I'm an Australian entrepreneur, designer and speaker.
Hi I'm Joumana (rhymes with banana).
My career's been nothing short of unconventional. I follow my intuition. I’m the Founder and Creative Director at Skale — a design studio for growing startups and VCs. As I write this, I’m fast approaching my 10 year anniversary with startups — it was love at first principles.
Before Skale, I lived many lives. At 14, I ran my first business. At 20, I spent 4 years at Atomi an edtech startup sharpening the saw across design, content and leadership. At 25, I dropped out of a psychology degree to launch a mental health startup in Singapore.
Notably, I chase my curiosity - I've spoken on storytelling panels, taught design to uni students, helped researchers dig into satellites, drones and camouflage, assisted a psychiatric architecture firm and volunteered as a suicide crisis supporter. More conventionally, I completed a double degree in Architecture and Creative Intelligence and Innovation at a top university in Australia.
Today I split my time between Sydney and exploring new cities. I'm often musing over impact, branding, behavioural psychology, beautiful questions, the power of connection, culture, speed, AI for creatives, trauma and how to design a meaningful life.
Skale
A little on Skale
SKALE is a founder-led design firm that helps startups and VCs in Australia, the US and Singapore. We've helped 100+ founders from 60+ startups — from first-time founders backed by Blackbird ($9B+ fund) and Square Peg ($2.9B+ fund) to second-time founders from tech giants Canva, Sonder and Firmable.
We live to serve the startup ecosystem. We specialise in brands, landing pages and websites, as well as run an invite-only pitch deck service for our VC partners. In addition, we collaborate with charities and funds serving the startup ecosystem.
You can check us out here. Note* We haven't had a chance to update our portfolio in more than a year... it's been a little hectic.
Values
What I live for
A friend once described me as one of the most intentional people he's ever met. I laughed but there's some truth in it.
I live by the four agreements (a great read by Don Miguel Ruiz). The first is "Be impeccable with your word." My greatest vice is I have zero tolerance for a lack of integrity. I truly understand why people are tempted to lie, cheat, or be dishonest but I'm drawn to people who hold integrity highly.
"I would rather have questions that can't be answered than answers that can't be questioned." - Richard Feynman
Curiosity opens up worlds. Worlds of ideas. Worlds of solutions. Worlds of joy. My favourite conversations and people are full of tangents, serendipity and unconventional ideas. When curiosity's in the conversation, connection ensues.
I'm a pragmatic optimist - I believe we have a moral duty to move the world forward. In my brief time on this gorgeous earth, I'd like to see it become a better place. Currently, I live into this value by working closely with technology startups at the forefront of health, climate, social connection, education, mental health and justice. In the future, I see myself being much closer to the problem.
"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage.” - Anais Nin
I truly believe this. I'd rather fail spectacularly than not try at all.
A true student of the Alchemist (a great book by Paulo Coelho) - I believe when we're aligned with our most authentic self, we can do the most good in the world. As a recovering people pleaser, I've made it my lifelong mission to commit to authenticity.
Testimonials
Words from clients
My teams and I have worked with Joumana and her team on not one, but two projects. Our experience was truly incredible. Joumana is a design genius, one of the nicest humans on the planet and a true superhuman. My only regret is that I don’t have time to run a third startup to engage her services immediately. But you can be guaranteed that I will work with her again, and again. If you are a startup founder, you need to work with Skale.
“A dream to work with. Joumana really understands how startups and their users work. We’ve learned a lot working with her!”
"Having worked with dozens of agencies over the years, there's no one who comes close to matching Joumana & Skale's level of professionalism, skill, quality, and value. Perhaps even more importantly, they consistently demonstrated a deep and genuine passion for our project. Startups who don't work with Skale are doing themselves an immense disservice."
"We were so impressed with Skale's unparalleled responsiveness and open communication throughout our collaboration. Their infectious energy and remarkable design elevated our project, making them the perfect partner for anyone seeking a digital presence.”
"Collaborating with Skale to craft Goki's new brand identity was a delight. Joumana, an exceptional talent, skilfully led the creative process, making it thoroughly enjoyable. I wholeheartedly recommend her to those in search of a designer who seamlessly combines positivity, diligence, and creativity."
“Joumana’s dedication to serving her clients is second to none. Her kindness and desire to uplift those around her has been unparalleled in any business relationship I've experienced. To top it all off, her attention to detail and skills as a designer had me flawed on both recent projects.”
“Joumana's talent is off the charts. She's not just a designer; she's a collaborator. Super open, great communicator (and incredibly funny!), and always full of cool ideas. Honestly, if you want a branding wizard who's a joy to work with, Joumana is your person.”
Get in touch