Breakthrough Visuals

Name: Breakthrough Visuals
Address: 116 Glenview Avenue, Wyncote, PA, 19095, US
Telephone: +12153843575
Price range: $

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Breakthrough Visuals

Fun and colorful graphic recording and infographics that use the power of words and images to increase understanding and promote better decision making.

06/10/2026

It’s been a busy few weeks here at Breakthrough Visuals. On May 27, I spent the day at Villanova University, taking visual notes at a meeting of Catholic leaders from the Office of Mission and Ministry, thinking about how to bring the University more in line with the Augustinian teachings of Pope Leo, himself a Villanova graduate. It was a lovely gathering, especially for someone like myself who is unfamiliar with Catholic teachings.

The next week, I traveled to Penn State for the Social Science Research Institute’s CERAP Summer Research meeting, where I captured presentations and discussions about how social science researchers can more effectively connect with the communities they study. It was my second year working with the Social Science Research Institute, but the first working in person.

It was quite a diverse set of material, and it really shows how visual note-taking works with just about everything. It’s always fascinating to go through the process of starting an event feeling like I know nothing about the subject matter and, by the end, feeling like I’m almost as knowledgeable as everyone else in the room. It would be nice to retain all that information, but alas, it only sticks around as long as it’s needed. I’ll almost certainly be back to not having a clue by the time I arrive home.

05/14/2026

Last week, I was back at Technical.ly’s Philly Tech Week. This time, I took visual notes at the opening presentation of The Builder’s Conference, a part of Tech Week devoted to storytelling.

The panel presentation, which was also a podcast, was called “Can Entrepreneurship Save the American Soul?” It was a fascinating discussion about how people are currently thinking about entrepreneurship, and how getting beyond those sometimes ambivalent and contradictory ideas can help revitalize all levels of society, and maybe even save the nation’s soul.

Thanks to Chris Wink and Technical.ly for welcoming me again to this vital and exciting event!

05/07/2026

On Monday, the Male Contraceptive Initiative (MCI) had me back to virtually capture a session on what research tells us about South African adolescent male attitudes towards s*x and relationships. The researcher and presenter, Dr. Tsidiso Tolla, PHD, from the University of Cape Town School of Public Health, discovered her interviewees had views that were quite different from what is stereotypically assumed. They:

👉 Valued romance and relationships as much or more than s*x
👉 Were quite concerned with the well-being of their partners
👉 Wanted to avoid pregnancy
👉 Were open to using contraception, including contraceptive drugs

The conversation was both interesting and moving, and I learned a lot. I'll be recording more sessions for this organization later in the year, and I'm really looking forward to them!

04/21/2026

A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of once again taking visual notes at a meeting of Philadelphia Ceasefire, a community-based organization that works directly with members of affected communities to prevent gun violence. There is a lot of evidence that the efforts of Philadelphia Ceasefire and organizations like it are a big reason that violent crime in Philadelphia and other cities has decreased to rates not seen since the early 60s, and I’m grateful to have made a small contribution to the effort.

I’ve done a lot of work with Philadelphia Ceasefire in the past few years, but this is the first time I’ve worked with them virtually. I don’t do as much virtual work as I used to, so this was a welcome opportunity.

There are pros and cons to virtual versus live graphic recording, but one of the pros is that it's easy to fine-tune the chart. I’m quite happy with the way this one turned out. Thanks to Marla Davis Bellamy for bringing me in once again!

04/16/2026

I was delighted to take visual notes on Tuesday at the Empowering Nonprofits Conference again this year at the Temple University campus in Ambler, just outside of Philadelphia.

I captured the opening keynote, a fascinating and inspiring talk by Ann Gingerich, MSW. She made a convincing case for the importance of nonprofits to Pennsylvania's economy and outlined strategies for reaching legislators. It turns out there are plenty of reasons for hope in these crazy times!

Thank you to Kim Celano for having me back once again! It's always a pleasure and an inspiration to be around so many folks who are working for positive change. And if you were there and are interested in visual note-taking at your next event, let's connect!

