Text reading 'RAFA FOR OATLY' with a black and white milk carton icon in between the words 'FOR' and 'OATLY' on a light blue background.

CV

A woman with dark hair in a white shirt is holding a wine glass and a paper fan, sitting in a room with yellow storage cabinets and framed pictures on the wall.

Some things are better said
with gifs.

My unique approach to Internal Comms:

A man wearing a red cone-shaped party hat is standing in a room with other people seated, greeting or waving with his hand.

  • How can we tell your story in a way people actually want to listen?

    Instead of delivering yet another pipeline-and-goals speech, I convinced all of Fastned’s Directors to take a trip to the future and back. With a smoke machine, eye-catching graphics, and their own playful takes on wigs and props, they delivered their speeches as if speaking from the future — letting their creativity lead the way.

  • The result: The lengthy presentations from all Directors and the CFO became the highlight of the day, rather than a slot for the occasional snooze.

  • There’s no crowd too big to participate actively.

  • For a company that thrives on challenging others, I brought in two young professional debaters to present their toughest arguments against EVs and charging.

    At first? Let’s just say the room buzzed with skepticism when people realized what was about to happen…

    But then — magic.

  • The result: Hundreds of people engaged — talking to each other, taking the stage, and firing back with their own counterarguments.

A person working on lighting or stage equipment on a scissor lift above a darkened room with an audience, some people raising their hands, seated at tables in a restaurant or event space.
Small yellow chicken figurines with red combs, placed on paper certificates or awards on a table for a chicken and egg competition.

  • Internal Comms is also about bringing the outside in.

    I created several frameworks to keep people connected to the mission and up to date with what’s happening in the world beyond our walls. One of them was the “Chicken and Egg Academy” — where I won our in-house experts to teach colleagues about EV technology, energy, charging, and the competitive landscape.

  • The result: One-third of the company enrolled, and 60 people took it seriously enough to complete a test — earning not just a certificate, but also a rubber chicken.

LinkedIn profile post for Victor van Dijk, CFO at Fastned, praising Rafaela for organizing and professionalizing the company's All Hands events.

Got them saying this about me:

A LinkedIn post by Georg Schmidt-Holzmann featuring a profile picture of a man with glasses and hair, and a message thanking Rafaela for her contributions to Fastned, mentioning the organization's Fastned Days and expressing best wishes for future endeavors.
Profile picture of Tom Hurst, a man with short hair and glasses, smiling.

OAT-STANDING SKILLS

OAT-STANDING SKILLS

  • I have successfully prevented a once-vibrant, slightly-unhinged startup culture from devolving into a beige corporate affair. The international offices now beat in perfect sync with the original, electric heart of the company.

  • I have a long and storied history of defeating boredom in all-hands meetings. My methods have successfully reduced email-checking by 95% and, to my knowledge, prevented all cases of mid-presentation snoring.

  • I invented a company gathering so captivating that no one—not a single soul—fell asleep. A miracle, really, considering some of the subject matter.

  • I speak five fluent* languages, plus Portuñol, and have lead content creation for 100+ countries scope.

    *like, REALLY.

Colorful parrot-shaped balloon with a milk carton at its base.

by the way

Fun fact:

I am celiac and cannot digest gluten.

Don’t worry, that’s not the only diversity-factor I am bringing with me.

👩🏽 🇧🇷 🌈

Group of five women gathered around a table with colorful LEGO creation, discussing and observing the display.

Rafa who?

I am a certified LEGO® Serious Play facilitator — because one day I decided I’d had enough of quiet people in the room swallowing their brilliant ideas.

A woman with colorful clothing and earrings leaning toward a black and brown dog outdoors on green grass with trees in the background.
A woman smiling and pointing, standing in front of a colorful background with a street sign that says "Str Smart".
Graphic design featuring a smiling mouth with a crown and the text 'Gut Goddess' on a pink background.

I created Street Smarts podcast to give a voice to people who might otherwise not get the stage.

My Labrador is the love of my life, and I am allergic to dogs.

I am developing an AI tool to help women with food intolerances and allergies.

The phrase 'RAFA FOR OATLY' in large white letters on a blue background, with a black carton illustration next to the word 'FOR'.

From No No Big Oil,
to No No Big Milk.

Let's chat

Rafaela Buena
buenativa@gmail.com

Phone
(+31) 6 25 17 0369

CV