Learn More About the 2018 Recipients
Philippe BoutrosSenior Research Analyst, Cascade Insights
United States
ABOUT: In what was unwittingly his first ethnographic study, Philippe grew up working alongside agricultural workers on a winery in the mountains of Lebanon. He majored in Philosophy and Political Science at the University of Portland, where he pursued a series of internships while being a student journalist. He worked on political campaigns and startups before finding Cascade Insights, a boutique market research firm focused exclusively on B2B Tech. He lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife, Sydney, and their devil-dog, Lily. IN 3 WORDS: Curious, obsessive, impatient. FIRST QUALITATIVE LOVE: The CIO of a top-5 US bank told me ‘all the numbers make people think this, but here’s what’s actually happening’. He was right.
Warren Ciabattoni
Director, Qualitative Research, 7th Sense Research
United States
ABOUT: Warren is a qualitative research specialist with eight years of experience in strategic consumer research and brand planning. He is versed in focus group, ethnographic, online, and creative workshop methodologies across a variety of categories, including automotive, luxury goods, consumer electronics, insurance, financial services, hospitality, CPG, and alcohol. Prior to 7th Sense, Warren worked as a Strategic Planner with Leo Burnett Chicago. Warren holds a B.A. in English Literature from John Carroll University and a Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from George Mason University. MANTRA: “Without the bitter, baby, the sweet ain’t as sweet.” FIRST QUALITATIVE LOVE: Studs Terkel’sWorking…inspired me in grad school to quit navel-gazing and learn to tell other people’s stories. When I went into advertising, I realized that my favorite part of the job wasn’t creating brand stories, but understanding the human behaviors upon which they are built.
Elizabeth Dengal
Senior Project Manager, Fulcrum Research Group
United States
ABOUT: I currently live in Boston and work at Fulcrum Research Group, a market research company focused primarily on the pharmaceutical industry. I never expected to end up in market research, but I decided to apply for a job in the field because of the analytical nature of the work. It ended up being a great fit for my interests and background and I look forward to continuing to grow as a researcher! MANTRA: I try to always look ahead, whether it's my calendar or a project timeline, to ensure that I'm well prepared and no detail is overlooked. FIRST QUALITATIVE LOVE: When I took notes in the backroom for the first time.
Aimée Douglas, PhD
Senior Specialist, Qualitative Research, Bain & Company
United States
ABOUT: The fifth of six children raised in Maryland, Aimée has been nagging others with questions like “how?” and “why?” for as long as she can remember. A cultural anthropologist with a background in psychology and social science research, she is fascinated by the patterns of meaning and practices of identification that animate people’s daily lives. She recently completed her doctorate at Cornell and currently lives with her husband and son in Boston, where she works as a qualitative researcher for Bain & Company. IN 3 WORDS: Inquisitive, meticulous, wanderlust. FIRST QUALITATIVE LOVE: I was an undergraduate studying abroad in Sri Lanka. Spending evenings after classes with my host amma (“mother”), listening to her stories, and probing for details about her life and her ideas about politics, love, and family, I realized the subtle challenges, and the extraordinary rewards, of “learning how to ask.”
Jessica Fennell
Research Manager, Northstar Research Partners
United Kingdom
ABOUT: Jessica has been a consumer researcher for the past 4 years. She joined Northstar Research partners in 2017 as a qualitative research specialist, having previously gained a strong research background in the communications sector. Research wasn’t her first love, she started her career as a Media Planner on some of the UK’s biggest advertising accounts. However, she soon realised research, and qualitative research in particular, was her passion, and hasn’t looked back since! She has worked across a wide range of clients and categories, with a particular interest in the retail and media sectors. MANTRA: You only fail when you stop trying. FIRST QUALITATIVE LOVE: When, as a media planner, I first met a qualitative researcher, I knew I wanted to steal her job!
Reece Jones
Senior Research Analyst, Qualitative Insights, Buzzback
United States
ABOUT: Reece started his Market Research career three years ago in New York City with a boutique Qual/Quant research company called 2CV. For the past two years he has been with the Qualitative Insights team at BuzzBack Research in NYC, where he has worked on a wide range of in-person and online methodologies. He has a passion for getting out there, meeting new people and learning about what makes them "tick" to help brands connect with consumers. Reece enjoys creating engaging, rich and unique outputs to help bring the consumers' voice to life. MANTRA: Own it. Learn from it. Grow from it. FIRST QUALITATIVE LOVE: When I started doing ethnographies and got a glimpse into other people’s lives, their realities. It really opened up my world and helped me realize how different everyone is and how wonderful our differences make us.
