I'm Rafaela —
but you can call me Rafa.

A woman with curly black hair smiling, wearing a vibrant patterned blazer. The background features a futuristic digital landscape with pink and purple geometric shapes, a grid floor, and a glowing blue sphere.

I'm a communications strategist, creative AI integrator, and founder living in Amsterdam.

Obsessed with how creativity and technology can actually make work, and life, more human.

I've spent the last 15 years moving between tech, energy, and creative industries, building stories, brands, and strategies that connect people to purpose and companies to growth. I help teams explore and integrate AI in ways that feel less robotic and more real — hands-on, fun, and human-centered.

Through AI workshops, promptathons, and creative strategy, I help teams experiment, build, and walk away with something they didn't have before: confidence, curiosity, and a sense that AI can amplify creativity instead of killing it.

I am also the founder of Gut Goddess, an AI-based femtech project born from my own health story — turning the chaos of gut issues into data, insight, and empowerment. It's about helping women understand their bodies and cycles through a new lens, blending AI, storytelling, and tech.

Outside of strategy and tech, I'm a certified LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® facilitator — yes, it involves actual LEGO bricks — and a speaker and moderator who brings energy, empathy, and edge to every stage. Whether it's a panel on AI, a workshop on creativity, or a keynote about reinventing yourself, I create spaces where people want to listen, think, and build together.

Gut Goddess

AI and Femtech Helping Women Understand Their Bodies

Gut Goddess is a femtech and AI-driven project founded by communications strategist and creative technologist Rafaela Buena. It was born from her own experience with gut health struggles and the search for reliable, science-informed answers.

What started as a personal health experiment has evolved into a platform that helps women understand the connection between their gut and overall well-being, using data, storytelling, and human-centered technology.

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Chosen EV Comms Leader 2024

During her work in the EV sector, Rafaela was recognized with the 2024 EV Comms Leader of the Year award, honoring her contribution to advancing sustainability through powerful, memorable communications. The award reflects her ability to craft both external messaging that moves industries forward and internal communications that strengthen culture, connection, and purpose within organizations.

Promotional poster featuring Rafael Buena, a woman with curly gray hair, smiling and holding a microphone. Text highlights her role as EVP of Communications and PR Manager at Fastned, emphasizing her work in sustainability, diversity, equity, and inclusion.
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Street Smarts -
volunteering podcasting

Driven by her passion to amplify unheard voices, Rafaela created Street Smarts — a podcast that gives space to people whose knowledge, stories, and experiences often go unnoticed. With every conversation, she creates room for perspectives that challenge, inspire, and deserve greater visibility. The podcast has grown organically, averaging 3,000 views per post on social media, and continues to reflect Rafaela’s deep belief in the power of giving others a platform to be truly heard.

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