Leadership comes from a commitment to better the community
Tableau Ambassadors and Tableau Visionaries are community leaders who embody the best of the community. They share knowledge with others, create first-class vizzes, build thriving Data Cultures, answer questions, and nurture powerful connections, shaping the future of analytics. With every interaction, they make the community a better, more inclusive place.
Before becoming the champions we know and admire, each community leader began their journey with a desire to move the community forward and we have continued to be inspired by them ever since. Connect with them and experience their passion, commitment, and expertise—or start your journey by learning what it means to be a community leader.
Get to know our extraordinary community leaders
Tableau Ambassadors
Tableau Ambassadors are community leaders and champions, welcoming and supporting members across seven, global programs. Amplifying the power of connection, they collaborate, contribute, and engage with people to make the community a better place.
Tableau Visionaries
Tableau Visionaries demonstrate that they’re teachers, collaborators, and masters of Tableau. Some of the smartest people we know, these elite data experts share their vast knowledge with the community—and Tableau, helping to improve the platform.
Apply or nominate others who inspire you
The nomination and application period for Tableau Ambassador and Tableau Visionary programs are opened annually. By nominating a fellow community member, you're not only recognizing your data heroes, but you're also giving input on who you want to lead the community for the upcoming year.
During the nomination period, we invite you to highlight the people who inspire and instruct you—those with exceptional dedication to exploring Tableau and improving it. They are the “humble-smart” leaders who make the community so remarkable.
The Tableau community is transformative for people’s careers and their lives—including my own. There is an incredible generosity among community members and this continues to grow as people pay it forward and introduce their colleagues, classmates and peers to visual analytics and Tableau. This community of enthusiastic data people is one worth emulating.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a Tableau Ambassador and a Tableau Visionary?
Both Tableau Ambassadors and Tableau Visionaries are leaders in our community who partner with us to help people see and understand data. So what’s the difference? Here are two primary differences:
(1) Expectations of product knowledge
Tableau Visionaries are expected to have an in-depth understanding of Tableau, or a particular area of our product’s platform (for example: Tableau’s APIs, Tableau Prep Builder, Server Implementation, Data Visualization etc.), and to share that knowledge with others in the community. In contrast, Ambassadors aren’t expected to be product experts, but are expected to foster the growth of expertise (for example, by answering questions when possible), lead with kindness, and amplify connections.
(2) Program-specific recognition
The Tableau Ambassador title is a recognition of contribution to a distinct program within Tableau’s Community. For example, Tableau User Group Leaders create resources for other User Group Leaders to use, Tableau Public Ambassadors source visualizations for our Viz of the Day, and Tableau Forums Ambassadors answer tricky questions on the forums. As ambassadors focused on specific programs, they help critical community areas thrive and create a #DataFam where everyone feels like they belong.
In contrast, the Tableau Visionary program is a recognition of the impact someone has had on our community and doesn’t have a specific program associated with the title. Tableau Visionaries raise the bar of what’s possible by developing innovative techniques, teaching others to become better Tableau users, and collaborating to give back to the community. These activities are not confined to a specific program within the community and frequently span across many programs.
Can I be both a Tableau Ambassador and a Tableau Visionary?
Yes, you can be both a Tableau Ambassador and a Tableau Visionary. Given the different nature of these two recognitions, the two titles are not interchangeable nor replacements for each other. As an Ambassador, you’ll be expected to contribute to your branch’s goals (like helping people get their questions answered on the forum). As a Visionary, you’ll be expected to continue to share your expertise, teach in the community, and collaborate to make Tableau better for everyone.
Do I need to be a Tableau Ambassador to become a Tableau Visionary?
No, you do not need to be Tableau Ambassador to become a Tableau Visionary. Many Tableau Visionaries are Tableau Ambassadors (and many have been Tableau Ambassadors at some point). However, given that many contributions to the Tableau Community can fall outside of our traditional community programs or across many different areas of the Community, we do frequently see Visionaries come from outside our Ambassador programs.
What do Tableau Visionaries do that’s different from Tableau Ambassadors?
Given their level of product expertise and pushing the limits of Tableau’s platform, Tableau Visionaries frequently collaborate with our development team to provide ideas and feedback. This includes informal, conversational feedback sessions and formal, planned events we organized to foster collaboration. Tableau also asks our Tableau Visionaries to support many other parts of the Community, including (but not limited to) helping our eLearning team, speaking on our product launch videos, and delivering Tableau Doctor sessions at Tableau Conference.
Do Tableau Visionaries have access to all of the same opportunities Tableau Ambassadors do?
Tableau Visionaries and Tableau Ambassadors have access to many of the same opportunities, but not all of them. For example, each branch of the Ambassador program has specific meetings that they attend and areas within Tableau that they influence. For example, our Tableau Public Ambassadors meet with our Tableau Public team to shape the future of the site’s features. These meetings aren’t available to other ambassador branches or our Visionaries.
Is there a limit on the number of Tableau Visionaries and Tableau Ambassadors?
We do not place limits on the number of Visionaries or Ambassadors that we will accept every year, however there isn’t unlimited bandwidth to support these recognition programs. Our community program managers identify their resources, the needs of the program they are supporting, and the strength of the candidates when making a decision about how many Visionaries or Ambassadors to accept into each program every year.
When Tableau evaluates Ambassadors, do they only look at contributions to a specific branch or program?
When Tableau evaluates Ambassador applications, we do look at contributions made to a specific program, for example: If you’re applying to be a Community Forums Ambassador, you should be active on the forums! We also look at your contributions to other parts of the Tableau community, the content included in your application, and the needs of our global community when evaluating every candidate.