Wako Takayama, Insight Strategist

"I'm an anthropologist, so I'm intensely curious about how people relate and adapt to the fast-changing landscape of economic and cultural change."

Wako Takayama brings over 15 years of experience in helping companies deliver products that people love to use. Wako is known for her ability to bridge the gap between a company's vision and the needs of consumers. She brings to bear her experience in developing consumer software and marketing consumer packaged goods, and in understanding the multiple facets of customer experience through ethnographic research, in-depth consumer interviewing and usability studies.

Wako has worked in the US and Asian markets for leading brands including Motorola, SONY, HP, Schwab.com, Nissan, Procter & Gamble and Kellogg's, and served on the Motorola Branding Committee. Currently, she serves on the Membership Committee of the Sustainable Business Alliance.

Wako holds a BA in Social Anthropology and East Asian Studies from Harvard University and an MA in Social Anthropology from Stanford University.