CEO, Founder
President
Vice President
Vice President
Fast forward to present: Sachs Insights has grown into a community of eclectic researchers who are passionate about uncovering the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of all kinds of people. We view qualitative research as an art.
Having worked with pioneers in interactive design, Tammy was inspired to build the first independent Customer Experience Lab at Sachs Insights – where participants assess the appeal and usability of websites, mobile applications, kiosks and games. She co-authored a book capturing her philosophy toward user experience (Back to the User, 2002, New Rider Press) with Gary McClain, Ph.D.
Prior to founding Sachs Insights, Tammy was a product developer at Citibank and a planner at Ogilvy and Mather. She graduated from Wesleyan University, magna cum laude, with a BA in Theater and Psychology and from NYU with an MBA in Marketing.
Robert oversees the development of marketplace leading practices in Brand, Innovation and User Experience and consults on how to integrate consumer insights to drive brand, marketing and communications goals.
He is the chief architect of study design at Sachs, developing new methodologies to address client challenges and further the practice of qualitative research as an art. Chief among these methods are Creative Engagement Groups which tap into consumers’ creativity and engage them in drawing, collage and other creative exercises that result in powerful brand metaphors.
His past lives as theater, film and video director, producer, writer and actor as well as teacher, political pollster and curator are evident in his nuanced approach to the analysis and presentation of consumer driven insights. He works closely with clients to determine the optimal ways to market research findings within organizations in order to build brands and foster innovation.
Robert is a sought after speaker at client sites and research industry events. His current focus: Gen Y and how this generation of Millenni-Adults will shape the brand landscape.
While intensely curious about all marketing and product development challenges, Paris is particularly passionate about finance, technology, healthcare and small business. He has an innate ability to master complex topics – from futures trading to the intricacies of disease management – and emerge with strategic insights.
Paris moderated and analyzed a major healthcare study on managed care that was featured in The Wall Street Journal for its impact in shaping consumer directed health plans.
After leading the strategic planning of California telecom’s digital age, John has worked closely with management and venture firms to develop and execute strategic plans, refine operations, raise millions in new funding, rebrand, and reposition firms.
John’s international experience includes establishing and managing disciplined financial and planning processes, and leading negotiations in overseas offices in Shanghai, Rotterdam, Oslo, London and Rio de Janeiro.
In professional services, John restructured a firm providing worldwide consulting and management services, building capabilities to enter new markets, standardizing financial and cost analysis processes and recently enabling a major equity investment.
John has a BA degree in International Business/Asian Studies, and a MBA in Finance from Brigham Young University, and a JD from John F. Kennedy University.
Jessamyn graduated from Illinois Institute of Technology’s Institute of Design with a Masters in Human-Centered Design. There, she focused on user research and strategies for developing innovative products, services, and brand experiences. Jessamyn holds a BA from Brandeis University, where she majored in literature and minored in economics. Her previous work experience includes Point Forward, an innovation consultancy in Silicon Valley and Penn Laboratory for Experimental Evolutionary Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania.
He majored in Business Administration-Marketing at the University at Buffalo (Go Bulls!) and was first drawn to market research after assisting a marketing professor with one of his research studies. Prior to joining Sachs Insights, Thomas was a researcher at Ketchum, a public relations firm. There he worked on a range of primary and secondary research projects for clients in a variety of industries, including consumer products, technology, and finance. Some of his work was even mentioned in major news publications, including the Wall Street Journal and American Banker. At Sachs Insights, he is part of the UX practice that focuses on finance, health care, and technology clients.
Outside of work, Thomas is an avid runner who recently completed his first half marathon. He also enjoys swimming and rock climbing.
A skilled researcher and ethnographer, Scott’s innate ability to connect with people enables him to meld into the fabric of their lives, developing immediate rapport with consumers of all sorts, allowing them to openly discuss their lives, aspirations, travails, successes and the secret of their personal sense of style.
Danielle graduated from Skidmore College with a BS in Management and Business. She then worked at Three Group Research, LLC as a Senior Research Analyst. At Three, she grew deeply interested in Media, Branding and Gen Y Research. Her projects have been wide-ranging: she has conducted research projects ranging from alcoholic beverages to electronic goods to television shows.
While attending Skidmore, she competed on the tennis team and successfully reached the number one position for singles and doubles. She loves competition and always brings creativity and an upbeat attitude to every project.
Prior to joining Sachs, Pam worked in a variety of disciplines at Interbrand, a global brand management consultancy. Her experience there anchors her in looking at every business problem with a strategic branding lens, and of course, always through the eyes of the audience: the consumers.
Pam studied Sociology at Emory University, where her curiosity about how and why people tick consistently drove her to analyze scenarios both inside and outside the classroom, and now, the work environment.
