Arden Klemmer

Arden Klemmer

I’m a painter, sculptor, and the Principal Product Designer at Coforma, where I lead projects with a focus on group ideation, storytelling, and efficient design solutions. My career combines human narratives, creative experiences, and logical, technical flows. In March 2020, I attended the first half of a one-month artist residency at Vermont Studio Center, where I focused on a series of paintings using renaissance techniques to depict women in modern situations carrying too many objects. Although the residency was cut short due to COVID-19 safety concerns, I continue to paint after-hours in New York with the aim of a gallery show in the Fall. Prior to Coforma, I spent a few years traveling the country in my trusty Jeep, crashing with friends, exchanging paintings for rent, and working remotely with early-stage startups such as Summer PBC. I also worked as the Director of Operations at Fortuny, the century-old Venetian fabric house. There, I combined the convenience of technology with the cult of luxury, fostering partnerships with Pivotal Labs, Pentagram, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Hermitage Saint Petersburg, I designed and managed the production of several B2B apps, drafted fabric patterns, and launched biannual collections. I worked with the National Sales Director to build sales tools and protocols, including a custom CRM linked to Fortuny’s global ERP. In 2018, I co-led an entrepreneurship workshop and competition with the English in Mind Institute in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and I continue to mentor the competition winner. I have also led Human-Centered Design workshops for the US Government, the Harvard Kennedy School, and Jönköping International Business School in Sweden.