This interview was originally published by How Brands Are Built on February 18, 2021. Read the full interview here.
Sruthi Sadhujan is Director of Strategy & Accounts at Hyperakt, a social impact studio based in Brooklyn with clients like ACLU, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Google, Unicef, United Nations, NAACP, and TED. At Hyperakt, Sruthi has built the studio’s strategy department to become a core element of its design philosophy.
Throughout her career, Sruthi has explored the ever-expanding definition of “design” as a practice and its application to the greatest challenges we face as a society. Prior to Hyperakt, Sruthi was involved in launching India operations of Wello, a social impact startup focused on delivering innovative design solutions to water scarcity and water transport.
When I decided to make season four of the podcast about social impact, I immediately thought of Hyperakt. I reached out to Sruthi because I wanted to find out what it’s like to work at an agency with a social impact focus. How does it affect the approach to client work? The culture? The business? I was also eager to hear more about the studio’s work for Pete Buttigieg, and what it was like to have even a tangential role in the chaos of the 2020 election. Lastly, I got to learn some fun facts about Sruthi, including her favorite podcast, what she’s snacking on at work, and a very exciting “samosa” that’s about to change her life.
