Custodian of Change: Freideriki Michailidou
Bio
Freideriki Michailidou is the Founder and CEO of the niche fragrance brand OLYMRA. She serves as a Project Leader and Lecturer at ETH Zurich, a leading science and technology university. A TEDx Speaker and MIT Innovator Under 35 Europe (2023), she holds three degrees in Chemistry, including a PhD in Synthetic Chemistry and Biochemistry from the University of St Andrews.
Influence and Purpose
WiSL: Tell us about your sphere of influence: the people, ideas, or spaces you shape, and why it matters to you.
FM: My work moves between science/sustainability, art, and the intangible: where scent becomes a form of knowledge, and perfume becomes a medium for storytelling. My sphere of influence is about reconnecting people with nature through scent, but in a way that’s grounded in science and guided by raw emotion.
With OLYMRA, I wanted to create a new language of fragrance: a dialogue between nature and culture and a way to show that fragrance can be both intellectually rigorous and deeply emotional. Each perfume begins with real field research on Mount Olympus, decoding the aromatic language of rare plants, and then translating that invisible knowledge into a sensory experience.
WISL: What impact are you most proud of creating within your community or industry?
FM: My work moves between science/sustainability, art, and the intangible: where scent becomes a form of knowledge, and perfume becomes a medium for storytelling. my sphere of influence is about reconnecting people with nature through scent, but in a way that’s grounded in science and guided by raw emotion. With OLYMRA, I wanted to create a new language of fragrance: a dialogue between nature and culture and a way to show that fragrance can be both intellectually rigorous and deeply emotional. Each perfume begins with real field research on Mount Olympus, decoding the aromatic language of rare plants, and then translating that invisible knowledge into a sensory experience.
What matters most to me is changing perception; showing that a perfume can carry the gravity of place, myth, and memory, while staying rooted in science and sustainability. The impact I’m proudest of is inspiring others; scientists, artists, or fragrance lovers; to see perfume as a form of cultural and ecological storytelling, not just luxury. And of course, bringing the biodiversity of Mt Olympus to a global stage.
Origins and Voice
WiSL: How did you get started in this space, and what helped you find your unique voice as a changemaker?
FM: Since childhood I was fascinated both by science, art and scent but dreamt to be a scientitst. Fast forward, as a scientist and lecturer at ETH Zurich, I turned to fusing my passion: sustainability, science and perfumes. My fragrance project started out as a passion, difficult to fund in academia because it was deemed “ambitious” and too interdisciplinary. I persisted despite everything, until I found an institute (Collegium Helveticum at ETH) that liked bold projects.
This project gave me the opportunity to perform my scientific expedition at Mt Olympus. During my research on the flora of Mount Olympus, I realised that these rare, endemic species weren’t just biological entities, they were living myths, carrying the memory of the land itself. That realisation became a turning point: science and poetry could coexist. My voice emerged from that union, a scientific precision fused with emotional depth. I didn’t want to replicate trends; I wanted to capture the essence of Greece: raw, divine, imperfect, and alive. That’s how OLYMRA was born: a brand where every scent is a story, and every story is an echo of the mountains.
Visibility and Understanding
WISL: What’s something you wish more people understood about your work or the change you’re driving?
FM: People often see perfume as something decorative, ephemeral, a finishing touch to one’s appearance. I wish more people understood that fragrance can be a language, one that connects us to our origins, our memories, and even our ethics. OLYMRA is not just a “niche perfume brand.” It’s a new universe that started as a research-based project that bridges ecology, chemistry, and aesthetics.
Every creation begins with the question: How can I recreate the scent of a rare flower without harming it? The greatest misunderstanding is the belief that luxury and sustainability can’t coexist. To me, they are inseparable. True luxury for me is is time; time to craft, time to think, time to care. OLYMRA’s perfumes are built with the patience of research and the reverence of craftsmanship, always seeking harmony. They’re not fast objects of desire, but slow expressions of harmony.
Values and Alignment
WiSL: What personal values guide your work, and how do they make you the best person for the career you’ve designed for yourself?
FM: Three words guide everything I do: truth, depth, and excellence. Truth, because every idea, ingredient, and process must feel authentic; rooted in reality, not in illusion. Depth, because beauty without meaning feels hollow to me and Excellence, because a vision must remain intact across the smallest details, from the scent itself to every single ingredient used.
I’ve always resisted superficial narratives. Instead, I aim for something timeless and universally human. My background as a scientist keeps me disciplined and analytical; my Greek heritage keeps me emotional and instinctive. Together, they form my compass. These values make me relentless, but also grateful. They remind me that perfume is not a product; it’s a conversation between people and nature that I’m lucky to mediate.
The Everyday Reality
WiSL: On challenging days, what does your work look or feel like behind the scenes?
Challenging days are inevitable: supply delays, suppliers not meeting my creative or artistic vision, bureaucracy, or just the slow rhythm of building something truly independent. But then I remember that this project started on the slopes of Olympus, under a fierce July sun, collecting the aroma of Achillea ambrosiaca with the help of my now-friend and botanical photographer, Mr. Lefteris Kipopoulos. That first whiff of its scent felt like opening a door between the past and the present. When someone smells one of my perfumes and says, “I’ve never smelled anything like this before,” it feels like a small victory. It means the work is doing what it was meant to: awakening memory and emotion.
WiSL: On days when you remember why you started, what moments bring you joy and affirmation?
FM: Behind the scenes, my work is a dance between introversion and extraversion: solitude and creation, and teamwork, interacting with people, and networking.
There are days of pure creative flow, surrounded by hundreds of vials, data from field studies, and formula drafts—filled with beautiful moments of silence. When I’m in the lab, inhaling a trial blend, I suddenly feel as if I’m back on Olympus. Those are the moments that keep me happy and grounded.
There are days I spend talking to suppliers, other beauty entrepreneurs, and engaging with my audience of perfume enthusiasts, and it all feels lively and connected. I also love the occasional party, especially when I meet intellectually intriguing people.
Reflection and Growth
WiSL: Looking back, what advice would you give to yourself at the beginning of this journey?
I would tell my younger self: “Don’t be afraid to be the first and don’t be so scared of “failing”. The path you’re building doesn’t exist yet, and that’s your strength.” When I began this journey, I felt torn between two worlds: the rigour of science and the freedom of art. I’ve since learned that my work thrives exactly at that intersection.
WiSL: What leadership qualities are you currently nurturing, and how are you actively developing them?
FM: Right now, I’m nurturing patience, clarity, and discernment as leadership qualities. I’m learning to listen deeply to my instinct, my collaborators, and the materials themselves. Leading OLYMRA isn’t about speed or growth for its own sake; it’s about stewardship, protecting an idea, nurturing it with care, and letting it blossom.
