I grew up in Moscow, where I became an artist and a musician. I earned a master's degree in academic piano and music theory, won and placed in international competitions, toured Europe with concerts, and spent more than twelve years teaching, drawn especially to how music education can serve children with ADHD. Twenty two years in music taught me to think in systems and to watch people closely, noticing how they learn and where they get stuck.

When I was ready for something new, I studied illustration and published a children's book, then asked myself what I wanted to make next. Design became the place my artistic side and my interest in human behaviour finally met. I made that move alongside my move to Vancouver, where I took my first real steps in interactive design, building digital experiences for real estate developers.

Away from the screen, my best ideas still arrive when I improvise at the piano. I have a cat named Mia who crossed the Atlantic with me and taught me how to lie on the bed, belly up, and enjoy doing nothing at all. On hard days I brew coffee and do yoga, because small slow things bring me back fastest. On good days I make things, from music to interactive experiences, and reach for something I have never tried before.