"(...) the only arms I allow myself to use: silence, exile, and cunning.” logo
C.Z. Nnaemeka
writes about business,
tech, politics, race, & class.

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The Rejection Gene - MIT Entrepreneurship Review

Nikolas M.*,
a friend of mine — a classmate, really — is the definition of mischievously handsome: 90% cheekbones, 10% daredevil. Tall and bronzed and chiseled with dark twinkling eyes, he has the look of a Greek god if you could intercept a Greek god saying “Whatever dude.” I specify all of this because...

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The Unexotic Underclass - MIT Entrepreneurship Review

Of the political class, I ask nothing. Our "leaders" in Washington have found ever innovative ways to avoid solving the problems that have been brought before them... They are entrepreneurs of the highest order: presented with 1 problem, they manage to create 5 more...

Depuis les années 90s, la sphère d’influence du Révérend se restreint. Les scandales et une nouvelle ère l’ont rendu tantôt ridicule tantôt obsolète. (...) De nos jours M. Jackson est ignoré — et pire encore — ignorable…

Si le coeur a ses raisons que la raison ne connaît pas, la politique, elle, n’a même pas de raisons: elle est violente et volatile et déraisonnée – ce qui rend son observation et son analyse si palpitantes...

Select Books in which my writing has been featured




Select Press Mentions

I thank the authors of these articles for having referenced my ideas.

With her non-traditional approach to design and marketing, Rinat is passionate about developing brands and surfacing them through non-traditional means and design excellence. In 2006, she founded Aruliden with Johan Liden, combining their expertise in product design and brand strategy to pioneer a new approach they coined Producting™. With clients that range from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies, Aruliden brings a unique perspective to the creative process, demonstrating that when brand and design work together they create compelling experiences across all touch points, independent of the category. Aruh has worked with brands such as Google, Newell Rubbermaid, Nike, P+G, BVLGARI and Virginia Black from strategy to product innovation to experience design. She has also led the team in developing their own products in-house, from beautiful glass fishscapes to sport-furniture for brands like PUMA.

Before starting her own agency, Gap Inc. brought her in to work on a new brand initiative as Vice President of Marketing. She also held the position of Global Strategy Manager for MINI Lifestyle at BMW Group in Munich, where she was responsible for product development, brand extensions as well as new business strategies. Rinat also worked on the MINI brand during its US launch at BMW of North America, spearheading a number of initiatives that brought MINI to the forefront of the design world.

Rinat is passionate about working with kids, helping them to use design thinking as a methodology to problem-solving. She also teaches a Products of Design class at The School of Visual Arts in NYC.

Johan Liden is an industrial designer and entrepreneur whose passion for developing innovative new products and bringing thoughful solutions to clients has resulted in award-winning work. In 2006, he founded Aruliden with Rinat Aruh, combining their expertise in product design and marketing to pioneer a new approach they coined Producting™. With clients that range from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies, Aruliden brings a unique perspective to the creative process, believing marketing and design should work together to create a cohesive brand experience for consumers. Liden has worked with companies such as PUMA, Google, Starbucks, Neutrogena, Bernhardt Design and Whoop.

Originally from Sweden, Johan began his experience in the United States by helping build Fuseproject, a San Francisco based design firm, where he worked for clients such as Birkenstock, Nike, BMW, Nissan, Herman Miller, and Microsoft. Liden later joined MAC Cosmetics, a division of the Estee Lauder Group, where he was responsible for developing multiple product lines. He was also invited to develop special product categories, including the Sean John fragrance, which was one of the most succesful fragrance introductions to date. He was subsequently recruited by Nike's Converse division, where he was responsible for shaping some of the most successful products we see today in the marketplace.

Bringing new design directions and explorations within Aruliden's core product line as well as introducing new platforms, Liden's work has been internationally recognized in museums, press and competitions alike.

Helen brings her 25+ years in the lifestyle, fashion + beauty worlds and believes the key to success is developing a close connection to the client’s brand mission and core customer beliefs while learning about the people you work with and constantly surfacing the best work.

Prior to Aruliden, Helen worked as the VP, Creative Director at Glossier where she helped build a new kind of beauty company from the ground up together with the founding team and CEO. Prior to that she led the creative of Bumble and Bumble and Jawbone.