04/08/2026

As they entered the conference room, I could tell the team was nervous.

A division of an important department in a big company, they were troubled by a number of issues they felt hadn’t been properly addressed. How was the stranger with the big piece of foam core supposed to help?

But the team’s trepidation evaporated as the meeting—and the visual note-taking—began in earnest.

They described how management was disregarding their concerns and not supporting them when they were called to take risks. As they saw their comments transformed into visuals, participants became both fascinated and inspired. They started engaging not just with each other, but with the images as well.

An attendee’s statement that “no one wants to get thrown under the bus” would normally be merely a briefly noted figure of speech. But as a drawing, it had an emotional resonance that really highlighted what was at stake. That one image became a touchstone for the entire meeting and was referenced repeatedly for the rest of the afternoon.

By the end of the session, there was a new resolve to work together for change, and gratitude for the experience everyone had just shared. The group that left the room wasn’t the same as the one that entered it.

Visual note-taking is a powerful tool for making meetings truly transformative. If you’re interested in exploring the possibilities, let’s schedule a call!

04/03/2026

On March 25th, Breakthrough Visuals took visual notes at a convening sponsored by the Samuel S. Fels Foundation. Representatives of social change organizations throughout the Philadelphia area gathered at the Asian Arts Alliance to talk about the issues they face now and the ones they expect to face in the future.

The discussions encompassed both the external challenges organizations and their members face, such as securing funding and effective messaging, and the internal ones, like dealing with the mental health challenges that can come from facing difficult situations on a daily basis.

Through it all, the passion and determination people exhibited were truly impressive. Their work isn’t easy, but it’s important, and I was honored to play a small part in the process.

02/26/2026

Meetings are more successful when participants feel validated, engaged, and creatively inspired. But group settings can be intimidating, and worries about being ignored or minimized often make people hesitant to contribute.

Graphic recording can help. When speakers see their points represented with colorful visual notes, they not only feel acknowledged in the moment but also know their message will outlast the event and reach people who weren’t even there.

But helping individuals feel heard is only the start. Graphic recorders don’t just listen closely—they go on to take the meaning of what’s said and use it to make something completely new. In so doing, visual notetakers model a way to actively engage with information instead of just passively taking it in, opening up unexpected opportunities for connection and further action. By transforming listening itself into a creative act, graphic recording leverages the power of individual messages to make the whole group process more effective.

Graphic recording helps create an environment where everyone feels safe and heard, then goes on to provide much more. If you’d like to explore how visual note-taking can help your next meeting, seminar, or conference to achieve better outcomes, schedule a free discovery call!

02/19/2026

On February 11, I was at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland, graphic recording for a day-long session on leadership and storytelling for The Meaningful Consulting Group with this year’s APG Cohort. This is the 5th year I’ve worked with this client, and each time, though the groups have been different, the program has remained much the same, meaning I re-create more-or-less the same boards.

I’ve found this incredibly interesting. Live graphic recording is an improvisation, and usually when I’m finished, I feel that if I’d known what was going to happen, I would have done at least some things differently. With these sessions, I actually do know.

But, as familiar as I am with the program, there are still things that surprise me, and still things I struggle to get right and improve. It’s like Bill Murray going through Groundhog Day. How many times did he do it before he got every single thing right?

02/05/2026

I was tagged in a really nice LinkedIn post yesterday by the Eidos LGBTQ+ Health Initiative, which featured a graphic honoring Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, a pioneering trans activist. It includes a sketch of her I drew as part of a graphic recording chart created at Eidos' Health Initiative Summit last October. It's both a beautiful piece on its own and a great example of how graphic recordings can be used to create new work and add value long after the events they captured are over.

It's more important than ever to tell these stories, and I'm honored to play a small part in that effort. Happy Black History Month, everyone!

Address

116 Glenview Avenue
Wyncote, PA
19095

Telephone

+12153843575

Website

http://www.breakthroughvisuals.com/

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