Anne Lee Groves
Director, Lee Groves Consulting
Canada
ABOUT: Anne Lee Groves, founder of Lee Groves Consulting, has over a decade of expertise in conducting research and consulting for leading education, arts and culture, healthcare, and other non-profit institutions. She helps organizations listen, learn, and apply in order to make stronger and smarter organizational decisions. After 10 years in Chicago, Anne now resides near Toronto, Ontario with her family. IN 3 WORDS: Empathetic, analytical, committed. FIRST QUALITATIVE LOVE: [When] I realized I could be nosy by talking to people and watching them and call it research.
Marlena Mattei
Manager, Research & Insights, KUDZU Research & Insights
United States
ABOUT: Marlena is the Research & Insights Manager at KUDZU where she conducts qualitative research to investigate the implications of consumer perceptions, behaviors, and preferences in a larger cultural framework. She analyzes those findings to uncover insights to optimize marketing and brand strategies. Before arriving in the much more focused and concrete world of market research, Marlena enjoyed her experience in academia, conducting qualitative research in social sciences, education, and fine arts. Marlena graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania in 2014 where she studied Cultural Anthropology and English. MANTRA: “The trouble with life isn’t that there is no answer, it’s that there are so many answers.” – Ruth Benedict FIRST QUALITATIVE LOVE: In college, while writing the analysis section for my first qualitative research paper which was on dream circulation on campuses.
Amye Parker
Research Manager, Northstar Research Partners
United Kingdom
ABOUT: Amye has been a qualitative researcher for five years, starting her career at a non-profit organization, before moving onto a brand consultancy firm and, most recently, a boutique research agency. She has conducted research for a number of industries, including grocery, publishing, hospitality, automotive and wellness. Amye’s background in Sociology and consumer-centric research has heightened her interest in uncovering the ‘why’ of consumption, brand affinity, and customer loyalty. Hailing from the wonderful land of Canada, in 2016 she traded Toronto’s snow for London’s rain and has since been exploring Europe on her weekends. IN 3 WORDS: Empathetic, enthusiastic, evolving. FIRST QUALITATIVE LOVE: [When] I learned it was a job people could have! Combining people skills, analytical methods and strategic thinking? Now that is my idea of a dream career.
Jeanne Penn
Research Executive, Cello Health Insight
United States
ABOUT: Jeanne is a Research Executive at Cello Health Insight. She joined Cello Health in October 2017 after completing the Health Market Research Internship at Hall & Partners. Jeanne graduated from Hamilton College in 2017 where she studied Environmental Studies and Sociology. During her time in college she led a handful of qualitative research projects on Hamilton’s campus and while studying abroad in South Africa, Vietnam, and Argentina. Passionate about people and culture, Jeanne is eager to bring marginalized voices to the table to inform culturally conscious advertising. MANTRA: Stay curious. FIRST QUALITATIVE LOVE: When I realized its power and potential to challenge common narratives and inform innovative strategies.
Meagan Peters
Qualitative Director, Solution Partners Consulting
United States
ABOUT: Meagan Peters’ expertise lies in applying emotion theory and methodological techniques to qualitative research. Trained in facial coding and body language analysis, she has published her academic research on emotions as well as presented it at Stanford’s School of Business. Meagan has worked across a wide variety of industries and consumer targets, while also being distinguished for her expertise in conducting research among Millennials. Meagan has been trained in online qualitative methods, Riva moderating and Synectics Ideation. She holds an M.S. in Business Administration from University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign and B.A. in Sociology and Communications from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. MANTRA: “Your intellect may be confused, but your emotions will never lie to you.” – Robert Ebert FIRST QUALITATIVE LOVE: When I realized qualitative research is a way to give a voice to consumers’ true feelings, motivations, and attitudes and allows me to tap into my love of both psychology and business.
