Profile: Ayu Koene
Design & Innovation
Design & Innovation Lead at BR-ND People and co-founder of eyay studio. Builds prototypes, AI agents and tools while others are still scheduling meetings.
Ayu Koene
Innovation starts with doing
Ayu Koene is Design & Innovation Lead at BR-ND People and co-founder of eyay studio, a digital product studio. With a background in Mechanical Engineering (University of Twente) and a Master of Science in Digital Design, she builds prototypes, AI agents, and digital platforms for organisations in transition.
Most innovation managers make roadmaps. Ayu opens her laptop and just builds it. From a one-day work experience to Innovation Lead: her journey at BR-ND People is proof that talent grows when you give it room. After finishing Mechanical Engineering at the University of Twente, she completed a Master of Science in Digital Design and came back with a toolkit most agencies would envy.
- Building over talking – Ayu prototypes new tools, websites, and AI agents in the time others need for a briefing. Code, design, and strategy in one hand.
- A bridge between science and practice – She translates complex technology into working solutions that actually help people; from digital platforms to custom software for SMEs.
- Creative restlessness – Together with her twin brother Sinyo, she runs eyay studio, an AI-native design studio. She continuously pushes the boundaries of what’s possible, combining AI-driven development with speed and craft.
Her brother Sinyo once drew the BR-ND logo as a seven-year-old. Years later, Ayu gave the brand an entirely new face. Some things clearly run in the family.
Curious how innovation can accelerate your organization from the inside out? Ayu would rather build it than schedule another meeting about it, reach out fast!
