About Beyond Cubicles
📢 #BeyondCubicles is a weekly LinkedIn series created by Carolina D’Souza, born out of her own experience transitioning from a corporate career to independent consulting. Since its launch in June 2024, the series has evolved into a platform that showcases the inspiring journeys of several founders who have redefined the traditional 9-to-5.
Through authentic narratives, #BeyondCubicles highlights themes of courage, resilience, and purpose. The stories feature individuals from diverse industries—ranging from tech and education to wellness and adventure—who share their experiences of stepping away from conventional roles to pursue passion-driven careers.
✨ Note: All features in this series are unpaid and shared as a way to honor and amplify real stories of transformation.
“I thought I was building a business. But in many ways, the business was building me.”
For Seda Solmaz, leaving corporate life was about becoming a positive force in the F&B industry.
“I felt a desire to change the innovation landscape, contributing to a healthier generation and sustainable future,” she says.
That conviction led to the launch of Idea Atelier in 2024, a boutique consultancy empowering F&B manufacturers to make innovation profitable fast and launch with confidence.
‘Atelier’ reflected the bespoke approach she wanted the business to embody. She says, “Great innovation should feel intentional, tailored and commercially relevant.”
At the heart of the business are innovation workshops built on one belief. “People are at the heart of innovation, not products,” she says. “The magic happens when teams co-create and unlock bigger, bolder thinking.”
Today, that approach has generated 10k+ concepts across 200 workshops in 22 markets for clients including Unilever and Perfetti Van Melle. More than 80 concepts have progressed beyond ideation into active innovation pipelines and market launches.
The first three months confirmed she was onto something. One project led to a referral, which led to a larger project, which became a government contract, followed by retainers. “I experienced the snowball effect,” she says. “It gave me so much fulfillment far beyond what any paycheck had ever given me.”
Leaving behind predictability brought its own weight. “The anxiety of the unknown was the toughest,” she says.
Some months were high, some low. There were moments when all she could do was trust the process. “Hard work, faith and surrender became important lessons,” she says. That same pressure she found made her sharper. “It pushes you to become even more creative at solving problems.”
Through it all, something deeper shifted. “Entrepreneurship became a testament to trusting myself,” she says.
In corporate, people saw her title. Building Idea Atelier pushed her to show up differently, and her personal brand followed. She describes herself as the ‘Black Belt’ of innovation workshops. “The more authentic I became, the stronger my brand became,” she says.
Originally from Istanbul, she moved to Dubai 13 years ago. Everyone told her she would stay three to five years.
“I’m still here,” she says, “and loving it.”