Singapore
Cultural analyst and music nerd. I speak a few languages too! You can also find me at https://elly.persona.co.
Demystifying culture and human behaviour at Canvas8, a global strategic insights practice operating out of London, New York, Singapore, and Manila. I've helped brands get up close with youth culture in Japan, map the future of agentic shopping in the US, and innovate for fitness-driven beauty in China. Clients I've worked with include Google, Unilever, CHANEL, lululemon, Volvo, Change.org, and Klook. Outside of consultancy, I also contribute expert insights on both global and regional cultural trends.
Decided to try something different from journalism and headed to Virtue, the creative agency powered by VICE. As an accounts and strategy baby, I supported client work for the likes of Coca-Cola, Diageo, and Unilever. The most fun part: crafting a hypothetical campaign on men's sexual wellness from scratch. Outside of learning Advertising 101, I had my first taste of strategic writing by co-authoring a WARC feature on multicultural marketing in Asia.
Typical university student side hustle — I taught beginner to advanced Japanese for over four years.
Dived into archival and curatorial research for PopLore, an event and content series commissioned by Esplanade to celebrate the history of Singaporean pop music. I transcribed interviews with persons of interest, liaised with museums for artefact loans and coordinated copyright permissions for musical recordings.
Covered lots of interesting stuff here, ranging from the history of music journalism in Singapore to Vietnam's rising underground music scene. Also fulfilled my music nerd dreams of interviewing St. Vincent, Wolf Alice, CHAI and more.