Think Visual Monthly Meetups are FREE monthly in-person events for professionals in any industry looking to expand their visual communication toolkit and be inspired by meaningful stories about the power of creativity and visual storytelling.
Hosted by: Impact Hub Houston
DATE: First Friday of the month
TIME: 10:30 am – 12 pm
LOCATION: The Ion at 4201 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77002
Think Visual Houston Meetup - Nader Safinya: Culture Branding
Join us on Friday, June 5th, 2026. Our speaker is Nader Safinya, the founder of Blackribbit, The Culture Branding Company — a Houston-based organizational systems and communications design firm. We will explore:
What might your business actually be telling you without words?
Are branding and culture just soft skills or hardcore strategies?
How might a little friction in an org's culture and communication become a catastrophic issue?
Think Visual Houston Meetup with Cherise Royal Johnson: The Artistic Strategist
Friday, May 8, 2026 // 10:30 AM - 12 PM // The Ion, Houston, TX
Cherise Royal Johnson is a creative artist, marketing strategist, and media producer who helps purpose-driven organizations tell their stories and connect with their communities.
Think Visual Houston with Kailey Euceda: the Value Stream
Most of us were taught to keep our spreadsheets away from our sketchbooks. Turns out that's exactly the problem.
At this month's Think Visual! Houston Meetup at the Ion, Kailey Euceda — technologist, product developer, and visual artist known as "Gali" — made a compelling case that innovation doesn't slow down because people lack ideas. It slows down because the ways we know things stop talking to each other.
Think Visual Houston with Ray Anthony: The Innovader
Known as “The Innovader,“ Ray Anthony is a trainer, keynote speaker, executive coach, and author of nine business books. His focus includes business creativity and innovation, advanced sales and presentation skills, crafting compelling visions, and innovative leadership.
Ray's clients included Fortune 500 companies, the CIA, NASA, and USSOCOM, the world's most elite military organization. He has a BS and an MA in economics, with a focus on improving national productivity.
Think Visual Houston with Isabel Almaguer: Data Viz for the UXer
How might we tell more effective and compelling stories with data in order to understand (and improve!) the experiences of others?
With over nine years of data expertise, ranging from the worlds of business intelligence (BI), user experience (UX), and research, our speaker Isabel Almaguer will deliver a presentation on the power of Data Visualization.
Allen Thorton: Turning AI into Actual Ownership
How might we frame AI as a tool for equity, ownership, and empowerment?
Author and keynote speaker Allen Thornton is a proven SaaS & AI sales leader who blends enterprise growth, AI innovation, and community impact. He leads the 40 Acre Conference, positioning AI as the new underground railroad — unlocking ownership, equity, and empowerment for the next generation.
Brittany Hyman: Visualizing Places People Love
How can we help people see and understand the many dimensions of a thriving physical community?
This month’s speaker, Brittany Hyman, is an experienced communications strategist with expertise in community engagement and research-based policy design.
Kristen McLean: From Chemical Engineer to Visual Note-taker
November 7, 2025 from 10:30am-12:00pm
Impact Hub Houston at The Ion
4201 Main Street Houston, TX 77002.
How does one pivot from a career in engineering to a creative business owner? How did visual thinking inform her early life and professional development? Chemical engineer Kristen McLean tells her story and shares different styles, examples, tips, and tools she uses as a visual note-taker.
Julie Strickland: The Design Spacesuit Engineer
Friday, October 3 · 10:30am - 12pm CDT at The Ion, located at 4201 Main Street Houston, TX 77002.
Aerospace engineer and spacesuit engineer, Julie Strickland, will lead us through an innovation visual exercise inspired by a real-world challenge facing astronauts. Just one of the innovation processes described in her book, “Strawberry Innovation: The Practical Guide for Innovators Navigating a Corporate Landscape.“
Thomas Watkins: The Design Psychologist
Thomas Watkins is a design psychologist based in Houston who has spent years applying behavioral science principles to the creation of digital products. Thomas will share lessons learned from designing products across industries — energy, education, and retail — and has always sought a deeper understanding of human psychology.
Amélia Ayaka Uriu on Human-Centered Design
Think Visual Houston Meetup on August 8, 2025. As Vice President at a major global bank, Amélia Ayaka Uriu gained a holistic business understanding and extensive experience managing stakeholders. She will share her journey from Japan to Chicago to Houston, spanning financial services, fintech, and the food industry, where she has solved complex business challenges using user-centered design.
Flavors of Graphic Recording
In our inaugural Think Visual Meetup, we explored the art and practice of "graphic recording” through the eyes of seasoned Facilitator and Graphic Recorder Peter Durand, who is celebrating 30 years of experience in this field.
Alphachimp, Houston's visual Facilitation studio
LEARN MORE
See our graphic recording images from presentations during Houston Energy and Climate Week.
Learn about our graphic recording services and how visual facilitation drives innovation.
See what Alphachimp is up to in the Houston Innovation Ecosystem.
Explore how to bring Visual Facilitation & Visual Note Taking to your conference, classroom, or collaborative project.
