ABOUT US
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A UNIQUE PARTNERSHIP
25+ YEARS OF
CONSULTANCY EXPERIENCE
MEETS
25+ YEARS OF
DEEP CORPORATE INSIGHT
Rudolf Rodenburg – Mariska Praktiek
Dutch by birth, international by nature
Pragmatic, direct, friendly, and with a
can-do mentality.
We have lived and worked across Europe and around the world.
With hubs in Barcelona and Zurich, we operate globally, in person and online, in English, German, or Dutch.
Rudolf holds a Master's Degree in Business Economics, with a major in marketing & market research.
He has worked at some of the world’s leading strategy and brand consultancies, for clients such as Nestlé, Novo Nordisk Pharma, British Airways and Mövenpick.
Mariska holds a Master's Degree in Business Economics, with a major in marketing & market research.
She has a strong background in the international corporate environment with experience across multiple industries, including IT, insurance, finance and oil & gas.
✔ 25+ years of global consultancy experience
✔ Brand and strategy expert across industries
✔ Known for clear structure, strong logic, and connecting the dots
✔ 25+ years in strategy communication (ex-Shell)
✔ Skilled at execution, alignment, and leadership communication
✔ Sharp eye for detail, creative problem solver
Bringing together two worlds
Rudolf brings brand consulting and client-facing experience, helping businesses define their purpose, bringing out what makes them credible and trusted.
Mariska complements this with deep corporate insight: she knows how a brand is managed, and lived inside a company.
Together, they combine strategic clarity with practical application, ensuring that every brand decision is both
inspiring and actionable.
We create brands that work like
a conductor for your startup:
giving direction, building confidence,
and creating long-term consistency.
Christopher Klettermayer
Christopher has a background in photography and communication, with over 20 years of international experience, including several years in New York.
He brings creative concepting and visual clarity to complex ideas, turning strategy into stories and examples that people instantly understand and that excite them.
✔ 20+ years of creative and communication experience
✔ Expert in translating strategy into engaging, visual narratives
✔ Known for his sharp intuition, and ability to make ideas tangible
Ramon
Cruelles
Ramon trained at one of Switzerland's leading schools for graphic design, and has worked on both global and local brands, from corporate to startup.
He translates complex brand ideas into professional, captivating brand worlds: a system that makes positioning visible, emotionally engaging, and instantly recognisable across every touchpoint.
✔ 20+ years of experience in brand identity and design
✔ Known for turning strategic intent into high-impact, aesthetic design systems
✔ Spanish flair, guided by a Swiss eye for detail
Founder Story
Rudolf and Mariska spent over twenty years working in brand, communications, and business thinking, mainly in corporate and consultancy environments, where strong brands provide direction, focus, and confidence.
When Rudolf became more involved in Barcelona’s startup ecosystem, two things stood out. First, the energy: founders with ideas they believed in, strong drive, and a real willingness to learn and support each other. After years of slow decision-making and internal politics, that directness felt refreshing.
He also noticed a gap. Founders spoke enthusiastically about product, technology, and funding. But brand rarely went beyond a logo or colours.
Coming from environments where brand is the key growth-driving business asset, he understood why many startups struggle. Investors and customers need more than product features. They need reasons to trust.
The team adapted brand creation to the realities of startups and scaleups: lighter and faster, without unnecessary complexity, yet strong enough to build trust and drive traction.
Today, Athena helps founders create brands that give direction to everything that follows: how they explain what they do, how customers recognise and trust them, and how marketing budgets are spent with intent, rather than chasing reach that does not convert.
Alongside client work, Athena actively builds community awareness of brand as a growth driver.
There’s a Dutch saying:
“If you’re born a dime, you’ll never become a quarter.”
The same applies to startups: if you want to build something big, you need to plan for it from day one.
We know what success looks like at scale. And we help you build that DNA from the beginning.
ATHENA
strategic wisdom - tactical expertise
The Greek goddess Athena was known for her wisdom, strategic mind and ability to adapt and outsmart her opponents.
She was the decisive factor in winning battles.
Athena is our patron of strategic mastery
The ancient Greek civilisation, even after more than 2,000 years, continues to shape our culture, architecture and philosophy.
This lasting impact reflects our approach: building on a solid foundation with the flexibility to adjust, grow, and thrive.
Today and in the long run.
what clients say
PROCESS
“I never realised brand work could feel this practical. It helped us see how every decision, from product to tone of voice, shapes how people see us.”
“The sessions brought everyone together. It was not just about design, but about who we are and how we show up.
That shared understanding made a real difference.”
RESULTS
“Everything started to connect: our story, visuals, and actions now feel part of one system.
Customers notice it, and so do investors.”
“It’s amazing how much richer our communication has become since the brand work.
It’s no longer about a short paragraph describing a problem and solution. It’s a story that connects with people, across every channel.”
“An exceptional experience. They are knowledgeable, creative, and refreshingly down-to-earth.
Their way of working is practical, lean, and flexible. They understand what a startup will need later and build it in early, so growth becomes smoother and results show sooner.”
ATHENA ASSOCIATES
“They challenged us beyond the obvious to define what we stand for. It now shows in everything we do: from how we speak to the customer experience at every touchpoint.
It all adds up to trust and recognition.”
Our experience spans a wide range of industries, such as:
healthcare
pharmaceuticals
education
finance & insurance
technology
energy
NGOs
airlines
logistics
construction
retail & consumer goods
culture
entertainment
and the public sector
Due to the strategic and confidential nature of our work, we do not list client names on our website. References are available upon request.