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Vanessa Sanchez is the Founder and Principal of Ecotone Studio based in Austin, Texas. As a researcher, design strategist, and systems thinker, she has a mind for complexity and a heart for impact! She bridges design, science, and ethics to help organizations move from ambiguity to insight, and from action to results. She holds a Master’s in Information Science from UT Austin, where she specialized in Human-Computer Interaction and Responsible AI; and a BFA in Communication Design with a minor in Anthropology.

 

While living in NYC, Vanessa consulted for NYU Steinhardt EdTech Accelerator powered by StartEd focusing on a girls in STEAM product; led UX for private blockchain and AI-based global information exchange challenges within the EY Advanced Technology Tax Lab in collaboration with world governments, academia, and industry partners; spearheaded the design of Duke Farm’s first app to improve visitor engagement; and served as founding Creative Director for a national PR start-up firm. While engaged at UT Austin, Vanessa improved research operations at the Human-AI Interaction Lab; introduced UX and communication design as a core principle to the UT-City CoLab through her work on the Austin Future Climate Report; briefly led graphic design work within the EcoCentric Future Lab; and led market research for a product idea born from the AI in Health Lab via the NSF Innovation Corp program. She currently leads the UX research and design of the Planet Texas 2050 community platform for climate resilience work and tools (to be launched late 2026). Vanessa stays involved with the community through nonprofit organizations like Rainforest Partnership, DivInc, Women and Climate, Latinitas, and Latinas in Tech.

 

When not working, you’ll find Vanessa outside with her Belgian Malinois, Adele, while listening to music or maybe an audiobook about plants, politics, or personal finance. She enjoys hiking, health education, global travel, and occasionally makes art centered on animals. Vanessa grew up in Dove Springs, a predominantly Latino neighborhood in Southeast Austin that shaped her perspective and experience as a “no sabo kid” and a first-generation college graduate. She is deeply inspired by history, music, film, and performance. She believes that stories—however they’re told—have the power to connect, heal, and transform.