Originally from London where she studied at both the Norwich School of Art and Design and The Royal College of Art, Steed brings a unique vision to the agency with her substantial resume and proven experience.

Marc works hands-on with the studio’s clients, to create new products, services and businesses that engage people in meaningful ways. He has worked in close partnership with the founders of numerous startups and with leaders of organizations including Apple, Audi, CocaCola, Kate Spade, Levi’s, L’Oreal, Nordstrom, Target, and Tiffany & Co. among others.

Prior to Aruliden, Marc was Co-Founder of VBP Orange and a design lead at IDEO, where he led product and service innovation programs for clients including Diageo, Marriott Hotels and Procter and Gamble.

Marc has appeared as a guest speaker and judge for design industry events and his work has been featured in Bloomberg Business Week, The New York Times and Vanity Fair.

Marc is a graduate of The College of Creative Studies where he studied art direction and photography. An avid collector, Marc can occasionally be found uncrating his latest find in the studio.

Rogerio is originally from Brazil where he founded the Mopa studio before moving to New York City in 2009. In New York, he joined forces with Syrup as Art Director and guided the Puma team there to several award winnings campaigns, including the Puma Unity initiative which won a Yellow Pencil at the D&AD. In 2011, Rogerio was invited by HP to create a series of unique artist artworks to be released with every new computer HP produced. Rogerio has also been extensively recognized by his industry peers - he was recently a featured speaker at Trimarchi DG - one of the biggest design conferences in the world.

Select Press Mentions

I thank the authors of these articles for having referenced my ideas..

With her non-traditional approach to design and marketing, Rinat is passionate about developing brands and surfacing them through non-traditional means and design excellence. In 2006, she founded Aruliden with Johan Liden, combining their expertise in product design and brand strategy to pioneer a new approach they coined Producting™. With clients that range from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies, Aruliden brings a unique perspective to the creative process, demonstrating that when brand and design work together they create compelling experiences across all touch points, independent of the category. Aruh has worked with brands such as Google, Newell Rubbermaid, Nike, P+G, BVLGARI and Virginia Black from strategy to product innovation to experience design. She has also led the team in developing their own products in-house, from beautiful glass fishscapes to sport-furniture for brands like PUMA.

Before starting her own agency, Gap Inc. brought her in to work on a new brand initiative as Vice President of Marketing. She also held the position of Global Strategy Manager for MINI Lifestyle at BMW Group in Munich, where she was responsible for product development, brand extensions as well as new business strategies. Rinat also worked on the MINI brand during its US launch at BMW of North America, spearheading a number of initiatives that brought MINI to the forefront of the design world.

Rinat is passionate about working with kids, helping them to use design thinking as a methodology to problem-solving. She also teaches a Products of Design class at The School of Visual Arts in NYC.

Johan Liden is an industrial designer and entrepreneur whose passion for developing innovative new products and bringing thoughful solutions to clients has resulted in award-winning work. In 2006, he founded Aruliden with Rinat Aruh, combining their expertise in product design and marketing to pioneer a new approach they coined Producting™. With clients that range from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies, Aruliden brings a unique perspective to the creative process, believing marketing and design should work together to create a cohesive brand experience for consumers. Liden has worked with companies such as PUMA, Google, Starbucks, Neutrogena, Bernhardt Design and Whoop.

Originally from Sweden, Johan began his experience in the United States by helping build Fuseproject, a San Francisco based design firm, where he worked for clients such as Birkenstock, Nike, BMW, Nissan, Herman Miller, and Microsoft. Liden later joined MAC Cosmetics, a division of the Estee Lauder Group, where he was responsible for developing multiple product lines. He was also invited to develop special product categories, including the Sean John fragrance, which was one of the most succesful fragrance introductions to date. He was subsequently recruited by Nike’s Converse division, where he was responsible for shaping some of the most successful products we see today in the marketplace.

Bringing new design directions and explorations within Aruliden’s core product line as well as introducing new platforms, Liden’s work has been internationally recognized in museums, press and competitions alike.

Helen brings her 25+ years in the lifestyle, fashion + beauty worlds and believes the key to success is developing a close connection to the client’s brand mission and core customer beliefs while learning about the people you work with and constantly surfacing the best work.

