Twins Takeover in Nairobi!

Now more than ever, Kenya is bursting with opportunities for those interested in development. Just ask Alex and Max Van Wageningen, ISK alumni and co-owners of Cocoon Group. The Dutch-born, Kenya-raised brothers are back in Nairobi and slowly making their way into the world of architectural development. Their company is one of the premiere design studios in Nairobi, providing a full range of services to architectural developments.  If you haven’t heard of these two and the work their company is doing, then you are surely behind the curve!
 
Alex and Max first came to Nairobi at the age of five, following their father's posting with FAO. Before making their way to ISK, Alex and Max attended both Kabete and Peponi schools. It wasn’t until the tender age of 13 that the boys found themselves on ISK’s campus.
 
The year before Alex and Max were scheduled to graduate, the Van Wangeningens moved to Italy, where Alex and Max would subsequently finish their secondary education. After high school, Alex and Max attended the Instituto Quasar in Rome, Italy, where they pursued a two-year degree in Habitat and Industrial Design. Afterwards, the two headed to England where they completed their university degrees, Alex in 3D digital design and Max in Model Making.
 
 
We sat down with Alex and Max recently to find out what they’ve been up to in Nairobi and to get their thoughts on their time at ISK.
 
When did you decide to return to Nairobi?
Alex: I came back to Nairobi right after university. I did some freelance architecture work for a company called Triad. I did that for about two years.
 
Max. I stayed in London after graduation where I worked in-house for Allies and Morrison doing model making. After two years I returned to Nairobi and Alex and I rented an apartment together.
 
How did you come up with the idea for Cocoon?
 
Max: We started out doing marketing for other companies. We were just doing work in the garage and decided to register the name Cocoon. We’ve been up and running since 2010. A year later, an architect, who actually attended Hillcrest in Karen joined our company. She had done work in New York City, London, and Amsterdam so she’s been a huge asset to Cocoon. Shanil Patel, who also is an ISK alum started working with us as well.
 
 
What do you miss most about being at ISK?
 
Max: This place was like a resort compared to the other schools that we went to, including university. The teachers here were great. We even keep in touch with some of them, especially Mr. Robbins. He’s in a band with our best friend’s dad, so we always go and watch them perform.
 
Alex: You can’t beat the grounds that ISK has and that’s definitely something we missed when we left. We definitely missed our friends, but we kept in touch with most of them. A lot of them are slowly coming back to Kenya, which is good to see. A lot has changed at the school, but it’s nice to see that a lot of things have remained the same.

Alumni Profile: Suzanne Njeri Tetu (Class of '92)

 
Born in Nairobi to a Kenyan father and African-American mother, I enjoyed spending the first half of my life in Nairobi and summers in the United States, in Alexandria, VA.  Critical influences on my early life were my experiences at ISK.  I attended ISK from Kindergarten through 12^th Grade.  In fact, upon my sister Nicola’s graduation, ISK surprised the Tetus with an honorary elder stool (as is customary in Kenyan culture), at her graduation ceremony, to commemorate that going forward would be the first year there was no Tetu girl at ISK since its creation!
 
I loved my time at ISK, especially the class trips and fall outings (Lamu and Maasai Mara were the greatest).  I enjoyed French (Mr. Biget), art (Ms. Mackay), theater (Mr. Pearson), accounting (Mrs. Kinyanjui) and even P.E. (thank you Mr. Stenning and Mr. Akatsa)!  My favorite teacher and greatest influence was Mrs. Liz Washburn, my high school art instructor.  Today I too am an artist.  She taught me how to use color, experiment, stretch my understanding of what art “is” and constantly encouraged and pushed me to do my own thing.  ISK is
a wonderful environment for a young mind; not only is the campus beautiful and the education/facilities top notch, but the international/multi-cultural influences ingrain an understanding
of how interconnected humanity really is -  that lasts a lifetime.  I adored my classmates from Japan to Denmark to Zimbabwe.      
 
