FemSpin, inspiring female entrepreneurship: meet Karen Pisoni

What was your professional and academic background before launching your company Pisoni-lab?

I’ve always been guided by the exploration of my creative passions. After an apprenticeship as a polygraph in Ticino, I moved to Lausanne to broaden my horizons. With a few years’ experience as a graphic designer under my belt, I went on to study for a Bachelor’s degree in Media & Interaction Design at ECAL, where I particularly enjoyed creating systems and conceptualising projects. After several years of mainly digital studies, I felt the need to return to a more manual and artistic approach, which led me to do a Master’s degree in Interior Architecture at HEAD. This interdisciplinary training enabled me to learn about spatial design, which marked a pivotal moment in my career.

With skills spanning several areas, including graphic design, visual communication, interaction design and space design, I was able to work on my first assignments, which honed my expertise and marked the start of my actual entrepreneurial journey. Those early experiences highlighted the problems associated with the temporary design system, and were crucial in the creation of a circular model, materialised through the launch of Pisoni-lab.

What exactly is Pisoni-lab about?

The Pisoni-lab concept is based on the creation of temporary scenographies that last beyond the event itself. The idea is to allow the public to acquire the elements of the installation, thereby giving them a new life. This sustainable approach minimises the use of new resources and encourages reuse. We integrate objects from the unused stock of our partners—artists, craftspeople and companies—into our scenographies, whether they be furniture, decorative objects or accessories. These items are available for sale during the events. Unsold items are returned to their owners, thereby avoiding waste. At the same time, for each event Pisoni-lab proposes a micro-production of signature objects, according to specific needs (furniture, light fixtures, decoration). For example, for the 2023 Fureur de lire festival, the scenography designed by Pisoni-lab incorporated elements supplied by Caritas, exceptional vases by Marilyne Jdahim and Moosh Studio and ceramic furniture by Tiled.ch. Pisoni-lab designed lighting fixtures made from raw tree branches for the occasion.

Your project is currently being incubated by Pulse Incubateur HES. How did you come to it?

I arrived at Pulse Incubateur HES in 2023 thanks to recommendations from people I knew in this domain. I was sceptical at first, because entrepreneurship is rarely discussed in the arts, and I found it difficult to reconcile creative practice with the idea of selling oneself. Pulse helped me to overcome these misgivings and introduced me to a world of entrepreneurship I’d never encountered before. Thanks to the support of the Pulse network of experts, I was able to carry out in-depth market research and refine the project in line with my values.

What advice would you give to women who are hesitating to start their own business?

Above all, I advise them to follow their passion and remain flexible, because things don’t always go according to plan. The important thing is to do your best and accept that certain factors are beyond your control. It’s crucial to take the pressure off, to be prepared to learn from your experiences and to remember that there’s no such thing as perfection. Being indulgent with yourself is essential for maintaining motivation. I also recommend not being afraid to share your work. Personally, I was reluctant to do so for a long time, but talking to other professionals has really helped me to assert myself. Having people around me and sharing ideas and experiences is much more rewarding than going it alone.

What could higher education institutions do to support women in setting up their own businesses?

In my personal experience, design universities have a key role to play in bolstering female entrepreneurship by providing more support right from the student stage. It would be beneficial to organise workshops and discussion groups focusing on the entrepreneurial aspects specific to the field of design and to create courses for learning key skills, such as market research. Many female students want to set up their own business after their studies, but often lack basic entrepreneurial skills. Providing these skills would enable female students to prepare effectively and turn their ideas into concrete projects.