Breakthrough Visuals

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

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Wyncote, PA
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.

08/26/2026

The week before last, I spent three days on the campus of The University of North Carolina in Charlotte, NC, taking visual notes at a conference of executives working for Ahold Delhaize USA. ADUSA is the American division of an international grocery store and product holding company that owns grocery store brands like Stop and Shop and Food Lion. As a regular patron of my local Giant, an ADUSA brand, I was fascinated to learn something about the business behind my groceries. Turns out it’s no small task to stay on top of a dynamic and unpredictable economy and to accommodate customers’ ever-changing needs and desires.

There was a ton of excitement and enthusiasm throughout the three days, and the facilitators made sure my visual notes were a big part of it. The boards were displayed on easels throughout the conference space as soon as they were completed, were incorporated into slides, and, maybe best of all, set time aside for a gallery walk on the last day, which gave all the participants a chance to think about and discuss them. It was a great example of how to take full advantage of visual notetaking, and very gratifying to experience.

Thanks to Ahold Delhaize for including me in the process! And if you’re inspired to explore how visual notetaking can elevate your next conference or meeting, get in touch!

07/22/2026

Last Thursday I was at Moravian University in Bethlehem, PA, graphic recording at Sustainable Energy Fund’s (SEF)Powering America’s Next 250 Years Conference. The sponsoring organization, Regenerative Energy Initiative (REI), is SEF's main educational program, and the conference featured speakers covering everything from the history of Pennsylvania’s energy industries, which were heavily based in coal and petroleum, to the future, which will increasingly rely on renewables.

It was a fascinating day, and I learned about all sorts of emerging technologies, from rapidly improving and ever-cheaper batteries to portable solar panels you can mount on your balcony. Given the current administration’s disdain for any energy source developed since the 1890s, it was really encouraging to see that, while the momentum towards more sustainable energy in this country may have slowed, it’s hardly been stopped, and we, like the rest of the world, will inevitably be using a lot less fossil fuel in the future.

As I walked out of the conference late that afternoon into near-100-degree heat and an enveloping orange haze of Canadian wildfire smoke, I could only be happy about that. Thanks to Kelly Sanders for having me up for this fantastic event!

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.

Address

116 Glenview Avenue
Wyncote, PA
19095

Telephone

+12153843575

Website

http://www.breakthroughvisuals.com/

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