Upon graduation, I studied Visual Communications at The Art Institute of Philadelphia then obtained a degree from Sarah Lawrence College, in Bronxville, New York.  At Sarah Lawrence I focused on African and African American studies (literature, politics, history, philosophy, etc.) while continuing working with visual art, theater, dance, creative writing and poetry/performance poetry, which I always participated in at ISK
 
After college I enjoyed living/working in New York City, painting, studying film and traveling.  I have exhibited in Philadelphia, New York, and Washington, D.C.  My creative visual work to date ranges from commissioned pieces (such as family portraits or paintings for personal collections) to commercial work (such as storyboarding and book illustrations).  I have done fun stuff like judging children's art shows and speaking about my work and art at various forums. 
Purple Maiden Harverst   Rainforest Midnight Sun

Over the past two years, I have been exploring abstract painting, with an emphasis on the use of black and white and limited color in addition to continuing one of my favorite topics…portraiture.  I have created collaborative paintings with my art mentors Robert Daniels (NY), Curtis Grayson III (NJ) and Larry Poncho Brown (MD); I am involved with various art groups; participate in fundraisers; was part of the Del Ray Mural Project celebrating the Declaration of Human Rights; became a certified Kukuwa African Dance Workout instructor; and have been an active participant in the The Luv Lounge Radio Show, out of Washington, D.C.  I am devoted to this creative lifestyle!!! It has been very rewarding.  My time at I.S.K. gave me a love of learning and appreciation of the beauty of an intercultural/international worldview.
 
At ISK, I started to cultivate my various interests and enjoy/explore myself intellectually and creatively.  Now that I am back in Kenya, I plan on developing my family’s estate, focus on my writing, create new artwork and involve myself in the local art scene.  Thank you ISK for the great influence you had on my life!

In order to support our scholarship fund, we have started a list of Preferred Partners; these are businesses with which we have a written agreement to support our Scholarship Fund.  When you do business with them, identify yourself as being from the ISK Community.  When you are invoiced for the services rendered, they will also send us a copy of the invoice, so that we know what amount to expect to be remitted to our Scholarship Fund. We will host an annual reception for our business partners to meet the scholarship recipients.

Company name:  SPEZ LIMITED
 
Company Services and Products:
 
Spez- Outside catering services with very creative menus for all kinds of banquets from a romantic dinner for 2 to a wedding for 1500 people.
 
The Missing Slice-  Delicious cakes and pastries that are delivered free within Nairobi.
 
Tunda – Fresh juice and fruit salad delivered in and around Nairobi.
 
Contact:         Esmeralda De Souza
Telephone:    0725-843-829/ 020 242-8122
Email:            esmeralda@spez.co.ke / info@spez.co.ke
Website:        www.spez.co.ke
 
Donation to the Scholarship Fund: 5%
 
Testimonials:
"I first encountered Spez catering at the annual ISK Friends of the Arts (FOTA) exhibition in 2012, when the food and service was so good it nearly outshone the art -- which itself was spectacular. I wasted no time in asking Spez to cater an international reception for about 60 delegates at my house, and again the response was terrific. The food is creative and tasty, the presentation is breathtaking, and the service is impeccable, and that probably stands as the most worry-free party I have ever thrown. I will use Spez again in the near future, and have recommended to friends and acquaintances that they do the same." 
-        Douglas Cress
GRASP (Great Apes Survival Partnership) Programme Coordinator

Sport Your ISK Pride!



Given the overwhelming demand from our alumni, we are proud to announce our partnership with Lands’ End uniform division! Lion logo wear is now available online through Lands' End. Lands’ End is an American clothing retailer based in Dodgeville, Wisconsin that offers quality apparel, outerwear, footwear and home items for the entire family. Based on annual sales, Lands' End will be providing a donation to ISK's scholarship fund.

Donation to the Scholarship Fund:
1% on annual purchases of $1,000 to $4,999
2% on annual purchases of $5,000-$9,999
3% on annual purchases exceeding $10,000

With Lands' End you can expect:

• Easy ordering 24 hours a day/ 7 days a week/ 365 days a year.
• Legendary and award-winning customer service We make sure your shopping experience is the best it can be.
• Free hemming Pants are hemmed at no extra charge (most sizes).
• Free shipping & returns at select Sears locations Returns can be made at any Lands’ End Shop at Sears and receive free shipping on kiosk orders.
• School Rewards Your school receives a percentage of total uniform purchases made as a cash-back reward.
• Guaranteed. Period. Our promise of satisfaction. If you are not satisfied with your purchase, for any reason, you can always return it for exchange or refund of your purchase price.

Alumni Wall of Honor
Just a reminder that we are working on our wall of honor for notable ISK alum. If you or anyone you know has made strides in the community, please contact us at alumni@isk.ac.ke and you or someone you know can be apart of our wall of honor!

A call for Local Alumni!
We would like to take this opportunity to share with you what's currently happening on the ISK campus and invite you to all the exciting events that are taking place. If you are an alumni of ISK and you are currently located in the Nairobi area, please send your name and email to alumni@isk.ac.ke so that we can keep our local ISK alumni community connected!