Before Sachs Insights, Emily worked as a Market Research Analyst at Houghton Mifflin Company. In that role she worked with the product development, marketing, and advertising teams to create and market educational materials. Emily has a BA in Psychology from Skidmore College and is currently pursuing her Master’s Degree in Psychology at NYU. Additionally, she received certification in Moderating from RIVA Training Institute and has completed market research professional development from the Burke Institute.
Prior to joining Sachs Insights, Emily worked on research projects at NBC Universal, conducting primary research for Bravo, Oxygen, and iVillage. Distinguished for her keen observational skills, she is adept at analyzing and processing visual data, making her a valuable team member at Sachs. Emily draws from her experience in visual arts, television production, and social research to find innovative ways to dig below the surface and satisfy her innate and incessant curiosity about consumer behavior.
Emily has a BFA in Photography from Washington University in St. Louis and received a Master of Science in Applied Social Research, with a focus on media research analysis, from Hunter College.
With her prior experience in legal and business affairs and interactive research at the Oxygen Network, Sarah can provide an understanding of consumer marketing challenges and opportunities from a larger business, legal and financial perspective.
She graduated from Rollins College, where she majored in Psychology and received a BA in Liberal Arts.
With her keen sense for identifying and addressing both strategic and tactical issues, Mardi delivers insights that are both inspirational and actionable.
Mardi received her BA in Psychology from New York University and has completed coursework at NYU towards her Master’s Degree.
Leslie conducts research with a wide range of consumers – from children in grade school to senior citizens – about topics as diverse as media entertainment and health care. Leslie received her BA in English and Film Studies from Wesleyan University.
After earning a degree in Electronic Media Production at Syracuse University, Chris became an editor and marketing consultant at the Asia City Publishing Group in Bangkok, Thailand. His work shaping brand perceptions in Southeast Asia introduced him to new ways of thinking within the business landscape.
Chris’ adaptable and open minded nature makes him perfectly suited to the spectrum of industries he works with at Sachs Insights.
Some of Cara’s past clients have been American Express, Talbots, Ralph Lauren Rugby, TIAA-CREF, McCormick, MTV, Comedy Central, Sundance Channel, Cablevision and Comcast.
Prior to joining Sachs Insights, Cara was an Idea Architect at People, Ideas & Culture, a NYC-based Advertising and Brand Consultancy, working for clients such as Equinox and Colavita. She has also consulted for start-up companies Groupable and New York Video School, as well as SPI Marketing, for clients like Absolut and Diet Pepsi. Previously, Cara managed brand strategy and communications for YAI/National Institute for People with Disabilities Network (YAI Network).
Cara graduated from the University of Florida with a BA in Public Relations and an outside concentration in dance and completed the Miami Ad School Account Planning Bootcamp.
After graduating from the University of Michigan with concentrations in Spanish and Anthropology, Rachel lived and worked in Central America to concentrate on cross-cultural communication and international development. Her experience in international business and the non-profit sector has provided her a better insight and first-hand knowledge of foreign markets and humanitarian issues.
Prior to joining the team at Sachs, she worked in the research department at Scripps Networks, conducting qualitative and quantitative projects for Scripps Networks’ interactive, ad sales for HGTV, DIY, Travel and the Food Network brand programming departments. Rachel’s experience across industries and cultures gives her a well-formed perspective on how humans interact with brands and how brands can provide touch points for a richer palate of consumer experiences.
Ken brings extensive Healthcare and digital agency background to the team of Healthcare Industry experts at Sachs Insights, leveraging his experience to help develop and grow Healthcare brands. Ken has the advantage of being equally conversant with life sciences, medical devices, and drug classes across many therapeutic areas, enabling him to design strategic research that connects with consumers, patients, caregivers and HCPs.
The result: powerful research that draws on the ability to connect and co-create with these audiences, speak their language, empathize with their experience, and draw rich insights and recommendations that drive product development, branding and strategy.
Consumers of Healthcare brands are living complex, technology-driven lifestyles; this is an enormous strategic challenge and opportunity for the Healthcare industry. It is critical for marketers to be in close touch with key consumer groups and understand them from the ground up.
Ken’s mission at Sachs Insights is to bring our vast wealth of consumer-centric research and digital marketing expertise to the Healthcare industry; teaming with clients to conceptualize, develop, refine, and invigorate their brands across digital platforms.
Ken has a BS in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie-Mellon University. He is an avid boater, fisherman, outdoorsman, and former college athlete. He tries to live as close to the ocean as possible, and if not on land, you can bet the sea is where he will be.
Before joining the Sachs Insights team and focusing full-time on research, Ligja was an User Experience jack-of-all-trades: Interaction Designer, Information Architect, Content Strategist, User Researcher, Analytics Analyst and Media Strategist all-in-one with burgeoning interactive agency The Archer Group. She has also honed her skill set and knowledge base in a variety of agency and consultancy environments, including Alcatel-Lucent, G2 Interactive, Y-Prime, and MS&L Group.
