Studio AHEAD is a San Francisco-based art and design collective founded by Homan Rajai and Elena Dendiberia. From their office in Mission District, Studio AHEAD’s team charts out a new Silk Road traversing their Eastern and Western sensibilities and their clients' cultural heritages. The studio’s borderless approach to design creates evocative spaces where contrasts have room to grow: raw and refined, foreign and familiar, a contemporary take on a Persian divan paired with a primitive Northern California wooden sculpture.

The studio reflects modern-day local culture as a coming-together of diverse perspectives grounded in a deep artistic tradition. By listening to how clients conceive of ideas like “family” or “home,” AHEAD builds spatial narratives that tell each person’s unique story. The studio believes strongly in there being no universal idea of functionality that fits all cultures and people. What remains constant is AHEAD's appreciation of cultural traditions and craftsmanship.

To further the dialog between local and global, Studio AHEAD launched its production arm in 2019. Collaborators have included regional artists and artisans. The studio’s line of wool felt furniture, sourced locally from Sonoma sheep, has received wide attention and praise. In 2020, Studio AHEAD began publishing California: A Journal, which highlights Northern California's vibrant history, as a way to give back to a community that continues to inspire.