot of opportunity to grow.

When I arrived in Australia, I wasn’t sure how those skills would apply to companies here. I ended up leading strategy in a small design agency, not knowing much about strategy or design! It was a great fit and really paved the way for my next ten years of work, across a few agencies, ultimately becoming head of strategy at one of the largest brand and experience agencies in AU. Last year I felt ready for a change and moved into consulting to get more involved in designing new experiences, products and businesses models using web3, AI and other emerging tech.