MEET THE FOUNDERS

JUSTIN SHEARER

- Managing Director -

Justin has over 20 years experience in Consumer Insights - both supplier and client side.

While Senior Director of Consumer Insights at Activision, Justin experienced first-hand how quickly insights must be integrated to keep up with the fast pace of business. Unfortunately, too often research felt like it was slowly being fed through a sausage factory and not given the personal, senior-level attention required to quickly cut through to the insights that matter.

He saw an opportunity to create a different kind of research agency.

Complementing his client-side experience, Justin draws on nearly 15 years of global supplier side research agency experience - both qual and quant. In his supplier side capacity, Justin's work spanned Fortune 500 clients across a multitude of industries - Entertainment (esp. Gaming), Financial, CPG, Telecom, Automotive, QSR, Apparel, and Retail. Much of his work was global in nature - including a stint spent working in Paris.

When not working, Justin is passionate about experiencing and exploring culture - particularly through travel, food and entertainment - especially gaming, music, film, and sports.

LAURA SIMAK

- Director -

Laura has nearly 20 years of Supplier and Client-side Consumer Insights experience.

Laura's professional career spans Marketing/Consumer Insights, Branding, and PR/Communications. She considers herself a creative thinker with a firm foundation in brand research and strategy, and a hunger to understand "how" and "why" ideas work.

Laura got her start on the client-side working for Wrigley's delivering qual and quant insights primarily for new product development initiatives. She then moved on to the supplier side, working for both large, global research companies and smaller boutique agencies. She enjoyed partnering with a diverse client portfolio ranging from global Fortune 500 companies to start-ups.

Laura's experience includes: Entertainment, CPG, Financial, Automotive, Apparel, Retail, Confectionery, Alcohol, Health & Beauty, Furniture/Home Goods, and Luxury.

When not working, Laura loves to escape the hustle & bustle of Los Angeles to nurture her other passions - travel, wine, nature & writing. She is a Certified Specialist of Wine with the Society of Wine Educators, holds a WSET Level 3 Advanced award from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust, and is constantly seeking new material for her wine & travel website, Wine-ding Road.