How do you lead with kindness—and still drive bold innovation? In this episode of the DMEXCO podcast, Verena Gründel sits down with Daniela Nyarko, Head of Strategic Sales EMEA at Canva, to explore how the world’s most valuable female-led startups is transforming visual communications.
The conversation dives deep into the power of visual communication and why design has become the universal language of work. Daniela explains how design can help enterprises to communicate more clearly and drive decisions. She also introduces Canva Sheets, the company’s new step into productivity, combining data, visuals, and collaboration on a single page.
Beyond business, Daniela opens up about her volunteering experience with a foundation, supporting survivors of human trafficking - and how it shaped her leadership philosophy around empathy, empowerment, and kindness.
This episode is packed with insights on how creativity and compassion can co-exist in business, and why the future of work is not just digital or visual, but also deeply human.
5 Fun Facts from the conversation:
Every second, 420 designs are created on Canva.
The human brain processes visuals 60,000 times faster than text, making design a key accelerator in decision-making.
Visual content is 40 times more likely to be shared and remembered than non-visual content.
Daniela co-leads the Women's Collective at Canva Europe, fostering a culture of empowerment and skill-building for women across newly acquired teams.
Daniela believes design shouldn’t just inform - it should inspire and influence, helping decision-makers act faster and collaborate better.
Daniela’s book tip “Atomic habits” by James Clear: https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits
Verena’s book tip “Radikale Freundlichkeit” von Nora Blum: https://www.norablum.com/
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