Sera Tajima Loves Movement
From Design Downtime by Guy Segal
February 5, 2026 · 33 min · Season 4 · Episode 15
About this episode
Sera Tajima discusses her relationship with movement, the impact of long COVID, and the importance of listening to the body's needs.
We’re getting in motion with Sera Tajima, as she joins us to talk about her lifelong relationship with movement. She explains how ballet taught her precision, control, and the ability to withstand "good pain”, creating a meditative practice of syncing mind and body, that continued to martial arts. Sera’s athletic journey took a turn three years ago when she developed long COVID, forcing her to completely reassess her relationship with movement. Through her recovery process, she learned to listen to her body's needs rather than pushing through, discovering the importance of small daily movements. Sera continues to advocate for a cultural shift away from the tendency to treat the body as merely a vessel for the mind, and instead reconnect with it on a deeper level. Guest Bio Sera Tajima (she/her) is a product designer turned climate investor and advisor, bringing Silicon Valley growth expertise to founders solving our planet's biggest challenges. She's spent a decade driving growth at Y Combinator, Zendesk, and Webflow—achieving results like 200% acquisition increases. Through Conscious Tech Ventures, she guides climate startups scaling breakthrough solutions. Sera also has a…
People in this episode
Host: Guy Segal
Guest: Sera Tajima
Topics covered
- movement
- ballet
- martial arts
- long COVID
- body awareness
- sustainable growth
Keywords
- movement
- long COVID
- ballet
- martial arts
- body awareness
- sustainable growth
- climate tech
- product design
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Y Combinator, Zendesk, Webflow, Conscious Tech Ventures, Ikea, Uber
Places: UC Berkeley
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