Ian Ruheri Natanek

In 2017, I cofounded Cut Thru to help innovators tell their stories. From startups to enterprises, to venture capital, I have worked with deep tech to craft brands and presentations that impact and amplify.

A story design studio I cofounded — blending narrative strategy, insight frameworks, and high-craft visual design. We've helped clients raise over $835M+ through this work.

Power of Story
The Power of Story The methodology behind everything we do

Visual narratives for founders building the future — from seed to series and beyond.

Palmetto
Palmetto Clean energy fintech pitch narrative
Satellite Bio
Satellite Bio Next-gen cell therapy pitch deck

Strategic storytelling for organizations operating at scale — where the room and the stakes are biggest.

Invenergy
Invenergy 30-gigawatt clean energy portfolio
Takeda
Takeda IBD patient campaign strategy

Identity and visual systems for funds investing in the future of energy, climate, and industry.

Energize Ventures
Energize Ventures Digital energy venture fund identity
Buoyant Ventures
Buoyant Ventures Climate-tech VC brand + website

Identities built from the ground up — logos, messaging, visual systems — all rooted in research and cultural insight.

Azul 3D
Azul 3D Deep-tech 3D printing brand build
Jupiter Power
Jupiter Power Battery storage brand system

Not templates. Not slide decorating. Full story flow — insight frameworks, narrative architecture, and visual craft that wins the room.

LVAD
LVAD Paradigm Shift Medical publication + calculator
Wondery
Wondery More Than A Story pitch

Design isn't a silo — it's a lens. I study people and culture at a molecular level, running open-ended story flow sessions that source the insight-frameworks behind every narrative. The result is work that doesn't just look right — it resonates because it's rooted in something real.

Insights
That Move You

01
Discover
Open-ended storyflow sessions, deep-dive into ethos & offering
02
Distill
Weave insights into a storyframe — the narrative architecture
03
Design
Craft visual narrative, strategize a purposeful ecosystem
04
Deliver
Impact across platforms, resonate authentically

I believe design is a lens, not a department. That motion and interactivity are fundamental, not embellishment. That the best brands come from understanding people — not just aesthetics. A great pitch deck doesn't just present information — it creates a feeling. And the gap between "looks professional" and "actually resonates" is where the real work happens.

The Methodology

Every project begins the same way: with listening. The best work comes from insight frameworks that reveal what matters, visual craft that earns attention, and a story design process that connects the two.

The Power of Story — an interactive methodology prototype built in Figma. This is the insight framework behind every project: research-driven, narrative-first.

Power of Story
The Power of Story Interactive methodology prototype

Presentation design at the highest level — every slide earns attention through visual storytelling, data viz, and illustration.

LVAD
LVAD Paradigm Shift Medical publication + calculator
Invenergy
Invenergy 30GW clean energy portfolio

Story design in practice — brand identity brought to life

The Range

From keynote stages to screens, from Figma to code — across mediums, always in service of the story.

Invenergy — 30-gigawatt anniversary keynote

Buoyant Ventures — brand to web, digital craft

Figma as a design tool in practice — from interactive prototypes to high-fidelity visual systems.

Power of Story
Power of Story Interactive Figma prototype

Milady Moto Jersey — animated 3D, rotatable

Explore All Work

Ask Ian

Design-anthropologist & believer in the power of story design. Ask me anything about my work, philosophy, or what drives me creatively.

What story should we tell next?

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