A new type of research partner

Curtis has decades of experience in technology marketing and marketing research. He has worked with Fortune 500 companies, startups, non-profits, governments, and advocacy groups on a broad range of issues including product development and marketing, brand strategy, public relations, public affairs, and corporate reputation. His technology clients have included Microsoft, Amazon, Oracle, Facebook, Dell, and Intel. Curtis’ marketing research experience includes customer segmentation, concept testing and refinement, SKU optimization and pricing, positioning and messaging, and feature priority among IT, commercial, influencer, and consumer audiences. Prior to Emerald, Curtis was at PSB Research for 12 years, the last two as CEO. Prior to that, Curtis was at Microsoft in various roles including marketing research, OEM sales, and product marketing.

As a partner at Emerald, Tammy looks across all categories in both consumer and commercial organizations. Tammy enjoys working with fun, smart people on big, thorny business challenges. Her PoV is built from her global, multi-disciplined experience in Product Marketing, Marketing Communications & Data Analytics, spanning technologies, business units and audiences. Tammy has spent her entire career working in technology and is passionate about translating data into actionable business strategy and insightful customer stories. Tammy is a graduate of the University of Washington. She and her husband Loren love to cheer on the Zags, where her daughter Lily is attending college.

As a tech-enthusiast steeped in product marketing and communication strategy, Eric leads product research for technology clients at Emerald. Having cut his teeth in both qual and quant practices, Eric blends the heartbeat of the customer with actionable analytics, solving inbound engineering development and outbound go-to-market business challenges. He believes research should be fun & engaging for both the participant and stakeholders and always concludes with captive storytelling.

Jeff has an extensive market research background, specializing in technology marketing and strategy. Prior to joining Emerald, Jeff established behavioral analytics and social intelligence practices at PSB Research.  He also spent more than a decade leading research initiatives at Microsoft for a variety of business units, including Office 365, Windows, Corporate Market Research, and SMB Segment Marketing. Jeff’s experience spans a breadth of research disciplines that include segmentation, positioning and messaging, SKU & pricing optimization, telemetry-based behavioral analysis and social intelligence.

Brandee serves as Vice President of Qualitative Research at Emerald. In her role, Brandee leverages her nearly two decades of marketing research and consulting expertise to lead the firm’s qualitative practice, and is dedicated to delivering the best-in-class qualitative offering to Emerald’s clients. Brandee both designs and executes strategic engagements that deliver on her clients’ business objectives, and is an expert at distilling customer feedback into an actionable roadmap. Brandee is a seasoned moderator, experienced in a gamut of methodologies (both in-person and online) and has moderated thousands of engagements among a wide range of both consumer and B2B audiences. In addition to her role at Emerald, Brandee sits on the advisory board for the Tombolo Institute’s Customer Experience Program, helping shape the curriculum and accreditation for upcoming qualitative researchers. On a personal level, Brandee is devoted to her family (which includes three teenaged children), traveling to new corners of the world, discovering local dive bars, and successfully managing her Fantasy Football Teams.

As Senior Director at Emerald, Danielle works alongside clients to develop, implement and manage custom research engagements tied to key business goals. Her areas of expertise include both commercial and consumer topics, spanning qualitative and quantitative methodologies, along with social media analysis and measurement. Danielle has managed and contributed to a diverse array of research studies for leading technology companies, as well as for the 2020 United States Census. Outside of work, Danielle enjoys listening to podcasts, reading about political theory and tasting exotic teas.

As a Senior Director at Emerald, Casey leads custom project execution and analysis, and is passionate about bringing numbers to life through storytelling. His expertise lies in quant, with extensive experience in both consumer and B2B tech research. Equipped with a marketing degree from Michigan State University, Casey began his research career in 2015 managing custom projects for financial and tech clients. Since then, he has helped inform branding and product decisions for major banks, fintechs, gaming brands, social media companies, computer manufacturers, and commercial software organizations.

Cynthia comes to Emerald with 10+ years of experience working closely with her clients on finding answers to their marketing and product development questions, providing clarity on customer needs, behaviors, and motivations. She has a passion for understanding the cross section of tech, culture, and people. Cynthia’s insights experience spans a range of industries with deep experience in the tech and social media arena. Her strengths include brand and communication strategy, concept development, customer journey, and target audience understanding. She enjoys digging into the data and finding the story. Cynthia has a Master of Arts in International Relations, Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Sociology, which translates to putting people and culture at the center of her thinking – whether it be local or abroad. Outside of work, Cynthia enjoys skiing, yoga, rides on her Peloton, gardening, tending to her four sweet-natured chickens, attending concerts and music festivals.

Yimeng is passionate about navigating data through storytelling and bringing technology into people’s life. After earning her PhD degree in engineering, Yimeng embarked on her career journey in market research as she is a firm believer in building the bridge between technology and people. Equipped with expertise in conjoint modeling and background in engineering, Yimeng has managed custom projects for various B2B clients within the tech and industrial fields. Outside of work, Yimeng enjoys spending time in museums, hunting for unique vintage furniture pieces, and trying out new cuisine and recipes.

