In this episode of the Greenbook Podcast, Karen Lynch sits down with Adam Bai, Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Client Officer at Panoplai, winner of Greenbook’s inaugural Industry Impact Award at IIEX North America. Adam shares how his background in anthropology, innovation, and enterprise transformation shapes Panoplai’s approach to modern insights. The conversation explores digital twins, synthetic data, the importance of validated human data, and why AI should enhance—not replace—the role of insights professionals.

Adam also discusses what it means to build for both today’s market needs and the future of research, emphasizing the need for better standards, smarter workflows, and human judgment in increasingly automated systems.

Key Discussion Points:

• Panoplai and Greenbook’s Industry Impact Award
• How digital twins and synthetic data fit into the insights toolkit
• The importance of grounding AI tools in validated human data
• Why insights professionals must become “shepherds of the right questions”
• Lessons from Panoplai’s evolution from Glimpse to a modern insights platform

Resources & Links:

• Panoplai
• IIEX Europe Event

You can reach out to Adam Bai on LinkedIn.

Many thanks to Adam Bai for being our guest. Thanks also to our production team and our editor at Big Bad Audio.

In this episode of the Greenbook Podcast, Karen Lynch sits down with Future List Honoree Dan Parker-Smith to explore how documentary filmmaking techniques can transform the way insights are communicated. As the co-founder of EXPLNERS, Dan shares how his background in film, music, and creative collaboration shaped his approach to making research findings more human, memorable, and actionable.

The conversation dives into the power of storytelling, audience-first thinking, and creating “rewatchable” insight deliverables that drive stakeholder engagement and activation. Dan also discusses why the insights industry can learn from creators, journalists, and filmmakers — and how stronger storytelling can help research make a bigger impact inside organizations.

Key Discussion Points:

• Why storytelling is essential for making insights memorable and actionable
• How documentary filmmaking techniques enhance insight communication
• The importance of designing research deliverables with the audience in mind
• Creating “wow moments” and rewatchable insight videos for stakeholders
• How collaboration and creative inspiration can elevate research outcomes

Resources & Links:

• EXPLNERS
• Greenbook Future List
• IIEX Europe Event

You can reach out to Dan Parker-Smith on LinkedIn.

Many thanks to Dan Parker-Smith for being our guest. Thanks also to our production team and our editor at Big Bad Audio.

In this episode of the Greenbook Podcast, Leonard Murphy sits down with Samuel Cohen, co-founder and CEO of Fairgen, to explore the rapidly evolving world of synthetic data and AI-powered digital twins. Samuel shares how Fairgen has evolved from synthetic sample augmentation into building category-specific digital twins that help brands test ideas, concepts, ads, and products faster and more efficiently.

The conversation dives into the future of market research, the role of AI-native workflows, and why agility is becoming a critical business advantage. Leonard and Samuel also discuss the changing economics of research, the importance of high-quality individual-level data, and how integrations and AI-driven experiences are reshaping insights teams, product development, and marketing functions. This episode is essential listening for insights professionals, researchers, and innovation leaders navigating the next generation of AI-enabled decision-making.

Key Discussion Points:

• How Fairgen evolved from synthetic sample boosting to AI digital twins
• The difference between synthetic personas and individual-level digital twins
• Why category-specific data improves the accuracy of AI-driven research
• How AI-native workflows are transforming research operations and productivity
• The future of market research integrations, automation, and embedded insights tools

Resources & Links:

• Fairgen
• Fairgen Twins

You can reach out to Samuel Cohen on LinkedIn.

Many thanks to Samuel Cohen for being our guest. Thanks also to our production team and our editor at Big Bad Audio.

In this episode of the Greenbook Podcast, Karen Lynch sits down with Haley Kiernan, Insights Manager at Mars Petcare and a 2026 Greenbook Future List honoree, to explore the evolving realities of modern research. Haley shares how behavioral science shapes her approach to understanding “pet parents,” and why the infamous say-do gap continues to challenge even the most sophisticated studies.

The conversation dives deep into one of the industry’s most pressing issues: data quality in the age of AI. From bots infiltrating survey responses to the surprising rise of “too-good” open-ended answers, Haley offers a candid look at what’s changing—and what researchers can do about it. She also reflects on mentorship, feedback, and the growing role of AI as both a powerful tool and a complex unknown in the future of insights.

