The 2021 Annual Conference will be like nothing any of us have ever experienced before. Whether it's your first QRCA conference or your 21st, you’re going to want to join us as we take the virtual wheel to the next level! And this year’s theme, Diversify. Discover. Design the Vision., couldn’t be more on brand for us quallies.
Fantastic content! You’ll have access to several keynotes, a Panel discussion, 30-minute Power Talks, 45-minute Power Talks +, and 60-minute Workshops. All offer the opportunity to hear from engaging speakers from within and outside our industry. All sessions will be available for attendees on-demand after the conference.
Great people! The hugs will be virtual, but we’ll have plenty of networking events and social opportunities – from breakout rooms to virtual happy hours in all different time zones.
Exciting Vendor Demos! We won’t be cruising the marketplace looking for candy this year (bring your own candy!), but we’ll still get to see flash demos of new products and technologies from various vendors who can support your business practice.
Roben Allong is founder and CEO of Lightbeam Communications, a market research and strategy boutique firm, based in New York City. Lightbeam is known for its unique cultural approach and perspectives. With over a decade of marketing research, and strategy development, as well as consumer culture and trend analysis expertise, she is an expert conductor of B2B and B2C in-person and online research methodologies.
She is an expert in brand positioning and communications, as well as, new product development, category mapping, and market exploration across a wide range of industries. Roben employs cultural intelligence to decipher and decode organization stakeholder and consumer attitudes and behavior. She is often described by her colleagues as the Oprah of the focus room. Her empathetic curiosity and cultural savvy always make for sensitive, yet energetic in-depth interviews and insightful analysis.
She is a past President of QRCA (Qualitative Research Consultants Association), Co-Founder of its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force. Roben has also been recognized as a 2024 Insights Association Laureate—a lifetime designation of distinction in the fields of market research, consumer insights, and data analytics. Roben has also moderated panels and presented on various emerging trend topics at Universities and Research conferences in the U.S. and internationally, as well as published articles on culture, consumer trends, and inclusive research methodologies.
Some of her published work include:
One Size Doesn’t Fit All: Post COVID Implications for Marketers and Market Research
Do You K.N.O.W Today’s BIPOC consumer?
Understanding Cultural Insights: The New Next Consumer Normal
The Rise of Cultural Empathy and its Implications for Marketing Research and Marketers
Stumbling into the world of Qualitative Research at the age of 18, Kristin did not know what she was getting herself into. Starting off on the bottom of the totem pole as a recruiter and proving herself was no easy task. List recruiting came easier than speaking up, sharing ideas and creative ways to recruit! Clearly that was a long time ago, now we cannot get her to STOP talking. There is a lot to say about someone when you see the passion, they hold for what they do.
Twenty years later she is making an impact with Recruit and Field, as well as those in the industry she strikes up a “simple” conversation with. We all know nothing in ever simple in MR. All the pieces that make recruiting a success from within the engine, is more than just finding the perfect respondents, it starts the moment that RFQ hits your inbox. Kristin inspires those around her, builds a continuous culture of improvement, a proactive stance in business that bleeds out into everyday life. Her knowledge and expertise in this space of MR—gleaned from first-person hands on experience over the years-- has ignited a need to share what has been proven to be successful when partnering with clients on Qualitative research projects as well as learn more about industry areas outside of her current expertise.
At the end of the day, that is what we all want. Isn’t it?
For two decades, April Bell has consulted with big brands to translate unspoken desires into innovation. With empathy as her North Star, she has been a catalyst for organizational teams and leaders to uncover human motivation for products innovations that impact the masses.
But a painful divorce, followed by COVID, created a need to harness her 20,000+ hours of experience with clients using empathy to innovate her world. As she saw her own confusion and chaos give way to peace and forgiveness, her curiosity blossomed.
She then began (as any good researcher would do) to test her hypothesis with clients and friends using empathy to help innovate people as well as product. As she documented her learnings, her book was born: The Fire Starter: Igniting Innovation with Empathy. She is now on a mission to provide a process and tools to help others ignite creativity using the power of empathy – to innovate both products and people!
Matt’s humor, quick wit, and ability to connect with people creates meaningful attitude changes. Matt has enjoyed getting to share his message throughout the United States and with international audiences around the world.
Matt grew up on a farm in Southwest Wisconsin in the heartland of America. He lives in Dubuque, Iowa on the banks of a small creek that feeds into the mighty Mississippi with his lovely wife Joie and their sons Carter and Graham. Matt enjoys hiking with his family, fishing with his boys and taking his wife out for dinner.
Matt received his undergrad at University of Wisconsin and then graduated with his Master’s Degree in Communication from University of Dubuque. Most recently Matt was awarded the highly esteemed CSP, Certified Speaking Professional. The CSP designation is conferred by the National Speakers Association (NSA) only on those speakers who have earned it by meeting strict qualifying criteria. The letters CSP following a speaker’s name identify that speaker as a speaking professional with a proven track record for understanding and delivering value from the platform.
