(Photo by Manny Pandya)

Meet our most recent August #CMugshot, Taichi Kozaki! Having volunteered with our chapter in the past and with two years as one of the main organizers at CreativeMornings/London under his belt, this friend of ours isn’t new to the scene. 

When he’s not working hard as a Senior Experience Designer at R/GA, you can spot him cycling around the east side or catch him at Fast Folks Cyclery & Cafe on east Cesar Chavez. To get on his good side, you may want to come bearing gifts: specifically in the form of tacos involving migas, bacon, avocado, or really… anything.

What’s one thing you’ve been inspired by lately?

Simone Biles’s quote: “I’m not the next Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps. I’m the first Simone Biles.”  

What’s one way you feel like you are “weird”, and how does that inspire you?

When I meet someone new, one of the first things they try to do (besides trying to pronounce my name correctly…) is to guess where I am from. And people often have a hard time getting it right. It is mainly because I speak American English with a thick Japanese accent and occasionally say British things like “flatmates” “lift” and “jumper." 

I’ve moved from a city to a city quite a lot for the past 10 years. At each place that I lived in, I have met so many amazing people, they introduced me to the new culture, music, art, food, and all other wonderful things. These years definitely shaped me to become who I am now, and I think my weird accent is the reflection of my life story. And all of these experiences remind me that there’s so much potential in our life and inspire me to work hard, play hard and make my life more interesting every day.

Where’s one place in the world that is "weird”, and what do you love about it?

It would be Granada in Southern Spain. I felt that the city was kind of similar to Austin, actually. There’s live music everywhere you go, people are super friendly, and AMAZING food. But the most interesting thing about Granada is it’s unique cultural backgrounds. You can experience Arabic-influenced architecture, gypsies-inhabited caves, and thick Iberian culture, and cool evening breeze from the Sierra Nevada, all in one day.

Connect with Taichi!

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