Key Discussion Points:

• The role of behavioral science in bridging the “say-do gap” in research
• Why traditional data quality checks are breaking down in the age of AI
• Practical strategies for improving data integrity (behavioral data, video responses, triangulation)
• The tradeoff between speed and quality in modern insights workflows
• Mentorship, feedback, and building adaptability in early-career researchers

Resources & Links:

• Mars Petcare
• Greenbook Future List
• IIEX North America Event

You can reach out to Haley Kiernan on LinkedIn.

Many thanks to Haley Kiernan for being our guest. Thanks also to our production team and our editor at Big Bad Audio.

What does it take to turn millions of fan interactions into meaningful insight? In this episode, host Karen Lynch sits down with Craig Swaisgood, VP of Data, Analytics & Business Intelligence for the New York Mets, to explore the intersection of data, fandom, and experience design.

Craig shares how his team blends behavioral data, survey insights, and segmentation to understand what truly drives fan engagement—while navigating the emotional highs and lows that define sports fandom. From lagging indicators like ticket sales to real-time fan feedback at Citi Field, this conversation reveals how data informs decisions across marketing, operations, and strategy.

It’s a compelling look at how insights professionals can balance logic and emotion to create experiences that resonate—whether you're in sports or any customer-centric industry.

Key Discussion Points:

• The Emotional Complexity of Fandom Why sports fans defy traditional logic—and how data teams account for emotional volatility in insights
• From Data to Experience Design How the Mets use behavioral, demographic, and psychographic data to shape fan experiences
• Segmentation That Goes Beyond Demographics Building personas based on motivations, behaviors, and life context—not just who fans are, but why they engage
• Lagging Indicators & the Long Game Why ticket sales and sentiment don’t shift instantly—and what that means for interpreting performance
• The Say-Do Gap in Action Fans may complain—but their behavior tells a different story (and data reveals the truth)

Resources & Links:

• New York Mets Official Website
• Citi Field Information
• MLB Fan Experience Insights

You can reach out to Craig Swaisgood on LinkedIn.

Many thanks to Craig Swaisgood for being our guest. Thanks also to our production team and our editor at Big Bad Audio.

In this episode of the Greenbook Podcast, Karen Lynch sits down with Tucker Mitchell, Senior Manager of Innovation Insights & Strategy at Pernod Ricard and 2026 Greenbook Future List Honoree. Tucker shares how innovation actually happens inside a global portfolio brand, where insights, strategy, and speed must constantly balance.

The conversation explores how AI is reshaping workflows without replacing human judgment, why “innovation overload” is a real organizational challenge, and how teams can prioritize for impact. Tucker also dives into the power of storytelling, building a personal “brain trust,” and designing research that accounts for human unpredictability. For insights professionals navigating complexity, this episode offers a grounded, actionable perspective on what it really takes to turn ideas into market-ready innovation.

Key Discussion Points:

• How AI supports synthesis and speed—but still falls short on emotional insight
• Managing “innovation overload” across brands, teams, and priorities
• Why storytelling—not just data—is critical to driving decisions
• The importance of building a personal “brain trust” for growth and perspective
• Designing research that accounts for human contradiction and behavioral bias

Resources & Links:

• Greenbook Future List
• IIEX North America

You can reach out to Tucker Mitchell on LinkedIn.

Many thanks to Tucker Mitchell for being our guest. Thanks also to our production team and our editor at Big Bad Audio.

In this episode of the Greenbook Podcast, Karen Lynch sits down with Morgan Williams, Director of Qualitative Insights and Strategy Operations at CMB and a 2026 GreenBook Future List honoree. Morgan shares her career journey from advertising and quantitative research into qualitative insights, and explains how curiosity, empathy, and a “can-do” mindset shaped her path.

The conversation explores the role of strategy operations in research, how qualitative teams can better support stakeholders, and why the future of insights may become more human, not less, as AI takes on more friction-filled tasks. Morgan also reflects on resilience, mentorship, and the joy that keeps researchers connected to the people behind the data. It’s a thoughtful, energizing discussion about leadership, research design, and what it means to truly help clients make better decisions.

Key Discussion Points:

1. Morgan’s path from advertising and quantitative research into qualitative insights
2. What strategy operations means in a research environment and why it matters
3. How qualitative researchers can amplify the voice of the consumer for stakeholders
4. Why “speed anxiety” and trust are universal across industries
5. How AI can reduce bottlenecks and create more space for human judgment and insight

Resources & Links:

1. CMB
2. Greenbook Future List
3. IIEX Events

You can reach out to Morgan Williams on LinkedIn.