Justin Breen is CEO of the PR firm BrEpic Communications and author of the No. 1 International Best-Selling Book, Epic Business. Justin is hard-wired to seek out and create viral, thought-provoking stories that the media craves. And he finds the best stories when he networks with visionary entrepreneurs and executives who understand the value of investing in themselves and their businesses. Justin believes strongly in the power of introductions and creates important relationships through those introductions. He is an extremely active member of Entrepreneurs' Organization, Strategic Coach, Abundance 360 and ProVisors, and he has an incredible global network of visionaries and exceptional businesses.
Jim Bryson is the Deputy Commissioner of the Bureau of Parks & Conservation for the State of Tennessee. In that capacity, Jim manages Tennessee’s 56 state parks, 85 natural areas, 6 lodges, 9 golf courses, 8 restaurants, 36 campgrounds, 370 cabins and 5 outdoor recreation grant programs. Additionally, the Bureau includes the Division of Natural Areas responsible for protecting endangered plant species and the Division of Archeology responsible for preserving Tennessee’s many ancient archeological sites. The Bureau employs approximately 1100 people full-time with an additional 400 seasonal employees. The Bureau manages approximately 220,000 acres of Tennessee public land.
The mission of Tennessee State Parks is “To preserve and protect, in perpetuity, unique examples of natural, cultural, and scenic areas and provide a variety of safe, quality, outdoor experiences through a well-planned and professionally managed system of state parks.” State parks include historic sites, archeological sites, wilderness areas and resort parks in both rural and urban settings.
Jim also serves as the Founder and Board President of The Joseph School, located in Cabaret, Haiti. The school provides a globally competitive education for poor and orphaned children in Haiti. The school began in 2015 with 30, 1st grade students in a rental house. It has added one grade and 30 students each year. In August, school will re-open with 180 students in grades 1–6. In addition to a free education, students receive books, uniforms and two meals a day. Summer nutrition programs assist food-insecure students to maintain health when school is not in session. The market research community has been very active and helpful with The Joseph School over the years. Approximately 50 researchers from around the world have visited The Joseph School and many support the school financially.
Jim was the Founding Chairman of The Sycamore Institute, a non-partisan public policy research center focused on Tennessee state policy and located in Nashville. He continues to serve on its Board.
He is a member of the Nashville Downtown Rotary Club and of First Baptist Church, Nashville where he teaches a weekly Bible study class.
Past service and positions:
Awards
Jim was born in Fayetteville, Arkansas. He graduated from Baylor University and received his MBA from Vanderbilt University. Jim and his wife, Carol, make their home in Nashville, Tennessee. They have four children and two grandchildren, all living nearby.
Missy Carvin is the Manager of Programs and Sales at the Creative Education Foundation. She is also the President of New Directions Consulting, a full-service market research and innovation solutions supplier. Missy is a seasoned Creative Problem Solving facilitator and trainer who has worked across sectors and industries, and who is a key strategic partner in developing the Creative Education Foundation’s youth programs and leadership development programs and activities. Missy represents the 2nd Generation of Creative Problem Solving Institute Leaders, who integrate CPS strategies in her family.
Missy is a frequent speaker at the Creative Problem Solving Institute (CPSI), Florida Creativity Conference (FCC), MindCamp (Canada’s Creativity Conference) and the Qualitative Research Consultants Association (QRCA) annual conference. She has worked in the past for two other not-for-profits: Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson and Historic Hudson Valley, and is an active Girl Scout participant in Orlando, FL. Missy applies her strengths of Activator, Woo, Communication, Strategy, and Positivity to her approach to business, parenting, and life in general.
Rachel Carmen Ceasar, PhD, is a medical anthropologist and UX researcher working at the intersection of health, technology, and design. Her work examines how people navigate and negotiate their health and wellbeing. She's the founder of Culture of Health+Tech Consulting, a women-owned research and design firm in Los Angeles that helps people understand culturally-responsive approaches to health and tech issues. Rachel is also a public health researcher and educator at the Department of Preventive Medicine at the USC Keck School of Medicine where she studies why people use cannabis, vaping, and opioids.
Mallory Combemale is a Co-Founder of the Inheritance Project, which facilitates transformative trainings and experiences that help communities bridge divides, build trust, and cultivate cultures of belonging. Mallory has worked with diverse groups including C-Suite executives from Fortune 100 companies, non-profits, city government agencies and start-up founders. Her facilitation experience ranges from working through race relations on college campuses to designing and facilitating highly customized executive workshops on strategy, innovation, and team effectiveness at the Deloitte Greenhouse.
A Singaporean-French American citizen raised in London, Mallory has always been fascinated with identity and facilitating cross-cultural understanding. She is passionate about empowering leaders with the skills required to lead in a global, diverse, and uncertain future.
