Daniela Nyarko from Canva on kind leadership for bold innovation

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/


+++The DMEXCO agenda is now live.


Head over to dmexco.com or check out the DMEXCO app to start
browsing the full program.


Have fun exploring - and let the countdown begin!