HOUSTON, TX – February 24, 2026 – PRESSADVANTAGE –
Houston-based strategic advisor Kitric Kerns has launched Approachable, a specialized branding agency designed to help innovators and startups articulate their value propositions with clarity and impact. The new agency addresses a critical gap in the Houston innovation ecosystem where breakthrough companies struggle to communicate their transformative potential to investors, partners, and customers.
The agency emerges from Kerns’ extensive experience as Mentor in Residence at Rice University’s Rice Nexus startup accelerator, where he observed firsthand how promising innovations often fail to gain traction due to unclear messaging. Approachable Brand Storytelling focuses on transforming complex technical innovations into compelling narratives that resonate with diverse audiences.
“Storytelling is the heartbeat of human connection. If your story doesn’t resonate within seconds, you miss an opportunity to connect,” said Kitric Kerns, founder of Approachable. “Investors, industry leaders, and your audience are conditioned to connect quickly. If you are not understood, you will get passed by. As a Mentor in Residence at Rice University’s Rice Nexus, this gap in the ecosystem became very clear. Innovations are being developed that will save lives and change the world, yet their founders struggle to explain why we must stand up and take notice. At Approachable, we solve that problem for them.”
The agency employs a structured approach to brand development, utilizing the Hero’s Journey framework to craft authentic brand narratives. This methodology helps companies move beyond technical specifications to create emotional connections with their audiences. The services encompass brand narrative development, messaging strategy, and authority building through consistent storytelling across multiple platforms.
Approachable’s visual identity and creative direction come from Tyler Gillespie, Chief Design Officer of a leading AI startup and creative advisor to the agency. The branding reflects a deep understanding of humanity’s historical challenge in conveying complex ideas essential for community growth and prosperity.
“Since the dawn of our species, we have used storytelling to convey complex ideas about our world around us,” explained Tyler Gillespie, Creative Advisor to Approachable. “As we wrestled with ideas of this world, and started innovating around problem-solving, stories became the prime way to gain understanding and fellowship. In the digital age we live in now, stories are often seen as an afterthought or a nice-to-have. I believe getting back to our roots as storytellers is key for the next generation of innovators.”
The agency’s sister company, Kerns Dynamics, offers Brand Development & Go To Market Advisory services that extend beyond traditional branding to include go-to-market strategy, product strategy, and business improvement advisory. This holistic approach ensures that emerging companies can effectively communicate their value while navigating the complexities of market entry and expansion.
Approachable represents a significant addition to Houston’s growing innovation support infrastructure. By bridging the communication gap between technical innovators and their audiences, the agency aims to accelerate the success of transformative technologies and solutions emerging from the region’s vibrant startup ecosystem. The launch coincides with the unveiling of the agency’s website, showcasing its distinctive approach to making complex innovations approachable and understood.
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For more information about Approachable, contact the company here:
Approachable
Kitric Kerns
kitric@approachable.agency
The Ion
4201 Main St, Houston, TX 77002
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