Andy has 15 years experience specializing in multi market global Qualitative research. In that time he has worked everywhere from Lagos to Luxembourg, Chengdu to Chicago. Andy's project work has seen him engaging gamers, truckers, TikTokers (and everyone in between)
After over a decade leading projects from the UK Andy moved to New York to head up the One Minute To Midnight Americas office. Andy was a sought after and award winning conference speaker in the UK. His experience included MRS, AQR and BiG events. This will be his first US based conference, and he's very excited to be here.
David Evans holds a Ph.D. in social psychology and is a Senior Manager of Customer Research at Microsoft. There he influences the product and brand strategy for the Microsoft 365 portfolio. He is the author of "Bottlenecks: Aligning UX Design with User Psychology" which he has taught at the University of Washington since 2010. David's work on brand memories received Best Paper recognition from ESOMAR at the 2020 Insights Festival.
Michelle Finzel has been saying, “Thank you for calling Maryland Marketing Source. How may I help you?” since she was 8-years-old. As the current President of Maryland Marketing Source, Inc., Michelle leverages her unique perspective of the industry’s development over the past 30 years and embraces the nuanced roles she has to play as a small business owner in her hometown of Baltimore, Maryland in order to provide her clients with the streamlined results and personalized service they appreciate and expect. She also endeavors to ensure her company is an asset to the community by supporting other minority businesses, sponsoring local children’s sports teams, and engaging in projects that directly benefit the State of Maryland. Michelle has been published several times and has presented at several industry- and communications-focused conferences. She currently serves as Chair of the Field Committee for the Qualitative Research Consultants Association (QRCA), has served on the board of the Baltimore Chapter of the American Marketing Association (AMA), and is a member of the Insights Association (IA).
Being a Design Thinker, Nikhita focuses on identifying innovation possibilities through human-centred approach at Xeno. Her keen interest in identifying inter-connections between local culture, evolving societal mindsets and its effect on consumer and business strategies, drives her in building deeper conviction while crafting new innovation opportunities and gauging its social impact for current and future scenarios. Her background in Product Design (graduate diploma from MIT Institute of Design, Pune) comes handy while translating the insights into tangible and implementable solutions.
Nikhita is a design expert with experience in handling, managing and leading product & service innovation cases. Prior to co-founding Xeno, she was a lead strategist at an innovation consulting company; Turian Labs. She has wide experience in design research, innovation strategy and design implementation projects across industries including consumer durables, consumer electronics, automobile, digital services, interior spaces & lifestyle, UI/UX for both global and local clients. She is also proficient in undertaking future trends forecasting, driving & facilitating organisational capability building around Design Thinking & innovation.
Wendy Godfrey is an accomplished researcher with more than 25 years of experience. Ms. Godfrey has a wealth of experience in consumer and business issues for the financial services industry amassed over a career working in, and consulting with banks. Wendy’s personal interests translate into a passion for working with clients in the non-profit, education, and health and nutrition sectors. Wendy specializes in brand research, concept and message testing, customer experience tracking, and strategic plan development. Wendy is highly valued for her expertise in designing and moderating focus groups and executive interviews. Co-workers affectionately refer to her as our "Qualitative Queen" and include her as a consultant on their qualitative projects.
Ms. Godfrey was attracted to WestGroup because of our unique philosophy of "one contact from proposal to presentation.” She knows the success of research is in the details and enjoys working directly with her clients throughout the entire process. Always available and generous with her time, each of Wendy's clients enjoys the illusion that they are her only client. If you ask someone to describe Wendy, you are guaranteed to hear the words: professional, responsive, trustworthy, wise and gracious.
Prior to joining WestGroup in 2000, Wendy was an independent research consultant engaged by Bank One, First National Bank & Trust, First Hawaiian Bank and Salt River Project. Her strong foundation in the financial industry was built by spending 17 years in banking, 13 of those with Bank One/Valley National Bank, where she held management positions in Marketing Research and Sales & Service Management. Wendy holds a BS in Marketing from the University of Arizona. She is a member of the American Advertising Federation (AAF), the Center for Marketing and Opinion Research (CMOR), the Qualitative Research Consultants Association (QRCA), the American Bankers Association, and is an occasional contributor to Bank Marketing Magazine, as well as a frequent lecturer at the Thunderbird School of Global Management. Wendy also has a long history of community involvement, serving on the boards of the Rosson House, University of Arizona Phoenix Alumni group, and Touchstone Behavioral Health. Currently, she is involved with The Board of Visitors, Valley Leadership and New Pathways for Youth.
Wendy is a part owner of WestGroup and serves on the company’s Board of Directors. Wendy and her husband Bill are avid travelers and adventurers and, in recent years, have made trips to the Galapagos Islands, Costa Rica, London, Africa and Italy. Both at airports and on planes she thoroughly enjoys finding time to read every business book ever written.
