Ajaz Ahmed founded AKQA at 21 and grew it into a global creative business. Studio.One marks a deliberate return to something smaller, independent and closer to the work.
Ajaz Ahmed grew up in Berkshire in a family of first-generation immigrants.
His father worked in a factory. His mother worked in a hospital. A careers adviser later suggested factory work might also be a realistic destination for him.
Ahmed had already started thinking differently.
At 21, he founded AKQA. Over the following three decades it grew from an independent digital agency into a global creative business employing thousands of people and winning dozens of Agency of the Year awards.
Scale brought success.
Eventually, Ahmed became interested in what scale can also remove.
Studio.One, the independent storytelling and design company he has since co-founded, represents a return to a smaller model – fewer layers between the people making the work and the idea itself.
Alongside business, Ahmed has devoted significant time to philanthropy and has served in trustee roles across charitable organisations.
He spent thirty years proving he could build something enormous. The more interesting next move may be choosing not to.
Join the conversation with <Ajaz Ahmed MBE>
Flagship Event 2026
Three days of focused discussion, cross-sector sessions, hands-on studios and unforgettable gatherings.
