S3 Ep19: Dida Atassi On Why the Middle East Moves Faster

What if the art world wasn’t built for you - so you built your own? Marine Tanguy created the world’s first art talent agency, redefined public art, and made it profitable. A breakdown of money, privilege, visual dominance, and the unapologetic ambition behind rebalancing who gets to make it.

Marine Tanguy built MTArt to change how artists are seen, supported, and paid. She believes art should be part of everyday life, not locked in galleries or priced for the few. From public murals to brand partnerships, her model puts creators at the centre.

Tosh Hall doesn’t pull punches. The Global CCO of JKR talks about building cult-like creative cultures, calling out branding BS, and why a logo won’t fix your business. 5 minutes with one of the industry's sharpest minds. 

Jimmy Knowles, Global Head of Experiential at Canva, shares how he brings the brand to life offline, and why “IRL” is bigger than events. 15+ years of strategy experience squeezed into 5 minutes.

Callum McCahon, Chief Strategy Officer at Born Social, gives us a crash course in thinking differently. From the power of subcultures to the future of social-led branding, and why taste is your biggest competitive edge. 

What happens when a cartoonist becomes a global design chief? From sketchbooks to sonic branding, Teemu Suviala rethinks what great creative leadership looks like through curiosity, chaos and contradictions. In this episode, we talk visual music, inconsistent brands, and why curiosity always wins. 

Amy Daroukakis gets lost on purpose - and that’s the strategy. From finding future fandoms in playgrounds to calling out frameworks as creative crutches, she breaks down cultural strategy without the jargon. This one's for the people building brands from the outside in.

Saskia (Deputy CSO) and Felipe (ECD) from BBH London know what real creative partnership looks like, ten years of collaboration, no ego, and just enough conflict to keep the work sharp. In this episode, they talk candidly about why healthy creative tension is underrated, how briefs should never be thrown over the fence, and why creativity only works when it’s built on trust, not templates.

Dita Atassi, Creative Lead at Accenture Song Middle East, breaks down why the UAE, Saudi, and Qatar are the world’s most exciting creative markets right now, what the US could learn from startup energy, and how focus is her not-so-secret weapon. 

Madolyn Grove, Head of Creators at TikTok UK, isn’t here to sugarcoat it. Want to win online? Get focused, get real, and stop recycling ideas from 2019.