During her transition out of the qualitative marketing research world, Ellen became an “early adopter” of the new-at-the-time Life Coaching profession. She completed coaching training with The Coaches Training Institute in 1997 and worked as a career, career change, transition, and retirement coach for about 10 years while winding down her research business. In 2004, she and her husband relocated from Massachusetts back to their home state of Pennsylvania, where Ellen continued to work with a couple of research clients as well as her coaching clients.
While still living in MA, Ellen was a volunteer for the MetroWest Homecare & Hospice and made a mental note at the time that if she ever needed “a real job”, hospice would be something to consider. After moving to PA, she joined a networking group of healthcare professionals where she met the owner of a relatively new hospice serving Chester County, PA, where she now lived. In 2007, Willow Tree Hospice needed a social worker, and invited Ellen to interview for the job. Although she had received her MSW from St. Louis University in 1977, she had never worked in a traditional social work position. Her MSW stood her in good stead, though, and she loved working for Willow Tree for about 4 years.
After several unexpected personal losses, Ellen realized she needed to take a break from her role as a hospice social worker. About the same time, her husband was turning 65 and needed to learn about and get signed up for Medicare. When meeting with a young insurance broker, her questions prompted him to ask, “Do you think you’d like to do this? I think you might be good at it.” Ellen decided to give it a try and has now worked as a health and life insurance broker specializing in Medicare since 2011. There is one word people use when they are starting to navigate the waters of Medicare, and that word is “confusing”. Hence, Ellen sees herself as more of an educator for people new to Medicare than a salesperson, but the two go hand in hand.
As an insurance broker, she still has the flexible schedule that she has enjoyed for most of her professional career, and her home in an over-55 community has proved to be a great location for her insurance business. She has been fortunate to be able to build a referral business that has made her the top Medicare salesperson for the field marketing organization that handles her contracts for the past several years.
J. Robert “J.R.” Harris, is President of JRH Marketing Services. Established in 1975, it is the oldest and most experienced marketing and research consulting firm in the United States. J.R. has over 50 years of diverse marketing and research experience, including media, packaged goods, international, and ethnic marketing and research assignments from major corporations, agencies, organizations, and government ministries. He holds a degree in Psychology from the City University of New York, has studied Spanish and French at New York University and the Berlitz School of Languages, and has taught a course in Market Research at NYU.
Harris is an experienced qualitative research consultant and has moderated more than 4,500 focus groups. He has worked extensively in social marketing, having implemented numerous consulting assignments both domestically and internationally in the areas of nutrition, anti-smoking, the environment, substance abuse, public health, family planning, and others.
A proud Founding Member and past President of the Qualitative Research Consultants Association (QRCA), he also chaired the organization’s Professionalism Committee for 20 years and has been awarded the organization’s Presidents Award for distinguished service.
Mr. Harris has written a number of articles for marketing and research industry publications and has been a popular speaker at industry conventions worldwide. He is an elected member of the Market Research Council, a past Chairman of the Research Industry Coalition, and in 2016 he was elected to the Market Research Hall of Fame.
When not providing insights for his clients, you might be able to find him alone in some of the most remote wilderness areas on the planet. He describes these exploits in his best-selling memoir, “Way Out There: Adventures of a Wilderness Trekker.” J.R. is also on the board of directors for the prestigious Explorers Club, and is chair of the organization’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee.
For over 35 years, Chris Hauck has honed his research skills across many categories, including telecom, IT, medical products, hospitality, and consulting. Chris opened HauckEye in 2020, dedicated to experiential research based on observing consumers in real environments.
Chris has been involved in QRCA conference planning and speaker selection for the last several years, including serving as co-chair of both the 2024 QRCA Conference in Denver and the 2025 QRCA Conference in Philadelphia.
Chris has an MBA from Texas Christian University in Ft. Worth, TX, and lives in Colorado.
Chris Kann’s marketing career spans over 35 years, beginning in corporate marketing roles, and including over 25 years as Principal and Owner of CSK Marketing, Inc., a market research consulting firm with an emphasis on custom qualitative research solutions. She received a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Marketing and an MBA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Chris is a Past President, Board member and Conference Co-Chair of QRCA (the Qualitative Research Consultants Association) and is a frequent presenter and published author on marketing and research topics.