Many thanks to Morgan Williams for being our guest. Thanks also to our production team and our editor at Big Bad Audio.

Karen Lynch sits down with Nikki Quast, Senior Market Research Manager at Microsoft and the creator behind “Data Driven Nikki,” to explore how research, content creation, and AI are reshaping the insights profession. Nikki shares career milestones from launching products at Kraft Heinz to simplifying insurance at American Family, and how those experiences fueled her passion for innovation and mentorship.

They unpack why she chose TikTok as a learning platform, what her audience is asking most, and how she distills complex research concepts into 30 seconds. Nikki also outlines practical ways AI is showing up in research workflows, from early prioritization and AI-moderated interviews to building stronger stimuli. The big takeaway: the future of insights is deeply human, with AI amplifying, not replacing, our craft.

Key Discussion Points:

1. Nikki’s career milestones: from product launches to translating complex categories into human needs
2. Why she started “Data Driven Nikki” and what the talent gap means for the industry
3. Content strategy: four pillars (methods, strategy, careers, storytelling) and the 30-second clarity rule
4. Where AI fits in research today: prioritization, AI-moderated qual, and stimulus creation
5. Skills advice for breaking into insights now: focus on applying AI, not mastering one tool, and connect business objectives to methods

Resources & Links:

1. Greenbook GRIT Report
2. Nikki on YouTube: Data Driven Nikki
3. Nikki on TikTok: @DataDrivenNikki

You can reach out to Nikki Quast on LinkedIn.

Many thanks to Nikki Quast for being our guest. Thanks also to our production team and our editor at Big Bad Audio.

2026 Future List Honoree Feranmi Muraina joins Karen Lynch to explore what it really means to lead AI transformation inside a global brand. With a background in engineering and brand management, Feranmi brings a scientific mindset to insights, demanding evidence, challenging assumptions, and teaching teams how to work with AI rather than blindly accepting its outputs.

From building AI protocols and cultivating curiosity across organizations to understanding digital communities and amplifying fringe voices, Feranmi shares practical strategies for embedding AI responsibly and effectively. He also discusses the future of foresight, scenario planning, and how AI can surface early signals that shape tomorrow’s markets.

This episode is essential listening for insights leaders navigating AI adoption while staying people-centered and future-focused.

Key Discussion Points:

1. What it means to be a 2026 Future List Honoree and why client-side representation matters
2. Transitioning from engineering and brand management into insights leadership
3. How to create AI standards and protocols inside organizations
4. Teaching teams to be naturally curious and challenge AI outputs
5. Community-first brand positioning and decoding digital cultural signals
6. AI’s role in foresight, early signal detection, and scenario planning

Resources & Links:

1. Register for IIEX Europe (where Feranmi will be on stage)

You can reach out to Feranmi Muraina on LinkedIn.

Many thanks to Feranmi Muraina for being our guest. Thanks also to our production team and our editor at Big Bad Audio.

Dr. Bridget Dalton, Head of Truth Futures at Truth Consulting and a 2026 Greenbook Futurist honoree, joins host Karen Lynch to unpack what it really means to “understand the future through culture.” With a background spanning academia, poetry, and semiotics, Bridget shares how cultural analysis can act as connective tissue across quant, qual, and AI-powered unstructured data to create sharper strategic direction.

They explore how scenario planning builds confident “what next?” decisions, why multi-method work should surface productive tension (not identical answers), and how Truth Changemakers partners with the Ashoka network to learn from social entrepreneurs already building the future. Bridget also speaks candidly about dyslexia, neurodiversity, and evolving standards of “credible communication” in insights.

Key Discussion Points:

1. Why culture is “future-baked” and how semiotics helps make instinct make sense
2. Moving from curiosity (“why”) to action (“so what”) with scenario planning
3. Blending semiotics, qual/quant, and AI-driven unstructured data for stronger foresight
4. Truth Changemakers + Ashoka: learning from social entrepreneurs with a “pre-detection lens”
5. Neurodiversity in insights: reframing credibility, communication, and talent

Resources & Links:

1. Truth Consulting (learn more about the consultancy and Truth Futures):
2. Ashoka (global network of social entrepreneurs)

You can reach out to Bridget Dalton on LinkedIn.

Many thanks to Bridget Dalton for being our guest. Thanks also to our production team and our editor at Big Bad Audio.