Join the diverse Clay Imports team and partners at our North Austin studio and get a hands-on experience of ceramic tile making and product design. Our multi-use, interactive space features various workshop stations to learn about sustainable and inclusive product design. Handmade tile, home goods, and architectural products - Hecho en Mexico and designed in Austin, we aim to collaborate with the design community. Reflect with us on how our purchases can create a collective future for a healthy and sustainable maker and consumer community. We value the handmade craft of creating clay-based and sustainable products and want to share how ethically made products enrich our lives for years to come. Snacks and sips provided by Austin local businesses.

• SPEAKER
• Nick Barreiro, Co-founder / Seeker & Product Developer, Clay Imports
• Nick is the Co-Founder of Clay Imports, an Austin-based company that specializes in the design, production, and, direct to consumer, sales of handcrafted tile, home goods, and architectural products. While developing Clay Imports, and seeking out skilled tile artisans, Nick built strong relations with crafters and manufacturers in Mexico, Morocco, and Turkey. In addition to sourcing materials internationally, Nick worked with U. S. based designers to revise the aesthetics of traditional products, modifying them just enough to appeal to today's consumers. Nick serves on the executive board of Mexic-Arte, the official Mexican American fine arts museum of Texas. Nick's interest in developing relationships between The U.S. and Mexico has led him to chair the Austin-Saltillo Sister Cities Committee, a community-led organization that promotes friendly relations and understanding between the citizens of Austin and citizens around the world. As often as possible, Nick likes to ride his bicycle. He likes taking long trips on his bike, for days, sometimes weeks. Nick has ridden his bicycle across Italy, from the Adriatic Sea to Pisa. He has done cross-country bicycle tours in Mexico, Spain, Turkey, and France. Nick enjoys drinking beer and visiting breweries. Most notably, Nick organized a group brewery tour that consisted of visiting 22 central Texas breweries in 24 hours, drinking one beer at every brewery. Considering the logistical planning, this is Nick's greatest achievement of 2021. Nick's Mayan Zodiac is the deer.

• SPEAKER
• Dr. Kiona, Digital Creator, How Not To Travel Like A Basic Bitch
• Kiona, Ph.D., M.S., M.A. is the creator behind several educational programs worldwide. She started out in 2016 with the blog called How Not To Travel Like A Basic Bitch, where she traveled the world spotlighting different cultures, uplifting marginalized voices, and inspiring people to travel mindfully. As an academic, her mission has always been to deliver education through travel in a digestible and accessible way.

• SPEAKER
• Ayse Iyriboz, Product and Interior Designer, Ayse Design
• Ayse (I-sha) is a designer who specializes in making beautiful things we can smile at while drinking. She has designed two custom tile lines for Clay Imports with a third on the way. The timeless Geometric Series and vibrant Valladolid Series have become top sellers highlighting her ability to create designs that are both unique and accessible.

• SPEAKER
• Roberto Franyutti, Tile Manufacturer, FT Wall Mosaic Mexico
• Roberto Franyutti is the CEO of FT Wall Mosaic. Since 1985, FT Wall Mosaic, a family business, has been manufacturing ceramic and cement tile for private collections and custom projects in the U.S, Mexico, and Europe. Roberto graduated from Tec de Monterrey with a degree in Engineering. FT Wall Mosaic is based in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato Mexico. Roberto specializes in efficient and sustainable tile production, applying a variety of recycling processes. Roberto has been recognized in the category of extraordinary artisans as part of 100 Imperdibles México. His work contributes to the proliferation of traditional tile production in Mexico while embracing design thinking and technological innovation.