Chris is also a Registered Corporate Coach™ and presents her perspectives on career success and leadership on webinars and at leadership retreats, as well as at the CPSI (Creative Problem Solving Institute) Conference. Between 2013 and 2017, she was the Host of Mind Body Spirit Living, a lifestyle radio show and podcast with over 200 episodes available on iTunes Podcasts.
| Julie Knox has over 20 years of research experience, spending most of her career agency side but with stints client side, both as an in-house researcher and as an external consultant. She has divided her time between the UK and US and in 2012, after 6 years with Jigsaw in the UK, she moved back to the US to start up Jigsaw’s operation there. Julie is a research hybrid, working with expertise across qual or quant approaches. She has taken a leading role in introducing Jigsaw’s WhatsApp approach to new markets, and has significant experience using this tool. |
Ellen Kolstø has been conducting user and consumer research for 18+ years. She started her journey as a Strategic Planner for agencies such as Mullen and GSD&M. In 2012 she moved to market and product research heading up qualitative research in North America for System 1 Group (formerly BrainJuicer). Ellen joined IBM in 2016 where she spent two years focused on understanding teams that develop AI. In 2018, she was appointed Design Principal within IBM Research to lead user research on emerging technology experiences, including IBM Quantum. Currently she is working on understanding visionary use of cloud environments to support software applications. Ellen’s work at IBM has defined new user groups, identified crucial gaps in product experiences and given teams direction for product development to meet future-facing user and market needs.
Executive Director, the Center for Learning and Living, Inc., a non-profit school for people 55+, for 5 years. Planning the course program with a wide range of classes on politics, other current events, societal legal issues, history, literature, the arts, etc. with volunteer teachers; attend all/most classes; supervise 2 administrative assistants; plan marketing efforts; oversee the website (clandl.org). Planned the transition to online classes during the pandemic, with training for teachers and students. Head the board and its meetings. Class sizes vary from small (about 12) to large (for us, up to 80); we’re small enough that everyone gets to know one another. Interaction is encouraged – Q&A, comments.
QLR skills play several roles: deciding what types of courses will interest our students; writing course descriptions, with a background in working on concept statements; developing marketing ideas; moderating/helping to moderate class discussions (posing questions, dealing with talkative students, encouraging more people to participate).
CL&L started in 1994 at Marymount College, is now an independent organization affiliated with the College. I became a student, was asked to join the board, had no plans to play a leadership role but the executive director stepped down and a volunteer was needed.
Pam Goldfarb Liss (she/her), a 30-year veteran researcher, loves the always-changing-never-knowing-what’s-coming-next elements of moderating and facilitating creative consumer discussions, especially with kids and teens! With over three decades of experience working with Fortune 100 brands and non-profits, Pam has seen a lot shift in families especially around gender and family structure. Watching now three generations (Millennial, Gen Z and now Gen Alpha) of consumer kids grow up; she knows that the only constant is change. Pam also realizes that curiosity and comfort are about staying open and bravely asking. Pam spent more than a decade living on the east coast in New York City and Washington DC, and she returned ‘home’ to be with her family in colder, but kinder Minneapolis to live with her east-coast bred husband and Gen Z/Alpha cusper daughter.
Jyo Maan is an agile coach/facilitator and innovation leader who creates a deep sense of self and community by co-designing cultures of belonging through emergent facilitation, social innovation, and leadership development. She is a HCD thinker and emergent facilitator who received her MBA from the University of Iowa and an MS in computer science from the University of North Dakota. As a woman of color who has a deep understanding of the value of inclusion and belonging in organizational success, Jyo coaches organizations through their transitions with high levels of engagement, empathy and creativity. Jyo is ever curious and finds inspiration in people, food, travel, and dance. In leisure, she likes to bring out the ingredients from her pantry, refrigerator and freezer to experiment for what may be a possible creation of innovation in cooking for her family of friends.
Priscilla McKinney, CEO of Little Bird Marketing, is a popular keynote speaker, prolific blogger, podcast host, industry innovator and diversity champion. Best known for making waves in the digital marketing industry, Priscilla has been featured on numerous podcasts, is the President of American Advertising Federation Heartland and has received numerous design, entrepreneurship and industry awards. Along with her expert team, she developed the SOAR System - a proprietary process designed to create sustainable lead generation for busy leaders so they can have confidence in the growth of their company without losing focus on their other responsibilities. Priscilla personifies creativity, entrepreneurship and authentic leadership – inspiring others to truly carve out their own path of success in her uniquely funny, no-nonsense and slightly irreverent way. Oh, and don't give her caffeine. She doesn't need it. |
A dynamic facilitator who harnesses the power of human connection, Susan applies principles of Creative Problem Solving, Design Thinking, Multiple Intelligences Theory, and Improv to disrupt ordinary thinking and create breakthrough for individuals, teams and organizations. For the past 20 years, she has facilitated and moderated hundreds of cutting-edge innovation sessions for Fortune 500 Companies and designed facilitation training programs which she has delivered around the globe. Susan received her degree in Communications from the University of Illinois, studied improv at Josephine Forsberg’s Players Workshop of the Second City, and has received certifications in LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® Methods, FourSight™ Creative Thinking System, and InviteChange’s Credentialed Coach Pathway. She has also taught at several international creativity conferences, including the Creative Problem Solving Institute, Florida Creativity Weekend and ACRE/EDU in South Africa.