Prior to Aruliden, Helen worked as the VP, Creative Director at Glossier where she helped build a new kind of beauty company from the ground up together with the founding team and CEO. Prior to that she led the creative of Bumble and Bumble and Jawbone.

Originally from London where she studied at both the Norwich School of Art and Design and The Royal College of Art, Steed brings a unique vision to the agency with her substantial resume and proven experience.

Marc works hands-on with the studio’s clients, to create new products, services and businesses that engage people in meaningful ways. He has worked in close partnership with the founders of numerous startups and with leaders of organizations including Apple, Audi, CocaCola, Kate Spade, Levi’s, L’Oreal, Nordstrom, Target, and Tiffany & Co. among others.

Prior to Aruliden, Marc was Co-Founder of VBP Orange and a design lead at IDEO, where he led product and service innovation programs for clients including Diageo, Marriott Hotels and Procter and Gamble.

Marc has appeared as a guest speaker and judge for design industry events and his work has been featured in Bloomberg Business Week, The New York Times and Vanity Fair.

Marc is a graduate of The College of Creative Studies where he studied art direction and photography. An avid collector, Marc can occasionally be found uncrating his latest find in the studio.

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Rogerio is originally from Brazil where he founded the Mopa studio before moving to New York City in 2009. In New York, he joined forces with Syrup as Art Director and guided the Puma team there to several award winnings campaigns, including the Puma Unity initiative which won a Yellow Pencil at the D&AD. In 2011, Rogerio was invited by HP to create a series of unique artist artworks to be released with every new computer HP produced. Rogerio has also been extensively recognized by his industry peers – he was recently a featured speaker at Trimarchi DG – one of the biggest design conferences in the world.

View article

Jason enjoys challenging the traditional role of a designer, and prides himself on his ability take brand and consumer insights and translate them into strategic, actionable, and effective design solutions. Prior to joining Aruliden, Jason co-founded the design studio Tag Collective, where he worked on a variety of brand experiences, ranging from brand positioning, traditional identity and packaging design to advising and designing startups from the ground up. His work in food and beverage, restaurant, and hospitality design has been recognized in press and publications around the world.

Select French Articles




Depuis les années 90s, le révérend voit se restreindre sa sphère d’influence. Les scandales et une nouvelle ère l’ont rendu tantôt ridicule tantôt obsolète. (...) De nos jours M. Jackson est ignoré — et pire encore — ignorable…

Si le coeur a ses raisons que la raison ne connaît pas, la politique, elle, n’a même pas de raisons: elle est violente et volatile et déraisonnée – ce qui rend son observation et son analyse si palpitantes...

Current Writing Projects



Screenplay
for the Film adaptation
of a prizewinning African novel

Bio

C.Z. Nnaemeka
is an American-born, Nigerian-descended, French-educated
Philosopher & Finance Analyst.

She is currently working on:
a mathematical theory of Business Pivots.

She has previously been:
a political journalist in Paris & Cambridge;
a hedge fund analyst in New York & Connecticut;
and a consultant to startups in Auckland, Rome, Rio, & São Paulo.

She is fluent in French, English, & Spanish,
and enjoys working with numbers, words, data, ideas...
in any of those languages -- including Italian & Portuguese,
which she can read (but cannot speak, alas : ).


She is a big believer in luck
and is grateful for the prodigious share of it that comes her way.



Contact:
cznnaemeka@gmail.com

Some Awards & Recognition
for my writing

Selected for Founding Editor Prize by the MIT Entrepreneurship Review

Shortlisted for the Financial Times / McKinsey Bracken Bower Prize

Featured by WIRED Magazine in their Best Tech Stories of the Year

Authored a piece voted Most Engaging Content of the year by Pocket readers

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Henri Rousseau, La Falaise, 1910.
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Some Affiliations

A short list of the great institutions I've been privileged to be a part of:

  • Wellesley College
  • Le Figaro
  • Goldman Sachs
  • The French-American School
    of New York







Artworks on display: Henri Rousseau, "The Hungry Lion throws itself on the Antelope,"1905 and "La Falaise" (The Waterfall), 1910..........


I've always loved the story of Henri Rousseau: a low-level bureaucrat who'd never left France but somehow painted wild pictures of African jungle scenes. For years, his art was mocked, but he kept on painting, kept on presenting, until all of a sudden, the Paris establishment embraced him...