Nora Abousteit - Founder and CEO

Where are you from? Probably not from this planet. But my parents insist that I am half German half Egyptian and grew up in Detmold, a small town in Germany.

What do you do for Kollabora? Pretty much everything a bit. I started Kollabora, and now with the awesome team, I hope to inspire more people to make (more).

What was the first thing you made? Hairbands, many hairbands. I sold them at school.

What was the last thing you made? I knitted this Wool and the Gang vest and added some pyramid studs in honor of my Egyptian heritage.

What inspires you? Structures and colors in nature and city alike. Ideas that are bold and daring, that challenge the status quo, conventional thinking and expectations.

What is your favorite thing in the world? I have many favorites: Food with my parents at home, contemporary Korean cuisine, tea and my tea cup selection (old family pieces from Eastern Frisia).

What did you want to be when you were a kid? In First Grade I wanted to be a teacher. After that I started companies (hair band making and sales, video rental, educational sheets for students, a mobile flash sticker company).

What was your first job? Talking to museums visitors about educational CD Roms. And yes, that was a contemporary exhibition and I was alive and out of diapers when these flashy disks were all the craze.

What is the best thing you did this summer? I went to a Sigur Rós concert in LA at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.