Prior to her role as Chairman in 2020, Tonise was CEO of the agency for an unprecedented 24 years. She continually reinvented the company through profound industry changes to where it is today as a leading-edge creative organization with an unrelenting focus on energizing people and brands.
The agency’s brand defining work has been recognized the world over, with best in class recognitions from Cannes Lions, Clios, Effies, APG, WARC Effectiveness and countless more.
She is a passionate advocate for the underserved, especially women and children, serving on the boards of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, Rush University Medical Center and Off the Street Club. She has just completed two years as Chairman of the Board for the Executives’ Club of Chicago.
Professional Experience:
Adjunct Professor, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, 2012 – present
Teach: Business Communication and Crisis Management
Debate Coach, Harriton High School Lower Merion School District, Ardmore, PA – 1998 - present
Communications Consultant, Qualitative Researcher, and Focus Group Moderator
To: Business, Educational Institutions, and Non-Profit Organizations.
Bonita L. Perry Associates, Wynnewood, PA – 1981 to present
Director, Qualitative and Communications Research.
Booz, Allen, and Hamilton (National Analysts Division), Philadelphia, PA – 1971 – /1980
Professional Associations
Community Service:
Personal Accomplishments and Awards:
Swar drives the design process at Xeno facilitating the translation of user insights into actionable strategies for design solutions. She works at the intersection of service design, human-centred research and social innovation. Her stubborn optimism coupled with her background in social innovation fuel her ambition to explore the potential for creating a positive social impact through every project. She has worked in Mumbai, New York and Stockholm over the past few years and enjoys working in new places to learn about diverse cultures and people. Prior to founding Xeno, she worked with Veryday (part of McKinsey design) where she worked across industries including finance and automotive with a large part of experience focused in healthcare. She has a breadth of experience ranging from conducting research globally, to helping companies identify customer-centric services to customer-centric capability building for companies. She has earned a master's degree in Design for Social Innovation from School of Visual Arts, New York and holds a graduate diploma in Graphic Design from MIT Institute of Design, Pune.
Rodrigo dos Reis is an enthusiastic big picture thinker who is constantly focused on the future. In his 15+ years of experience with several perspectives of market research, he’s built a reputation of providing innovative solutions to address business issues through research, as well as supporting the implementation of consumer-centered initiatives. His experience working with consumer trends gives him a global perspective on consumer culture. He founded Zeitgeist, an innovation-oriented market research company, in 2011 and has worked with a wide range of categories in local, regional and international studies.
| • Michele Ronsen is the Founder & CEO of Curiosity Tank, a user research consultancy based in San Francisco. • Michele is a user research executive, coach and educator. She teaches design and user research to people around the world. Her corporate training and workshops are inspired by her work with Fortune 500 firms and start-ups for more than 20 years. • In 2010, Michele founded Ronsen Consulting, a design and strategy firm specializing in human-centered research, design development and hands-on learning programs. Ten years later, she established Curiosity Tank to help more people ask better questions in order to make confident decisions. • Since 2020, Michele has taught over 5000 students how to ask better questions and make more informed business decisions. LinkedIn also honored her with a TopVoices award in the Technology category. |
For over 20 years, Gary Rudman, the founder and president of GTR Consulting, has been conducting research on young consumers for clients.
He has experience with a wide variety of market research methodologies, and has conducted hundreds of focus groups for companies in verticals including retail, fashion, packaged goods, personal care, insurance, telecommunications, technology, video gaming, web design, media, beverages, and social marketing.
Gary regularly provides insights about younger consumers to media outlets, and has been quoted in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the International Herald Tribune, BrandWeek, MediaWeek, and regional newspapers across the country.
Prior to founding GTR Consulting, Gary was a planner for Foote, Cone and Belding and J. Walter Thompson and director of qualitative research for Teenage Research Unlimited.
Trained in cultural anthropology at Harvard and the University of Chicago, Paitra has more than two decades of experience studying consumers’ lives, attitudes, activities, and environments.
After earning her PhD, she built and managed a successful in-context research practice for a Fortune 200 company, representing the voice of the consumer to senior leadership, brand managers and product developers. She is a seasoned and talented facilitator of interactions with consumers and an adept trainer for management teams in the art and science of observational research.
Paitra is passionate about understanding human experiences. When she’s not hanging out with consumers, you’ll find her reading sci-fi, writing creative nonfiction, or playing card games with her sons and husband.
Mary Sorber is the founder of Practical Insights, a boutique research consultancy, and currently works in-house at Wells Fargo as a Principal XD Researcher. She specializes in insight generation through qualitative methods and has a particular passion for making technology useful for people. She has worked for leading technology companies including Cisco, Autodesk, Intuit and Google. The opinions expressed here are her own.
