Ikue initially earned her degree in Architecture/Timber Engineering from The Vienna University of Technology and has both studied and worked in a design capacity in the U.S., Italy, Germany, and Austria. She came back to Japan in 2010, and worked at Gensler Tokyo office, a global architectural design firm. In 2015, she joined her current company Makeshift, and has been working as a CEO and design consultant for wide range of projects including workplace design, community spaces, and exhibitions, etc