2027 speakers
Yoko Sakao Ohama
TALK
Phototropism
When Yoko emailed her friends to let them know she’d quit her job and was pivoting her career, she wrote: “I think I needed to separate capital-C ‘Craft’ from ‘job’ to hold onto both.”
It felt accurate at the time—she’d burned out and was confused about the value she offered as a professional—but she’d written it more or less intuitively, without really examining what it meant.
Now that some time has passed, Yoko reflects not just on “what craft is,” but also what it means to grow as a person who works for money. How might we take a broader perspective on our careers, so that we can recognize and honor the skills, interests, and values we bring to work?
ABOUT THIS SPEAKER
Yoko Sakao Ohama (she/they) is a former designer in the middle of a career pivot toward accounting.
She was a professional designer for almost 20 years, working in information graphics, production design, web design, and (until last year) UX design.
Outside of work, Yoko likes to take dance classes, marvel with her husband at their toddler and cat, and fumble around on her little corner of the internet: yoko.cool. Her IRL corner is located in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.