Janet Standen turns questions into directions fast - through bringing fresh qualitative insights to brands & businesses in an accelerated process that does not compromise depth of learning. As Co-Founder of Scoot Insights, she leverages over 30 years of consumer & B2B marketing experience to unearth insights that are relevant and actionable, to help management teams make more powerful decisions. Janet is a customer-driven innovation, brand positioning, communication & team facilitation specialist, with a breadth of research experience gained working in the US and in the UK/Europe across many categories and target audiences.
Janet served on the board of QRCA for 4 years and was the 2022 President’s Award recipient for outstanding service to the qualitative research industry and community. She is Co-Chair of the QRCA UX SIG. Janet is Co-Founder and remains actively involved in MRxPros.
Julia is a seasoned researcher with over 20 years of experience conducting qualitative and quantitative insights work among both consumer and professional audiences, with a focus in business-to-business research for the financial, health care and public policy sectors. From 1999-2009, Julia worked for Applied Research + Consulting, where she conducted both qualitative and quantitative research for a range of clients, including The College Board; CBS Evening News; Jones New York; Ginnie Mae; and Condé Nast, among many others. She has a B.A. in English from Yale University and is a teacher of Buddhist meditation practice for the Kadampa Meditation Center in NYC.
Joeffrey’s approach to consulting is grounded in his training in mathematics at Northwestern University, industrial design at the University of Illinois Chicago, and more than two decades of entrepreneurship and advisory experience.
After completing his master’s degree, he built an award-winning design and branding agency. The company served more than 200 clients including small businesses, nonprofits, and Fortune 500 companies. Joeffrey works as an advisor to business leaders, helping them to uncover opportunities to improve their results.
Joeffrey loves great design and music. He enjoys traveling to new spots, binge-watching thought-provoking series and playing card games with his sons and wife.
I have been a qualitative market researcher and marketing consultant for more than 27 years, primarily in the healthcare space. My background is in cognitive development and psycholinguistics which affords me unique opportunities to apply these methods to understanding complex decision-making and motivation among key stakeholders across the healthcare spectrum. I've specialized in pre-launch strategy, product positioning, messaging and the development and evaluation of creative themes and executions. In addition, I moderate consulting workshops to help clients and collaborative partners find meaningful ways to transition research findings into practical outcomes.
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10 Irrefutable Leadership Insights That Will Propel You and Your Business
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Total Credits: 1 Advance Credits | On Demand | 1 Hour | More info » | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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A Positive Attitude in a Negative World
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Total Credits: 1 Advance Credits | On Demand | 40 Minutes | More info » | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| At the time of purchase |
Casting a Wider Net: Inspiration for Inclusive Recruiting
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Total Credits: 1 Advance Credits | On Demand | 44 Minutes | More info » | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| At the time of purchase |
Clarifying the Lexicon of UX and Market Research
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Total Credits: 1 Advance Credits | On Demand | 41 Minutes | More info » | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| At the time of purchase |
Continuing to Learn
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Total Credits: 1 Advance Credits | On Demand | 42 Minutes | More info » | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| At the time of purchase |
Demystifying LinkedIn For Business Development
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Total Credits: 1 Advance Credits | On Demand | 40 Minutes | More info » | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| At the time of purchase |
Demystifying Qualitative Data Analysis for Market Researchers
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Total Credits: 1 Advance Credits | On Demand | 54 Minutes | More info » | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| At the time of purchase |
Ensuring Respondent Profiles Match the Persona
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Total Credits: 1 Advance Credits | On Demand | 45 Minutes | More info » | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| At the time of purchase |
Envisioning What’s Next: Stories of Life After Qual
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Total Credits: 1 Advance Credits | On Demand | 1 Hour | More info » | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| At the time of purchase |
Everything I Need to Know as a Qual Researcher I Learned from My Special Needs Kid
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Total Credits: 0.5 Advance Credits | On Demand | 29 Minutes | More info » | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| At the time of purchase |
Focus Your Mind, Focus Your Group
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Total Credits: 0.5 Advance Credits | On Demand | 25 Minutes | More info » | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| At the time of purchase |
Going Rogue: When Traditional Focus Group Structures Don’t Work for Vulnerable Markets
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Total Credits: 0.5 Advance Credits | On Demand | 34 Minutes | More info » | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| At the time of purchase |
Going Viral: Ensuring Business Impact
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Total Credits: 0.5 Advance Credits | On Demand | 23 Minutes | More info » | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| At the time of purchase |
Helping Brazilian Brands Strengthen Customer Relationships via Social Issues
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Total Credits: 0.5 Advance Credits | On Demand | 26 Minutes | More info » | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| At the time of purchase |
Heroes or Villains: How Brands Can Navigate Today’s Climate of Heightened Moral Judgment
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Total Credits: 1 Advance Credits | On Demand | 42 Minutes | More info » | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| At the time of purchase |
How Social is Your Research?