Angel Requena
Associate Project Director, InsightsNow
United States
ABOUT: As an Associate Project Director at InsightsNow, Angel prepares budgets for clients’ proposals, supports his colleagues with the fielding of studies, and serves as a liaison between contractors (including qualitative consultants) and his internal team. Angel enjoys going out of his way to optimize the execution of projects just as he enjoys building relationships with vendors, especially with his go-to partners. He has a business background, is a native Spanish speaker, and will obtain (or obtained depending when you’re reading this) a master’s degree in December 2017. Angel used to manage the operations of a family business, but he soon realized that to avoid a midlife crisis, he needed to develop a career in an industry he was passionate about. Although he is slightly introverted, Angel is always looking forward to meeting new people, especially since his close and loved ones already lose their patience very quickly when he starts asking random questions. IN 3 WORDS: Spontaneous, wonderer, empathetic. FIRST QUALITATIVE LOVE: I realized this field would alleviate my insatiable need for knowing why. Since then, my passion for the behavioral sciences combined with the confirmation bias has been self-fulfilling this “aha moment”.
Andrew Russell
Design Researcher, Sylver Consulting
United States
ABOUT: I graduated from University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) in 2015 with a bachelor’s in Industrial Design. While there, I realized I loved the human insights that were gained from understanding the context surrounding the users. I focused as many of my projects as possible around the research phase, seeing that projects without solid research were less compelling. However, I did not realize at the time that the tools and methods I was using were not exclusive to the design research world. When I started at Sylver Consulting I learned about the wonderful and expansive world of qualitative research, and I continue to learn more about it every day. MANTRA: Never allow yourself to stop learning. FIRST QUALITATIVE LOVE: As part of a design research class, I was tasked with completing several ethnographic interviews. The feeling of connecting to the participants on a deep level, and the insights that came from those experiences was a truly electric feeling.
Rebecca BukeleSamour
Associate Director of Research & Insights, Collage Group
El Salvador
ABOUT: Originally Palestinian, I was born in Miami and raised in El Salvador. My multicultural background and natural curiosity led me to my career in research. I have more than 4 years of experience helping American companies better understand minorities, particularly Hispanics. I am fully trilingual and a RIVA trained moderator. I hold an MS from IE Business School and a BA in Commerce from the University of Virginia. I have lived in more than five countries and have a passion for travelling and learning about other cultures. MANTRA: Enjoy the little things! FIRST QUALITATIVE LOVE: [When] I was able to bond with participants and have them open up about their lives. I loved getting to know people, all their stories and learning so much from them.
Dr. Brittany L. Stalsburg
Founder & President, BLS Research & Consulting LLC
United States
ABOUT: Brittany L. Stalsburg, PhD, founded BLS Research & Consulting in 2016 after several years directing market research and consulting engagements for two prominent national consulting firms (Lake Research Partners and Whitman Insight Strategies). She leads a diverse partnership of researchers and strategists who have experience consulting with all types of organizations, including brands, companies, political candidates, nonprofits, foundations, and government agencies. Brittany is a RIVA-trained moderator who has facilitated over 250 focus groups, in-depth interviews, and ethnographies. She is also a published author with bylines in several major media outlets. IN 3 WORDS: Confident, determined, curious. FIRST QUALITATIVE LOVE: [When]I sat in the back room of my first focus group and realized I could learn more about the population I'm studying by hearing them talk for an hour than I could ever learn from survey or secondary research. The topic was immigration, and the group included blue collar white men in the Midwest. The way they spoke about immigrants was so obviously based in fear and anxiety, and their feeling of terror that immigrants were going to take their jobs and their culture was palpable. Being able to understand this group on such an emotional level had powerful implications for my work on the immigration issue.
Research Manager, Bad Babysitter Productions
United States
ABOUT: Leigh believes that interdisciplinary learning gives a holistic perspective to understand the world. In order to understand the hard questions, she likes to see situations and problems from all sides. Her natural curiosity focuses on the interconnectedness of ideas, people, and solutions. Through her unendingly energetic drive to explore the world around her she writes and publishes about cultural identities and current issues. Leigh is also an International Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and a Member of The Explorers Club. MANTRA: "I did not so much gain the knowledge of things by the words, as words by the experience of things." – Plutarch FIRST QUALITATIVE LOVE: [When] I began to understand the difference between finding the answers to the questions being asked versus asking the right questions. Context is everything.