SUMA THATI
marketer | writer | storyteller
HI, I'M SUMA
*shakes your hand* It's nice to meet you. Here's a little bit about me!
I'm 22 years old and I'm a recent graduate of UC Berkeley. I moved to the United States at 18 for college, but my life has really been a constant swirl of packing, unpacking, and new destinations. When I was eleven, my life changed forever when my parents sat me and my brother down and told us that we were moving to Malaysia. Since then, we have lived in Vietnam and Singapore. So, if you ever ask me the "where are you from" question, buckle up, because I guarantee that you won't get a short answer!
Moving so much meant that I was always the new girl. To cope, I had to find the common aspects in every new country, every new school that I moved to. I found this in activities such as debate and theater, but my primary solace was my writing. Words have always fascinated me and been both my home and my escape. Writing and telling stories allowed me to make sense of the rapid pace of my life. It's what got me interested in media as an industry, as a practice, and as a site of immense social power. Media is the juggernaut that shapes and influences countless lives. Its power and reach is immense, and I want to be part of the conversation that appreciates and uses this power for the greater good.
MY WORK
I have always been passionate about the power of words in driving change. The story, and more importantly the human at the heart of it, is what I strive to chase and tell. This search for a story has brought me to media, marketing, and advertising, and I hope to build on the incredible opportunities I have had thus far.
ARCUS LENDING
As the Performance Marketing Manager at Arcus Lending, I am responsible for all growth and performance marketing and PR initiatives, and leveraging the Arcus brand across social media. I also collaborate on the launch of our new fintech product, InstaRefi.
RESIDENTIAL LIFE
My first job at my university was with the housing department, Residential Life. At ResLife, I got the opportunity to hone my technical skills in Adobe Photoshop and acquire a basic working knowledge of HTML. What initially began as just looking for an opportunity to increase my financial independence turned into a great learning experience!
OGILVY
Ogilvy was my second stint in the world of advertising, all while fulfilling my lifelong dream of living in New York City. I worked on two accounts, Gerber and Nestlé Health Sciences, primarily in account management and client services. Everyone I met was willing to help me learn as much as I could - and boy did I learn! In 10 weeks, I met with multiple people across different departments to learn about the work they do. I also got the opportunity to work on a live B2C brief for Samsung as part of the final group project.
UM AUSTRALIA
My first adventure in advertising! I came to UM fresh off the realization that the marketing and advertising industries were where I wanted to make my mark on the world. At UM's Sydney office, I got the opportunity to learn about advertising and marketing, meet with professionals from prominent media companies such as Snapchat and ABC Radio, conduct research, and present a campaign pitch based on a live client brief for LEGO.
AWARE
Working at AWARE (Association of Women for Action and Research), a prominent women's rights NGO in Singapore, was one of the more humbling experiences in my life. I worked as a research intern and an assistant interviewer on a project that looked at the barriers to economic empowerment for single mothers in Singapore. It was an utterly incredible experience to meet these women and hear their stories, and do my small part in letting their voices be heard.
LET’S TALK
