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 twinsThe difference between synthetic personas and individual-level digital twinsWhy category-specific data improves the accuracy of AI-driven researchHow AI-native workflows are transforming research operations and productivityThe future of market research integrations, automation, and embedded insights toolsResources & Links:FairgenFairgen TwinsYou 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 researchWhy traditional data quality checks are breaking down in the age of AIPractical strategies for improving data integrity (behavioral data, video responses, triangulation)The tradeoff between speed and quality in modern insights workflowsMentorship, feedback, and building adaptability in early-career researchersResources & Links:Mars PetcareGreenbook Future ListIIEX North America EventYou 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 insightsFrom Data to Experience Design How the Mets use behavioral, demographic, and psychographic data to shape fan experiencesSegmentation That Goes Beyond Demographics Building personas based on motivations, behaviors, and life context—not just who fans are, but why they engageLagging Indicators & the Long Game Why ticket sales and sentiment don’t shift instantly—and what that means for interpreting performanceThe 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 WebsiteCiti Field InformationMLB Fan Experience InsightsYou 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 insightManaging “innovation overload” across brands, teams, and prioritiesWhy storytelling—not just data—is critical to driving decisionsThe importance of building a personal “brain trust” for growth and perspectiveDesigning research that accounts for human contradiction and behavioral biasResources & Links:Greenbook Future ListIIEX North AmericaYou 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:Morgan’s path from advertising and quantitative research into qualitative insightsWhat strategy operations means in a research environment and why it mattersHow qualitative researchers can amplify the voice of the consumer for stakeholdersWhy “speed anxiety” and trust are universal across industriesHow AI can reduce bottlenecks and create more space for human judgment and insightResources & Links:CMBGreenbook Future ListIIEX EventsYou 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:Nikki’s career milestones: from product launches to translating complex categories into human needsWhy she started “Data Driven Nikki” and what the talent gap means for the industryContent strategy: four pillars (methods, strategy, careers, storytelling) and the 30-second clarity ruleWhere AI fits in research today: prioritization, AI-moderated qual, and stimulus creationSkills advice for breaking into insights now: focus on applying AI, not mastering one tool, and connect business objectives to methodsResources & Links:Greenbook GRIT ReportNikki on YouTube: Data Driven NikkiNikki on TikTok: @DataDrivenNikkiYou 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:What it means to be a 2026 Future List Honoree and why client-side representation mattersTransitioning from engineering and brand management into insights leadershipHow to create AI standards and protocols inside organizationsTeaching teams to be naturally curious and challenge AI outputsCommunity-first brand positioning and decoding digital cultural signalsAI’s role in foresight, early signal detection, and scenario planningResources & Links: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:Why culture is “future-baked” and how semiotics helps make instinct make senseMoving from curiosity (“why”) to action (“so what”) with scenario planningBlending semiotics, qual/quant, and AI-driven unstructured data for stronger foresightTruth Changemakers + Ashoka: learning from social entrepreneurs with a “pre-detection lens”Neurodiversity in insights: reframing credibility, communication, and talentResources & Links:Truth Consulting (learn more about the consultancy and Truth Futures): 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.

Karen Lynch sits down with Karen McFarlane, Founder of Kaye Media and longtime fractional CMO, to unpack what board service really looks like beyond the shiny LinkedIn headline. From her early career pivot (HBO home video by day, creative “startup” projects by night) to leading through uncertainty, Karen McFarlane shares how board work can sharpen leadership, expand networks, and create impact beyond pure business-as-usual.The conversation demystifies advisory vs. working vs. governing boards, why trust is the real operating system between a board and CEO, and how volunteering can signal character and capability to hiring managers. If you’re considering board service or building a board for your startup, this episode is a practical roadmap with purpose baked in.Key Discussion Points:Fractional leadership: why embedded CMOs bring “portable perspective” across companiesBoard types decoded: advisory vs. working vs. governing (and what each actually does)The board–CEO relationship: trust, clarity of roles, and constructive challengeBoard service as career fuel: networking with a job-to-do, resume signal, and leadership repsBuilding a startup board: skills-first recruiting, avoiding “yes-people,” and planning board evolutionResources & Links:Kaye Media (Karen McFarlane’s firm)AMA New York (board + community)Hudson Valley Credit Union: Board of Directors overviewNACD Blue Ribbon Commission report on board–CEO trustColumbia Business School Exec Ed: Corporate Governance ProgramKaren’s LinkedIn newsletter: Better On PurposeMVP podcast: Momentum NowYou can reach out to Karen McFarlane on LinkedIn.Many thanks to Karen McFarlane for being our guest. Thanks also to our production team and our editor at Big Bad Audio.

In this episode of the Greenbook Podcast, host Karen Lynch sits down with Emma LaPorte, Group Insights and Strategy Manager at Crown Resorts, to explore what it truly means to be a high-integrity insights leader. Emma shares her unique career journey from academia and agency life to healthcare, FMCG, and now experience-led research in the entertainment and hospitality sector.Together, they unpack how rigor, curiosity, and creativity intersect in modern insights work, especially when decisions are emotionally driven and high-stakes. Emma discusses building stakeholder trust, navigating data quality challenges, and balancing speed with thoughtful upfront alignment. The conversation also looks ahead to the future of the insights profession, including the evolving role of AI, the enduring importance of human judgment, and why storytelling remains essential for influencing senior leaders. This episode is a must-listen for insights professionals seeking to elevate their impact.Key Discussion Points:Emma’s career path from academia to enterprise insights leadershipBalancing scientific rigor with creativity and storytellingBuilding trust with stakeholders through transparency and integrityManaging data quality and pressure-testing insightsThe future of insights: AI, integration, and human interpretationResources & Links:Crown ResortsYou can reach out to Emma LaPorte on LinkedIn.Many thanks to Emma LaPorte for being our guest. Thanks also to our production team and our editor at Big Bad Audio.