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  • How causal AI is revolutionizing consumer and market research with Jason Cohen

    How causal AI is revolutionizing consumer and market research with Jason Cohen
    Jan 20 2026
    In this episode of The Curiosity Current, Stephanie and Molly sit down with Jason Cohen, Founder and CEO of Simulacra, to explore how causal AI and scenario modeling are changing the way market research actually works. Jason explains why more rows rarely fix weak studies, how seeded synthetic data can extract insight from incomplete datasets, and why understanding cause and effect matters more than ever in modern consumer research.
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    48 Min.
  • The researchers you need aren't looking for research jobs with Charitie Dantis-Gayo

    The researchers you need aren't looking for research jobs with Charitie Dantis-Gayo
    Jan 13 2026
    Market research is losing great talent because the career path remains invisible. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, Stephanie and Molly are joined by Charitie Dantis-Gayo, Corporate Vice President, Center for Consumer Insights at New York Life Insurance Company. Charitie shares her nonlinear path into market research, explains why visibility matters more than credentials, and outlines what truly attracts and develops the next generation of researchers. The conversation covers recruiting for initiative and curiosity, using AI with discipline, and why human judgment and fieldwork remain essential in modern insights work.
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    49 Min.
  • The human context AI can’t replicate with Nancee Halpin

    The human context AI can’t replicate with Nancee Halpin
    Jan 6 2026
    AI can accelerate research. It cannot replace context. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, Stephanie and Molly sit down with Nancee Halpin, a researcher and insights specialist whose career spans Fuel Cycle, SurveyMonkey, Highlight, and Strella. Nancee explains why human judgment, curiosity, and lived context still sit at the center of good research, even as AI reshapes how fast teams can move. The conversation explores where AI genuinely helps, where it falls short, and why researchers remain essential interpreters between data and decision-making.
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    47 Min.
  • Earning a seat at the table: risk, value, and the power of insight with Ed Kahn

    Earning a seat at the table: risk, value, and the power of insight with Ed Kahn
    Dec 23 2025
    Influence does not come from more data. It comes from understanding risk, value, and timing. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, Stephanie and Molly are joined by Ed Kahn, Senior Principal of CX Research and Insights at Mutual of America Financial Group. With a career spanning consumer electronics, syndicated research, and financial services, Ed shares why researchers often feel excluded from decisions and what actually changes that dynamic. He explains how fluency in business context, clarity around risk, and relevance in the moment turn research into influence. This conversation reframes the idea of a “seat at the table” and offers practical ways insights teams can earn it.
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    43 Min.
  • The psychology of human-centered AI with David Evans

    The psychology of human-centered AI with David Evans
    Dec 16 2025
    AI is transforming research, but human judgment still anchors the work. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, Stephanie and Molly sit down with David Evans, Director of Market Research at Microsoft and author of Bottlenecks, to explore the realities of building AI and digital products that respect how humans think, feel, and decide. David draws on a decade of applied psychology at Microsoft to examine where AI truly accelerates research, where rigor is at risk, and why the voice of the customer must guide decisions long before any model speaks. From synthetic data to privacy, from UX bottlenecks to conversational interfaces, this episode reframes AI not as a shortcut, but as a partner that demands stronger theory, clearer ethics, and deeper accountability.
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    41 Min.
  • Greatest Hits – The New Shape of Insight: Five Voices Redefine Research, Strategy, and Human Behavior

    Greatest Hits – The New Shape of Insight: Five Voices Redefine Research, Strategy, and Human Behavior
    Dec 9 2025
    Research is evolving from reporting the past to shaping what comes next, and the most meaningful shifts begin with how we understand people. In this Greatest Hits episode of The Curiosity Current, five guests share the ideas that are redefining the insights profession. From Adam Hagerman’s view of research as a strategic engine, to Lindsey Goodman’s lived-world ethnography, to Marcus Cunha on influence and ROI, to J. Walker Smith’s return to analog life, and Ben Valenta’s work on connection and well-being, this episode brings together the human themes that turn information into impact.
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    18 Min.
  • The cost of silence in research with Amberly Miller

    The cost of silence in research with Amberly Miller
    Dec 2 2025
    UX research only matters when it changes something. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, Stephanie and Molly sit down with Amberly Miller, Director of UX Research at Prudential Financial, to discuss the real work of turning insight into influence inside a heavily regulated, high-stakes enterprise. Amberly shares how she rebuilt Prudential’s approach to research, moving from a tightly gated silo to a democratized model that empowers more than a hundred practitioners and what it takes to deliver insights that land, even when the truth is uncomfortable. From stakeholder silence to C-suite pressure, from separating signal from noise to knowing where AI belongs, this conversation goes beyond theory and speaks to the reality of earning a voice at the table.
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    42 Min.
  • Turning insight into impact: What CMOs really want from market research

    Turning insight into impact: What CMOs really want from market research
    Nov 25 2025
    Modern CMOs are overwhelmed with data yet short on clarity. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, host Molly Strawn-Carreño and guest host Shanon Adams, President and COO of aytm, sit down with Steve Olenski, “The CMO Whisperer,” to unpack what CMOs really need from insights partners. Steve explains why insights must be treated as a growth engine, how the strongest teams align on trust, translation, and timing, and why storytelling and speed now matter more than volume. The conversation breaks down how to earn a real seat at the table, how to use AI responsibly, and what separates insights teams that drive decisions from those that only deliver decks.
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    45 Min.