About
Hi,
I’m Lena Imamura — a multidisciplinary artist, systems builder, and creative alchemist based in New York City. I work across light, technology, and cultural infrastructures to make the unseen visible and the impossible possible. My work lives at the intersection of form and force — where energy becomes expression, vision turns to reality, and transformation takes shape.
I consider myself a modern day alchemist.
Energy is my medium. Exchange is my method.
Light is how I reveal it. Business is how I move it.
I operate in currents and currency.
I create systems, artworks, and experiences that channel creative energy into tangible form — shaping spaces, stories, and strategies that invite awe, clarity, and connection. I believe the magic of being human lies in our ability to imagine what doesn’t exist — and then bring it to life. That act of translation — from the invisible to the visible — is where I feel most alive.
My path
I was born and raised in New York City by artist parents — a modern dancer and an electronic musician — who gave me a deep appreciation for the arts and an early understanding of the fragile balance of creativity as a way of life. I studied fine art at The Cooper Union, where I immersed myself in cultural production and world-building. During that time, I served as Special Projects Coordinator for The Canal Chapter, an artist-run collective in Soho, where I produced projects including an artist residency, a weekly cabaret speakeasy, music festivals, film screenings, lectures, and exhibitions.
After graduating, I began working independently with artists and arts institutions — documenting artist legacies, managing finances, producing exhibitions and events, and helping build sustainable creative systems. One of my first major roles was as music manager and investment executor for Francis and the Lights, which opened the door to deeper work across the creative industries, spanning visual art, design, performance, and small business operations.
That work eventually formalized into ACOUNTESS, a business I founded in 2009 to support artists with project management, financial systems, and creative infrastructure. In 2012, I transitioned my client base through a partnership with The Bookkeeping Company of NY, giving me more flexibility to stay close to the creative process while expanding my impact as a cultural producer at one of my longtime clients, Vito Schnabel Gallery.
I later became Managing Director at Vito Schnabel Gallery, where I served as both artist manager and business manager. I oversaw exhibitions, operations, and creative projects across a global roster—combining strategic leadership with creative stewardship in the contemporary art world.
After more than a decade in cultural production and artist management, I followed an instinct to explore the tech world and joined Kickstarter, where I eventually became Chief of Staff. I supported the CEO and executive team on key initiatives and internal operations, gaining a deeper understanding of how infrastructure can shape culture at scale. That experience reinvigorated my belief in collective creativity — and the power of systems that support art at scale — ultimately inspiring me to co-found GLO Studio.
In 2016, I co-founded GLO Studio, a women-led neon studio that redefined what neon could be. Before us, neon was mostly confined to storefronts, bar signs, and nostalgic pop culture. We changed that. GLO was the first to bring neon into everyday life — from weddings to nurseries to home studios — and we made it accessible through innovation. We launched the neon industry’s first online design app, introduced custom LED neon decor to the U.S. market, and turned custom neon into a new form of self-expression. What we started is now the standard. GLO didn’t follow a trend — we created one.
That experience taught me that design can solve any problem — and that technology and platforms are the tools to scale those solutions. But as a solo creator, I eventually hit a ceiling. I realized that to grow — not just as an artist, but as a force for creative change — I needed bigger systems, deeper collaborations, and platforms that could reach further. That insight has become the foundation for what I’m building now.
What I'm building now
Today, I’m focused on deepening my practice as an artist and alchemist — building the platforms, spaces, and systems that help creative work thrive.
In 2025, I joined Metalabel as a partner — a new platform for releasing creative work. I was drawn to its vision for building cultural infrastructure that equips artists with the tools, systems, and financial structures they need to thrive. My role bridges strategy and storytelling to help shape a platform that honors creative integrity, community power, and shared momentum.
I’m also preparing to launch GLO Modern, a gallery-store concept co-founded with Lora Appleton. Located in the storefront of GLO Studio, it will showcase limited-edition art objects, vintage finds, and artist-designed pieces — a space for modern-day cultural souvenirs and future relics.
My philosophy
Everything I do — from neon to business strategy, spreadsheets to sculpture — is about shaping energy. I see creativity as a force that wants to move. My role is to form the channels it can move through.
Whether I’m sculpting light, structuring systems, or guiding others to express what’s inside them, I’m always asking: What wants to come through here? And how can I build the conditions for it to arrive fully, beautifully, and in service to something bigger?
I build worlds where artists shine, ideas come alive, and energy flows with clarity and purpose.