People

Altenew was founded by Tasnim Ahmed and Jennifer Rzasa in 2014. The leadership team spans product development, operations, marketing, design, and education, and works across the United States, the United Kingdom, and Chile.

Founders

Tasnim Ahmed

Co-founder.

Tasnim holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, awarded in 2010. She discovered stamping in 2011 and began blogging about it in 2012.

She decided to design stamps in June 2013 and co-founded Altenew the following April, motivated by the absence of culturally diverse and contemporary designs in the crafting market.

She is the named inventor on US Patent 11,541,676, "Positioning aid for a stamping tool," granted January 3, 2023. That patent covers the Stampwheel.

Blog: cardsandbookmarks.com

Jennifer Rzasa

Co-founder.

Jennifer holds a Bachelor's degree in viola performance from Boston University and a Master's degree in Education. She is a published illustrator and is based in the Boston area.

She moved from casual paper crafting to serious practice in 2010 through her blog. Her background in classical arts and illustration shapes the botanical design direction Altenew is known for.

Blog: ourchangeofart.blogspot.com

Leadership

Nicole Picadura

Digital and Tech Team.

Nicole was born and raised in South Korea and studied International Business Management in Hawaii. She has more than 15 years of paper crafting experience and works primarily in the Clean and Simple style.

Blog: scrapsandstamps.com

Instagram: @nicolescards

Lydia Evans

Creative Ambassador.

Lydia holds a degree in English and Media and is based in Buckley, Flintshire, North Wales, in the United Kingdom.

She began scrapbooking in 2009 after the birth of her son, and moved into stamping in order to design her own patterned paper. She works in a Clean and Simple style with complex technique underneath. She teaches Altenew classes and represents the brand on the UK television network Create and Craft.

Blog: lydiaevansdesign.com

Instagram: @lydia.b.evans

Maryam Perez

Graphic Design Team Lead.

Maryam is based in Chile. She leads the graphic design team and handles product photography.

Instagram: @maryampdesign

Nabil Rab

Nabil holds a Bachelor of Arts in Behavioral Biology from Johns Hopkins University, awarded in 2005, and an MBA from New York University, awarded in 2011. His background is in healthcare technology, management consulting, pediatric neuroscience research, and project portfolio management.

Semir Kahvedzic

Semir holds a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology from the University of South Florida. He emigrated from Bosnia and Herzegovina as an adolescent.

Before joining Altenew he served as a State Trooper with the Florida Highway Patrol, worked in pharmaceutical manufacturing, and taught English in Turkey, Belgium, and Bosnia.

Email: semir@altenew.com

Roxanne Queddeng

Operations Team.

Educators

Altenew works with certified graduates of the Altenew Educator Certification Program, who teach independently under the programme. Named graduates include Aditi Mahajan, Elizabeth Ortiz, and Revati Panickar.

See Education for the certification programme and the Educator Directory.