Change is art, strategy provides its structure and story gives its soul.
I’m an Impact Strategist and Creative Director who believes in the power of people to drive real change. I connect changemakers from the Global South and North to take on the world’s biggest challenges and champion human rights and climate action. Collaboration is at the heart of everything I do and I’m always up for sparking new ideas and building what comes next.
For over two decades, I’ve led creative agencies, built movements, and turned bold ideas into lasting impact. I’ve lived and worked across continents, immersing myself in diverse cultures and building a global network of changemakers, people who don’t just talk about making a difference, but make it happen.
I move fluidly between worlds - governments, global brands, grassroots organizations, UN agencies, and startups -bringing them together to spark real transformation. My work bridges vision and action, connecting people with purpose to create meaningful change.
Mentoring and teaching are also at the core of what I do. Through my lectures on design activism, social impact, marketing, and sustainability at universities around the world, I want to inspire students and professionals to see the climate crisis and human rights not as distant issues, but as urgent calls to act within their own fields.
I want to - and need to - learn every day, and I do that through people. Because real change doesn’t happen alone, it begins when we connect, collaborate, and move forward with intention.
Mentoring and keynotes
I’ve mentored and coached leaders and professionals from all walks of life: helping management teams and boards turn vision into action. Together, we’ve refined strategies, built sustainable ways to grow, forged meaningful partnerships, and mapped bold paths for international expansion.
I also speak at events and run hands-on workshops on global sustainability, strategy, branding, marketing, and storytelling. My mission is to spark ideas, challenge perspectives, and help people see new possibilities.
Whether you’re looking for a trusted mentor, a strategic guide, or a creative ally, I can join your team to open new doors and create real, lasting impact.
Impact Strategies
I help unlock the true potential of sustainability: showing what it can offer and sharing the latest global insights that are shaping the future. Whether it’s weaving sustainability into a business strategy or crafting operational plans for organizations and public sector actors, I guide projects of all kinds with a clear, strategic focus.
Crafting a forward-thinking strategy demands up-to-date skills and fresh knowledge. That’s why I stay connected to a wide network of experts and changemakers around the world - bringing the best insights directly to my clients.
Together, we turn sustainability from a buzzword into real, actionable impact.
Creative Concepts
For years, I’ve thrived as a creative director in top advertising agencies, shaping the creative vision and strategy for countless clients.
Behind every successful brand and campaign I’ve led is a deep understanding of diverse markets and cultures - a perspective that fuels fresh ideas and meaningful connections.
What sets me apart is not just my strategic insight, but my ability to bring together talented international teams that turn concepts into impactful realities. Whether it’s brand strategy, creative storytelling, or marketing innovation, I’m here to craft solutions that truly resonate across borders.
Don't raise your voice, improve your argument. - Desmond Tutu
COP28 + UNFCCC: Building Capacity for Youth Leadership
Change Vision: Young people have long been missing from global education and climate decision-making. In partnership with the COP28 International Youth Climate Delegate Program (IYCDP), we set out to change that.
Action: The IYCDP embedded 100 youth delegates in COP28, prioritizing voices from LDCs, SIDS, Indigenous Peoples, and other marginalized groups. We equipped them with tools and training to navigate policy, leverage resources, and create innovative approaches to climate action.
Impact: Guided by our mentorship, youth groups developed 15 actionable modules presented at COP28 to influence negotiations. The collaboration continues toward COP29, strengthening youth participation in global climate governance.
Iraq and Afghanistan: Empowering Youth to Rebuild Society
Change Vision: In partnership with Finland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs, we launched a communication project in Iraq and Afghanistan to amplify youth voices in peace and reconciliation. In societies scarred by conflict, empowering young people to lead change was vital.
Action: From 2019–2022, we formed youth peace ambassador groups, providing training in communication, negotiation, and conflict resolution. Workshops connected participants with mentors and peers, enabling them to design and implement their own peace initiatives.
Impact: The project shared youth perspectives through performances and social media, reaching over 19 million views. Participants gained purpose, belonging, and agency, with plans to expand to new regions.
Change Vision: Traditional design education often focuses on objects, while the world faces complex systemic challenges. In Kenya, a new generation of creatives is redefining design as a tool for social and environmental transformation.
Action: In Nairobi, we hosted a Design Activism session, bringing together artists, strategists, researchers, and activists. The event provided an open, collaborative space for critical thinking and policy-oriented design, challenging conventional approaches to creative practice.
Impact: Participants co-created a shared vision for design-driven change, developing a practical framework to apply design thinking toward more inclusive, sustainable, and systemic solutions.
Design Activism in Nairobi: Design as a Tool for Systemic Change
Global Climate Partnership Fund: Accelerating a Sustainable Future
Change Vision: Unlike other impact funds, GCPF focuses exclusively on accelerating the climate transition by empowering local financial institutions in developing economies, building ecosystems of expertise and resources.
Action: Operating in 25+ countries, GCPF collaborates with a global partner network, learning and innovating together. As part of a strategy shift we co-created, an active listening tour from Tbilisi to Ulaanbaatar to Quito revealed critical insights, highlighting lessons the West can learn from unexpected places.
Impact: Through refreshed branding, messaging, and visual identity, GCPF showcases partner impact—from food security in Mongolia to sustainable water use in Ecuador—demonstrating that climate transition goes beyond solar and wind, while revamping the Impact Report for advocacy and storytelling.
Dubai Cares at COP28: We Can’t Wait for Our Children to Save Us
Change Vision: Led by Dubai Cares, the RewirEd Summit redefines education as a cornerstone of climate action, challenging the world to rethink learning as a driver of sustainability and systemic change.