With her background spanning a range of disciplines and verticals, she is able to apply creative problem solving to research strategy and design while juggling the real-world demands of marketing and interactive development that our clients face.
Ligja has a B.A. in Psychology from Rutgers University. When not working, she enjoys traveling, running, food adventures, video games, and karaoke.
Julie has a M.A. in Cognitive Psychology from Stony Brook University and a B.A. in Psychology, from Marquette University.
Outside of work, Julie’s fascination with human behavior, coupled with her love of pop culture, extend to the worlds of theater, karaoke, and improvisational comedy.
Shannon joins Sachs from Blackbaud Inc., where she worked with interaction design teams as the in-house Usability Engineer. Her innovative usability methods were an integral part of product development – where her research insights transformed product requirements into usable design inspired by the voices of the target audiences. Prior to her time at Blackbaud Inc., Shannon conducted research and analysis for Usability Sciences Corp., working with a broad array of clients: eCommerce, pharmaceutical, financial services, software, and hardware.
Shannon, a native Texan, holds a BA in English Literature from Texas A&M University. When not conducting research, you can find Shannon training for relays, marathons, writing, traveling, and rooting for the Dallas Cowboys.
Andrea joins our Media and Branding team following work with the National Democratic Institute (NDI) managing focus groups in Sudan, Burundi, and Somalia. Prior to her work in Africa, Andrea was Partner at Nancy Dodd Research, Senior Vice President at SS+K, and Vice President at KRC Research.
Some of Andrea’s clients: Warner Bros. Television, MTV Networks, Discovery Channel, Imagine Entertainment, Time Warner Cable, Polo Ralph Lauren, L’Oreal, Zagat, Remy-Cointreau, Beringer and Citigroup.
Research comes naturally to Andrea. Incurably curious, she always has been driven to travel, understand other cultures, and expand her world. Andrea can talk to anyone, as is immediately obvious when you watch her moderate a focus group or conduct an interview. Whether advising the president of Bolivia on political strategy, speaking to everyday people in Sudan about the impact of the peace process, asking MTV viewers about their favorite programming, or presenting research findings to CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, she is in her element.
Andrea received a B.A. in political science and French from Wellesley College and an M.A. in international relations from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service.
She is a speaker at industry conferences, including CTAM, the QRCA and is a regular guest lecturer on research at NYU‘s Master’s in Public Relations and Corporate Communications program.
Ashley graduated from the University of Florida with a BA in Visual Art Studies, with an emphasis in Digital Arts and Sciences. When not researching, Ashley enjoys hiking, concerts and museums. You can also find her at New York’s local craft fairs selling handmade jewelry and accessories from vintage and recycled textiles.
Before joining Sachs, Maya moderated and led user experience research for medical devices at Wiklund Research & Design Inc. She conducted myriad usability studies across the U.S. and much of Europe. Fascinated with physicians and medical staff interviews; Maya learned the challenges faced by manufacturers and hospital staff when introducing new medical devices to their patient populations.
Maya received her BS in Engineering Psychology from Tufts University, while working part-time with a financial company’s user-experience team. She is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Human Factors in Information Design at Bentley University.
When Maya is not conducting research, she enjoys traveling, reading, biking and playing Ultimate Frisbee.
Before joining Sachs Insights, Jessica worked in public relations, where she collaborated with fashion and beauty industry clients to shape brand perceptions. She maintained close contact with media outlets and conducted research to guide brand development.
Jessica graduated with honors from Skidmore College, where she studied Psychology and Art. She worked closely with cognitive and social psychology professors in executing a variety of research initiatives. In addition to these projects, she conducted interviews on college students’ emotional reactions to their post-graduation plans in the economic downturn. The resulting documentary film has since exhibited in a limited release.
Prior to joining Sachs Insights, Jessica was SVP for application development at Marsh USA and VP at Citibank’s consumer marketing division. She also founded a GPS applications development company.
Jessica graduated from Wesleyan University with a BA in Government, and received her MBA from Harvard.
Prior to joining Sachs, Kelley worked as an Experience Designer at BrightLine iTV where she designed, measured, and optimized the effectiveness of multi-platform digital campaigns grounded in consumer behavior. She brings a strong strategic mind and keen understanding of user experience to the table, and has worked across healthcare companies and agencies to shape marketing and branding strategies.
Kelley has as a BS-Business Administration from Carnegie Mellon University; with concentrations in Marketing and Graphic Communications Management and is a member of Beta Gamma Sigma. When Kelley is not working, she likes to take on graphic and interaction design projects; creating clothing, art, digital graphics and designing logos for small businesses and nonprofits. True to her Western Pennsylvania roots, as soon as cold weather hits Kelley heads to the ski slopes to escape the indoors.