Hi, I am Akoh Opaluwah

I’m a mix of all things co-disciplinary: a storyteller, designer, engineer, biologist, and photographer. I’m passionate about creating experiences that celebrate the beauty of the in-betweens: the spaces between art and science, biology and design, the creative and technical. I’m currently freelancing as an art director and creative consultant for various biology companies. Previously, I led Ginkgo Bioworks’ brand and visual design team, where I brought visualizations of designing with nature to life. I co-founded and am the creative director of the biology magazine Grow, for which my work has been recognized by the Society of Publication Designers and the Art Directors Club. I’m also a fellow for The Future of Science Film Fellowship, a program for emerging filmmakers to develop documentaries about efforts to make science more equitable and inclusive.I received a B.S. in Chemical Engineering summa cum laude from Cornell University, where I spent my time coaxing mammalian cells, teaching design on iGEM, exploring biology with architects, producing films, and photographing stories of love, heartbreak, triumph, and failure. It’s there, with a pipette in one hand and a camera in the other, where I discovered a deep yearning to create with purpose and meaning, in the mess and the complexity. I’ve been carving my own path at the intersection of things ever since.