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Total Credits: 1 Advance Credits | On Demand | 45 Minutes | More info » | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| At the time of purchase |
Inclusive Research for Social Justice
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Total Credits: 1 Advance Credits | On Demand | 50 Minutes | More info » | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| At the time of purchase |
Inclusivity Is Messy: A Panel of Experienced Moderators Spill the Tea on Inclusive Moderating
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Total Credits: 1 Advance Credits | On Demand | 54 Minutes | More info » | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| At the time of purchase |
Interviewing Techniques from Outside the Qual World
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Total Credits: 1 Advance Credits | On Demand | 40 Minutes | More info » | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| At the time of purchase |
Jugaad for the Future
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Total Credits: 1.0 Advance Credits | On Demand | 46 Minutes | More info » | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| At the time of purchase |
Leadership Reboot: Be the Leader You Were Meant to Be
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Total Credits: 1 Advance Credits | On Demand | 1 Hour | More info » | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| At the time of purchase |
Leaning into Remote: Optimizing the New Normal
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Total Credits: 1 Advance Credits | On Demand | 44 Minutes | More info » | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| At the time of purchase |
Let's Stop Dancing Around Feedback (What I Learned from a 70-year-old Dancer/Choreographer Will Change How You Use Qual Research to Understand and Develop Ideas)
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Total Credits: 1.0 Advance Credits | On Demand | 44 Minutes | More info » | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| At the time of purchase |
Making the Leap from Independent QRCA to the Corporate World
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Total Credits: 1 Advance Credits | On Demand | 43 Minutes | More info » | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| At the time of purchase |
Mastering a "Next Level" Moderator Mindset
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Total Credits: 1.0 Advance Credits | On Demand | 43 Minutes | More info » | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| At the time of purchase |
Mastering International Studies
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Total Credits: 1 Advance Credits | On Demand | 48 Minutes | More info » | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| At the time of purchase |
Mobile Ethnography: Researcher Tips (Part I)
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Total Credits: 1 Advance Credits | On Demand | 44 Minutes | More info » | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| At the time of purchase |
Mobile Ethnography: Researcher Tips (Part II)
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Total Credits: 1 Advance Credits | On Demand | 44 Minutes | More info » | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| At the time of purchase |
Peak Moments in Memory Are the New Brand Battleground
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Total Credits: 0.5 Advance Credits | On Demand | 30 Minutes | More info » | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| At the time of purchase |
Qualitative Quality: How to Delight Clients with Insights They Can Defend
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Total Credits: 1 Advance Credits | On Demand | 1 Hour | More info » | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| At the time of purchase |
Researcher Risk, Well-Being, and Emotional Safety in the Field
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Total Credits: 1 Advance Credits | On Demand | 40 Minutes | More info » | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| At the time of purchase |
Roadtrip Anyone? How to Plan for the Next Leg of Your Journey and Travel it Like a Boss
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Total Credits: 1 Advance Credits | On Demand | 27 Minutes | More info » | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| At the time of purchase |
Self-Care Tips for Crazed Quals
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Total Credits: 1 Advance Credits | On Demand | 37 Minutes | More info » | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| At the time of purchase |
Shake Up Your Business Development Mindset!
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Total Credits: 1 Advance Credits | On Demand | 44 Minutes | More info » | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| At the time of purchase |
The Basics, Ins and Outs, and Techniques for Qualitative Research with Gen Z (Teens and Tweens)
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Total Credits: 1 Advance Credits | On Demand | 52 Minutes | More info » | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| At the time of purchase |
The Cobbler's Children: Qualitative Research to Market Your Qualitative Agency
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Total Credits: 1 Advance Credits | On Demand | 1 Hour | More info » | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| At the time of purchase |
The New Accountability
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Total Credits: 1 Advance Credits | On Demand | 46 Minutes | More info » | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| At the time of purchase |
Turning Insight into Action with Design Thinking
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Total Credits: 0.5 Advance Credits | On Demand | 27 Minutes | More info » | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| At the time of purchase |
Understanding Creative Problem Solving Styles
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Total Credits: 1 Advance Credits | On Demand | 43 Minutes | More info » | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| At the time of purchase |
Unpack Your Inheritance
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Total Credits: 1 Advance Credits | On Demand | 45 Minutes | More info » | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| At the time of purchase |
Using Empathy to Grow Your Business
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Total Credits: 1 Advance Credits | On Demand | 42 Minutes | More info » | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| At the time of purchase |
Using Live Experiences for Deep Understanding
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Total Credits: 1 Advance Credits | On Demand | 46 Minutes | More info » | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| At the time of purchase |
Virtual Research & Collaboration Tools for Human Centered Design (A Social Impact Case Study)
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Total Credits: 0.5 Advance Credits | On Demand | 26 Minutes | More info » | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| At the time of purchase |
You Say To-may-toe & I Say To-mah-toe: Is it Just a Matter of How You Say it, or Is it the Words That You Use?
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Total Credits: 0.5 Advance Credits | On Demand | 30 Minutes | More info » | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total Program CE Credits Information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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