Anthropology in Business with Matt Artz

In this episode of the Anthropology in Business podcast, Jennifer Studebaker speaks with Matt Artz about her career as a business anthropologist. The conversation focuses on Jennifer’s journey from academia to applied anthropology, her experiences in various roles, including project management and market research, and her recent work on the Career Tools for Anthropology workbook. Jennifer shares insights on the value of anthropological skills in business settings, the importance of networking, and her passion for making anthropological knowledge accessible to students and practitioners alike. She also discusses her new consulting company, Studebaker Consulting LLC, and plans to offer training in practical business skills.

Jennifer is the owner and founder of Studebaker Consulting LLC. She is a business anthropologist and a PMP® certified project manager. She has over twelve years of research, operations, and communications experience. She has worked with nonprofits, foundations, startups, market research firms, and other consultants. She is based out of Kansas City, MO, but welcomes collaboration opportunities across the US and globally.

Jennifer is a Co-Chair of the Anthropology Career Readiness Network (ACRN). Serving in this role has allowed her to give back to her discipline and help anthropology graduates discover the potential of their education. She is a co-editor and co-author of Career Tools for Anthropology. Jennifer, along with her ACRN Co-Chairs Elizabeth Briody and Riall Nolan, consults with anthropology departments on how to improve the career readiness of their curriculum. She is also a member of the Society for Applied Anthropology’s Nominations & Elections Committee.

In this episode of the Anthropology in Business podcast, Matthew J Hill speaks with Matt Artz about his career as a business anthropologist. Matthew details his transition from the fields of chemistry and philosophy to anthropology and its application in the business context. He highlights his early experience with design anthropology and its influence on his subsequent focus on organizational development and design. Matthew discusses the approach of addressing complex organizational issues through a comprehensive perspective and outlines his process of organizational consulting.

In this episode of the Anthropology in Business podcast, Margret Jaeger speaks with Matt Artz about her career as a business anthropologist. Margret discusses her journey into anthropology and her current role in the research department at the Social Fund Vienna Education Center. She explains the challenges of introducing qualitative research methods in a predominantly quantitative-focused organization. Margaret also shares her experience in building a research team and the value of interprofessional collaboration. She emphasizes the need for anthropologists to have a holistic view of the world and their ability to understand and adapt to different contexts quickly. She also discusses her advocacy work in promoting medical anthropology in healthcare education and the importance of training local trainers to ensure cultural sensitivity and relevance.

In this episode of the Anthropology in Business podcast, Kasper Tang Vangkilde speaks with Matt Artz about his career as a business anthropologist. Kasper discusses the challenges of bridging the gap between academic anthropology and applied anthropology and the importance of breaking down the distinction between the two. He shares the changes he has seen in the field of business anthropology over the past 15 years, including the integration of design and anthropology. Kasper expands on that and highlights the value of design anthropology in studying and changing organizations. Finally, he discusses his new role as the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Business Anthropology and his current research project, RE-ANIMATE, which explores visionary designs for life-enhancing economies.

Kasper Tang Vangkilde is an Associate Professor and Head of Studies at the Department of Anthropology at the University of Copenhagen and the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Business Anthropology. His research interests lie at the nexus of business, organizational, and design anthropology, with a focus on formulating theoretical frameworks for understanding social and cultural dimensions in corporate settings as well as enhancing the applicability of anthropological methods in societal and business contexts. His recent work delves into "life-enhancing design," examining its implications for human and non-human life and its integration into organizational sustainability and responsibility. Vangkilde's past scholarship covers an array of topics, including creativity, branding, and organizational structures, and he has also applied anthropological approaches in the private sector.

In this episode of the Anthropology in Business podcast, Louise Vang Jensen speaks with Matt Artz about her career as a business anthropologist. Louise discusses the evolution of applying anthropology in business within a Copenhagen context. She also shares her journey from studying anthropology to joining Is It a Bird and becoming the Co-CEO. She also discusses how the practice has matured over the years and emphasizes the importance of shifting from a focus on methodology to a mindset. 

Louise Vang Jensen is a partner and co-CEO at Is It a Bird, a Copenhagen-based strategic innovation agency. With a background in anthropology and over a decade of consulting experience, she focuses on integrating anthropologically informed, human-centered approaches into business. Throughout her career, Louise has led projects and facilitated teams to build innovation capacity and enact organizational change. Her competencies extend to ethnographic research, co-creation, analysis, and project management. She has collaborated with a diverse range of organizations, including commercial companies like NIKE and public sector organizations such as the Municipality of Copenhagen.

In this episode of the Anthropology in Business podcast, Melissa Cefkin speaks with Matt Artz about her career as a business anthropologist. Melissa discusses how her interest in anthropology began in high school and was further cultivated by her family's international background and experiences living abroad. She pursued her PhD at Rice University, focusing on the Middle East and questions around rethinking anthropology as a discipline. Melissa then transitioned into practicing anthropology, joining the Institute for Research on Learning and exploring the introduction of technology into work systems. This sparked her interest in studying automated systems, leading to roles at companies like IBM, Waymo, and Nissan, where she examined how people interact with and perceive autonomous vehicles. Throughout her career, Melissa has focused on the intersection of people and complex technologies, emphasizing the need for critical thinking and social theory in researching issues like automation and AI.

In this episode of the Anthropology in Business podcast, Nathalie Béchet speaks with Matt Artz about her career as a business anthropologist. Nathalie discusses her journey into anthropology and data science. She explains how her interest in understanding social norms and the construction of society led her to anthropology. However, she felt disconnected from the academic focus on traditional topics and wanted to explore contemporary issues. This led her to pursue a master's degree in data science and digital sociology, where she learned about data collection, processing, and analysis. Nathalie emphasizes the importance of data visualization in understanding digital data and highlights the value of anthropology in questioning the obvious and uncovering biases. She also shares her insights on the metaverse and blockchain, challenging the negative perceptions and highlighting the opportunities they offer. Nathalie concludes by discussing her recent research on the intersection of technology and social mobility.

In this episode of the Anthropology in Business podcast, Kate Sieck speaks with Matt Artz about her career as a business anthropologist. Kate discusses her journey from academia to industry and the various roles she has held in marketing, business intelligence, and product development. She emphasizes the need for anthropologists to apply their skills in areas such as business strategy, risk analysis, and product design. Kate also highlights the importance of building bridges between academia and industry and the opportunities for anthropologists to make a positive impact in the private sector.