Raakku

I was born Raquel Delilah Benmergui, but you can call me Raakku. I grew up between Montreal (Canada) and Savonlinna (Finland)—soaking up the best of both worlds.

I have always made my own path by walking.

When I was little, I wore a pair of skiing goggles on my head 24/7—yes, I even wore them to bed. I wanted to be prepared for any adventure at any given moment.

My super goggles came in handy when riding on the back of my grandfather’s moped, taking the helm of our motorboat or fighting imaginary dragons.

I engaged with the world through story and could see infinite possibilities through my goggles.

I dreamt. I played. I created. I grew.

When I graduated from upper secondary school, i vowed never to write on lined paper again. I bought a binder & blank paper.
When I took notes in college & university, I used colours, lines, symbols, boxes, bubbles, different lettering. I doodled, creating my own characters and intricate worlds.

I got involved in improv theatre & learnt to embrace ambiguity, serendipity and the philosophy of “Yes, and…”

At university, i studied literature & theatre because of my love of narrative and education because of my love of learning.

I combined my interest in theatre, visual thinking and learning, coauthoring 20+ textbooks for Otava publishing, teaching for several years at the University of Tampere (Finland) and researching the use of arts-based methods for intercultural learning.

I am a serial entrepreneur and believe in community building.

I founded Raakku in the spirit of that little girl, who is alive and well, seeing infinite possibilities & ready to face new adventures!

Get your goggles ready! What adventure will we embark on together?
Let’s mennään!