The best conversations at a research conference don't happen on stage. They happen in the hallways, right after a session, when someone's still thinking out loud. Waves of Thinking is our attempt to capture that—short, unfiltered interviews with the researchers and strategists shaping the future of consumer insights, recorded live from the floor at Quirk's Dallas 2026. Here's everything from our time there.
Kicking off Waves of Thinking — Elana Marmorstein, aytm
aytm's Elana Marmorstein introduces Waves of Thinking live from the floor at Quirk's Dallas 2026. This short-form series captures unfiltered conversations with the researchers, strategists, and insights leaders shaping the future of consumer intelligence. No slides, no polish—just sharp perspectives from the people doing the work.
Enrique Ortega — HEINEKEN MÉXICO
In this Waves of Thinking conversation recorded live at Quirk's Dallas 2026, Enrique Ortega at HEINEKEN MÉXICO breaks down how his team combines AI and human intelligence to make better creative decisions. The core insight: AI delivers speed and scale, but human intelligence brings context, emotion, and brand judgment. Both matter. Neither works as well alone.
Deepa Iyer — Fossil Group
Deepa Iyer at Fossil Group sat down with us at Quirk's Dallas 2026 to talk about what it actually takes for consumer insights to drive strategy—not just inform it. She breaks down how her team at Fossil Group moved from data collectors to decision shapers, and what that shift looks like in practice.
Kelsey A. & Marta Villanueva — Neighborly / Molly Maid
Recorded live at Quirk's Dallas 2026, this Waves of Thinking conversation with Kelsey A. and Marta Villanueva, M.S. tackles one of the most common challenges in qualitative research: you have the data, now how do you make it move? They share the practical techniques they used to convert complex learnings into an actionable plan for Neighborly's rebrand of Molly Maid.
Rashi Singh — PepsiCo
That Lay's packaging refresh didn't happen on a whim. In this Waves of Thinking conversation recorded live at Quirk's Dallas 2026, Rashi Singh, Director of Consumer Insights at PepsiCo, walks through the research strategy behind evaluating a rebrand on the shelf for a national launch—what the team tested, what the data showed, and why the process behind iconic brand decisions matters.
Brett Simpson — GLG
In this Waves of Thinking conversation at Quirk's Dallas 2026, Brett Simpson at GLG breaks down a repeatable framework for taking products from white space to launch—one that replaces gut feel with consumer-backed confidence at every stage. If you've ever watched a product launch fall flat and wondered where the process broke down, this one is worth your time.
Julie Levine, MBA — American Red Cross
Julie Levine, Senior Market Research Manager at the American Red Cross, brought something unexpected to Quirk's Dallas 2026: a research lens turned inward. In this Waves of Thinking conversation, she shares how she applied journey mapping to career paths—and why making your work visible matters no matter where you work. Skills don't just transfer, they compound. This one will make you think about your own trajectory.
Byron Reeves — Stanford University
Byron Reeves, Professor of Media Psychology at Stanford University, doesn't let the hype outrun the evidence. In this Waves of Thinking conversation at Quirk's Dallas 2026, he gets into the real debate around AI-driven synthetic research—where it holds up, where it doesn't, and what guardrails actually matter. He ran live synthetic persona studies during his session. The conversation afterward was just as revealing.
Kelsy Saulsbury — H&R Block
Kelsy Saulsbury, Director of Customer Center of Excellence at H&R Block, joined us at Quirk's Dallas 2026 to talk about how her team tackled client attrition in a way that goes well beyond standard satisfaction surveys. The reframe—that exit feedback only tells part of the story—changes how you think about retention research entirely. Stay for her answer on turning insights into real field action.
Pamela Forbus — Mondelēz International
In the final Waves of Thinking conversation from Quirk's Dallas 2026, Pamela Forbus, SVP Global Chief of Insights & Analytics at Mondelēz International, shares how insights leaders can move from order takers to the people at the table driving business outcomes. Mondelēz is a prime example of what it looks like when insights actually gets put into action.
Until next time
Thirteen conversations. One conference. A lot to think about. aytm's Waves of Thinking series wrapped up at Quirk's Dallas 2026 with perspectives from researchers, strategists, and insights leaders across some of the most recognizable brands in the world. We're leaving inspired—and already looking ahead to Chicago. Catch up on every episode and stay tuned for what's next.
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