Alex is a Director for Social Intelligence at Emerald. With a passion for using innovative methods to answer clients’ toughest business questions, Alex’s diverse consulting background melds together experience from solving tech, finance, gaming, and food industry problems. He has a passion for leveraging all research tools at his disposal, inclusive of analytics, innovative methods such as social intelligence and digital research, and direct-to-consumer methods to ensure that a comprehensive story is told when diving into solving obstacles. Formerly at PSB Insights and PK Global, Alex’s integrated knowledge of social intelligence, quant, and qual insights provides clients with the opportunity to approach business questions with a holistic approach. Aside from crafting stories with data, Alex can be found on the soccer field, watching the Sounders or Seahawks, or reading about history.

Julie has spent her career at boutique research consultancies designing and executing custom qualitative & quantitative research initiatives for clients across industries, including consumer electronics, B2B, and CPG. Julie is passionate about digging into the data to understand the story behind consumer journey & decision making and proceeding to tell that story in a way that is both impactful and visually stunning. She specializes in creating infographic-style reports that spark conversation and ignite action by visualizing insights in a way that is both memorable and shareable. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Michigan.

Ambra Nowlin is a Director who joined the Emerald team in February 2020. After graduating with a B.S. in Behavioral Neuroscience, she realized her passion lies at the intersection of human behavior, technology, and research. She established a foundation of market research excellence by consulting for tech clients at an international research firm, where she spearheaded initiatives to integrate behavioral science principles into research processes and insights.  Originally from the Bay Area, Ambra loves rainy overcast weather and is proud to now call Seattle home. She spends time involved in the city’s vibrant music culture and enjoys exploring local restaurants.

As a Director at Emerald, Alissa delivers impactful and strategic business insights through both qualitative and quantitative research. With expertise in B2B technology research, Alissa has partnered with leading providers in cloud technology, infrastructure, data protection and cybersecurity, and various SaaS platforms. Alissa is driven to uncover the human insights and perspectives that impact technology decision-making, and loves to unlock the story behind the research data. Outside of work, Alissa enjoys exploring the outdoors: mountain biking, trail running, skiing, rock climbing, and camping with her dogs.

Annie’s inherent curiosity and passion for learning is reflected in her ability to conduct meaningful research that translates to bigger growth opportunities for organizations. Her professional career has spanned across industries such as food and beverage, hospitality, sustainable farming, and global CPG companies. Annie’s expertise is being able to piece together divergent perspectives into holistic solutions for long-term strategies at both corporate and business unit levels while building internal alignment. Outside of work, Annie loves to garden, listen to podcasts, and pick out new recipes to try from her collection of cookbooks.

Kathleen joined the Emerald Team as a Senior Research Analyst in March 2022. She holds a master’s in Applied Anthropology and has a particular passion for translating qualitative data into actionable insights. She is driven by a desire to understand the “why” behind how people behave. Prior to joining Emerald, she worked as a market research consultant for local governments, conducting resident surveys and running online communities. She also spent several years as the in-house evaluator for Pacific Science Center. Outside of work, Kathleen enjoys exploring the parks of Seattle, reading nonfiction, and trying out new recipes.

Karina joined the Emerald team in March 2021 as an analyst. With a knack for spotting unique findings and themes in the sea of data, Karina's expertise for generating breakthrough strategies grew from her time working at the University of Washington's Consulting and Business Development Center. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Karina led a team of over 30+ UW Foster students and partners in gathering, analyzing and synthesizing primary and secondary research to help small businesses recover from the effects of the new crisis. Always on the lookout for how to leverage research to support the local community, Karina enjoys traveling abroad, learning multiple languages, and exploring Pike Place's latest treasures.

Maria joined Emerald in January 2023 as a Senior Research Analyst. She holds a B.A. in Applied Mathematics-Economics and a master's in Public Affairs, with a focus on data-driven policy. She is passionate about the intersection of data and human understanding, which she continues to explore and use to derive innovative and insightful solutions. Before joining Emerald, Maria worked as a quantitative market researcher for a variety of industries and audiences.

Kenneth comes to Emerald with a robust background in consumer insights and technology, showcasing a wealth of experience in deciphering market trends and harnessing technological advancements to drive impactful research outcomes. His passion lies in understanding people, weaving behavior patterns into compelling narratives that bring data to life. He has worked with clients spanning from the fields of technology to finance to put his touch on innovation and insights. Outside of work, Kenneth loves traveling to different destinations globally and trying out new cuisines/restaurants.

Zoey holds an undergraduate degree in Industrial Design and a master’s degree in Marketing from the University of Cincinnati. Her education provides her with both a design research and marketing research lens when approaching research questions. She has worked in product development in the cosmetics, textile, and health care industries and is an expert with front-end innovation methods, product and service design, and qualitative research. Understanding consumer psychology and uncovering motivations for purchase decisions is what excites Zoey the most about research. When not at work, Zoey enjoys gardening, cooking, hiking, and rock climbing.

McKenzie joined the Emerald team in November 2022 as a market research analyst. She has spent her career in digital technology working closely with developers to successfully manage projects and track success. Her background is in web analysis and UX research. Helping others understand complex data and findings to drive actionable insights is what she loves most about research. Outside of work, McKenzie enjoys audio engineering, finding DIY projects to work on, and watching movies.