From Twitter to Ramps & Resilience: Haraldur Thorleifsson on Building with Kindness

The Creative Boom Podcast

Content provided by Creative Boom. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Creative Boom or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.

4d ago 38:19

MP3•Episode home

In this episode of the Creative Boom Podcast, Katy Cowan chats with Haraldur 'Halli' Thorleifsson – designer, entrepreneur, philanthropist and now podcaster – about what it really means to lead with kindness.

Halli opens up about the personal challenges that shaped his outlook, from losing his mother to living with muscular dystrophy. He talks candidly about how pain, addiction and loss have fuelled both his creativity and his compassion. Katy explores his journey from building Ueno, the celebrated design agency later sold to Twitter, to founding Ramp Up Reykjavik, a project that built thousands of wheelchair ramps across Iceland and beyond.

Their conversation ranges from the thrill of creative success and the burnout that follows, to why giving back is not just an act of generosity but a way to survive. Halli reflects on the importance of purpose, his belief in resilience as a daily choice, and how friendships and small rituals help him navigate life.

It's a moving episode about finding meaning, challenging yourself, and embracing kindness as a superpower in both work and life.

174 episodes

#Fine Arts #Arts #Graphic Design #Katy Cowan