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MEET PIA SCHILDKNECHT !
Text : Alina Vlaicu
As our last article talked about a TEKO student , for this issue I want to present you a TEKO graduate . We will meet Pia Schildknecht , the person behind Phusime and Stormsalen . Pia finished her Design Technologist - International Marketing studies at TEKO in the summer of 2010 . Let ’ s see what happened till now !
1 . How did you experience the TEKO environment ? I loved being a part of an international atmosphere and learning about other cultures and how to cooperate with other nationalities . It also gave me a great base for an international network of former TEKO students . Besides that I learned a lot about my own role in an international group - and I also got a clear view of my weaknesses and strengths . The great thing about TEKO is the broad range of topics you get in the two first semesters . You get a good understanding of the entire value system of the creative industry . I have always been a hard s tudent to have in a class - I have a tendency to question everything - and read everything else than my homework . Lucky for me - I had a teacher in TEKO that gave me a bit of free range .
2 . When and how did you start Phucisme and Stormsalen ? I started PHUCISME right after the summer 2010 , with conceptual artist and designer , Phuc Van Dang . I created our business plan as a part of my final exam , based on Alexander Osterwalder ’ s business model canvas . We wanted to create a company that one cannot put into a box . For the both of us the creative process can be applied to basically everything . We work with the sense that everything is connected - so we work in a crossing between culture , design and art , - however still very focused on the business perspective in these areas . In the beginning of 2012 we finally got to create STORMSALEN - a new way of thinking co-creation . I am one of seven founders . We were six companies that joined forces and now we are one creative house . We created an actual company together - and now have the qualifications to compete with bigger design and graphic companies . We are seven professionals with totally different qualifications - which give us a clear competitive edge in everything from public art , marketing / PR , product design , art and interior design , together with lectures , workshops . The common nominator is that all the projects are user-based and often based in workshops with users and clients .