Action: We partnered with RewirEd to amplify this vision, producing an opening video series for Expo 2020 Dubai and co-creating seven youth-led videos through workshops with “The Voice of the Youth,” highlighting personal stories of purpose and resilience. These videos united over 70 global organizations and premiered in Dubai in 2021.
Impact: RewirEd has become a leading platform for education and climate action, with COP28 participation, 1,000+ participants, and representation from 76 nations.
UNIARTS Helsinki & CCA Lagos: A Model for the Future of Arts Education
Change Vision: Artistic collaborations between Africa and Europe often follow colonial patterns. This partnership between UNIARTS Helsinki and CCA Lagos redefines that model, creating a Finnish–Pan-African approach grounded in equity, mutual learning, and peripheral collaboration.
Action: The pilot program reimagines arts education for a changing world, addressing outdated funding structures and the climate crisis. Through workshops with artists, curators, and educators across both continents, we shaped a narrative that inspires funders and fosters cross-regional collaborations.
Impact: The initiative bridges divides, elevates marginal perspectives, and positions the Nordics as leaders in postcolonial partnership, with potential to expand to India, Latin America, and beyond.
Milele Zanzibar Foundation: Towards a Good Life in Zanzibar
Change Vision: Founded in 2014, Milele Zanzibar Foundation (“Milele” meaning forever in Kiswahili) began as a small initiative to uplift local communities. Today, it operates across 40 villages, improving 345,000 lives and earning recognition from Zanzibar’s President as the leading NGO on the islands.
Action: For its tenth anniversary, we partnered with MZF to refine its b
rand, unify its vision, and develop clear messaging to inspire partners locally and globally.
Impact: Milele Zanzibar Foundation continues to foster sustainable development where it’s needed most. Our collaboration strengthens storytelling, operational capacity, and impact measurement, ensuring its mission endures for generations to come.
Kohmara India: Gondia Bamboo Livelihood Project
Change Vision: The Gondia Bamboo Livelihood Project transforms the Burud community’s traditional bamboo craft in Kohmara village into a sustainable livelihood, combining cultural preservation with economic empowerment. Through skills development, entrepreneurship training, and market access, the initiative creates future opportunities while safeguarding heritage.
Action: We built a responsible brand, Kohmara, showcasing ecological, sustainable products that provide fair employment. Branding emphasizes craftsmanship and social responsibility, competing with inexpensive international retailers while telling authentic stories.
Impact: By highlighting India’s rich artisanal expertise, the project promotes human rights and environmental sustainability, positioning traditional skills as a valuable alternative to mass-produced imports and supporting resilient livelihoods.
Revision Chef: A New Foundation for Responsible Food
Change Vision: The food system is broken. Industrial farming, pollution, and waste have harmed the planet, undervalued farmers, and eroded trust. We have lost sustainable traditions that once nourished people and nature alike.
Action: We are building a movement to align purpose with practice, uniting food lovers, farmers, researchers, and dreamers. By blending ancient wisdom with modern science, we are rebuilding food culture with creativity and courage, creating systems that heal the Earth and honor life.
Impact: Our mission turns bold ideas into action, fostering a responsible food culture that nourishes people, respects the planet, and inspires generations globally through education, conversation, and international collaboration.
Sitra: Building Finland’s Future Within the Limits of the Planet
Change Vision: Sitra, Finland’s public fund and forward-looking think tank, advances well-being and economic growth within planetary boundaries. Its mission is to drive societal transformation and empower leaders to make bold, future-oriented decisions.
Action: Cube is more than a program—it’s a method, mindset, and physical space. Each cycle focuses on a societal theme, bringing leaders and experts together. Using data, AI-powered insights, and immersive methods, Cube creates future scenarios and actionable solutions. As Critical Friend, I challenge the team and help refine their approach.
Impact: Cube enables cross-sector collaboration, turning insight into action and fostering transformative, positive change across society.
Paimio Sanatorium Finland: A Vision for Future Societies
Change Vision: Built in 1933 by Alvar and Aino Aalto as a symbol of healing, Paimio Sanatorium is being reimagined as a global hub for well-being and progressive thinking. Our task was to craft a bold vision bridging architecture, health, and humanity.
Action: Inspired by the Aaltos’ holistic design philosophy, we are transforming Paimio into a living lab, uniting architects, researchers, and change-makers to address global well-being. Its programming blends creativity, science, and care.
Impact: Paimio is evolving into an international destination for transformative ideas, with initiatives like the Spirit of Paimio Conference, a podcast, and key hires continuing its legacy as a beacon for future-focused society and design.
Femina Hip Tanzania: Power to the Next Generation
Change Vision: For 25 years, Femina Hip’s multimedia platform has reached over 15 million young Tanzanians annually, empowering youth through trusted, engaging storytelling. Working closely with schools and government leaders, Femina Hip shapes narratives that inspire agency, opportunity, and social impact.
Action: In partnership with Femina Hip, we strengthened their brand strategy and expanded their reach through new initiatives. Collaborating with Kenyan agency 5DM, we developed a renewed visual identity that reinforces Femina Hip’s leadership in youth media.
Impact: With our support, Femina Hip is expanding beyond Tanzania, aiming to reach global youth audiences. By blending education and entertainment, it stands as a model for youth empowerment and edu-media worldwide.
Let’s talk!
I’m a true believer in the power of collaboration. There’s nothing better than sparking ideas together and igniting fresh ways of thinking. If you’re curious or ready to explore new possibilities, drop me a line - let’s start a conversation and see where it takes us.
arto@artosivonen.com