Greenbook Podcast

What happens when AI becomes more than a tool and starts shaping the interface itself? Josh Clark and Veronika Kindred of Big Medium, co-authors of Sentient Design: Crafting Intelligent Interfaces with AI, join Karen Lynch to explore a new approach to designing AI-powered experiences. They discuss treating AI as a design material, moving beyond chat-based interfaces, and creating products that adapt to users’ context and intent in real time. The conversation also examines one of AI design’s biggest challenges: trust. Josh and Veronika share approaches for building transparency, explainability, and healthy skepticism into intelligent systems. For UX researchers and insights professionals, they explain why user research becomes even more important as AI changes product development—and how researchers can take a more active role in shaping the products themselves.Key Discussion PointsMoving beyond chat with AI: How sentient design uses AI as a creative design material to build intelligent, adaptive interfaces rather than simply adding chatbots or AI tools to existing products.Designing experiences that adapt in real time: How interfaces can respond to user context and intent, including dynamically generated dashboards and AI agents that work alongside users within familiar environments.Building trust into AI-powered products: Why AI’s confidence can be misleading and how transparency, explainability, visible sources, and “productive humility” can help users evaluate AI-generated outputs.Balancing AI opportunity with risk: How designers can determine where AI is appropriate, identify unacceptable risks, and build safeguards into systems where failure has meaningful consequences.The evolving role of UX research and insights: Why researchers need to participate throughout design and development—and how research findings can become direct instructions that shape how AI-powered products behave.Resources/Links⁠Sentient Design: Crafting Intelligent Interfaces with AI - Use code SENTIENT-GREENBOOK for 20% off your purchase of the book at Rosenfeld Media through September 30, 2026.⁠Big MediumYou can reach out to Josh Clark and Veronika Kindred on LinkedIn.Many thanks to Josh Clark and Veronika Kindred for being our guests. Thanks also to our production team and our editor at Big Bad Audio.

What happens when evidence, communications, and AI converge? Crispin Beale, Worldwide CEO of IDX, joins Karen Lynch to explain why organizations must rethink how they manage their narratives in an era shaped by answer engines, synthetic audiences, and machine-led discovery. He shares how IDX is integrating data and insights across performance marketing, corporate communications, and investor relations to help clients make more rigorous decisions without slowing down creative work. Crispin also explores the promise and risks of synthetic data, arguing that transparency and clear tagging are essential to prevent contaminated “data lakes” and protect longitudinal research. The conversation also covers IDX’s Geneva data and insights hub, the value of global industry networks, and how leaders can build cultures where experimentation, collaboration, and responsible innovation thrive.Key Discussion PointsWhy communications must be designed for both human audiences and AI-powered answer engines.How IDX is embedding data and insights into creative, performance marketing, corporate communications, and investor relations.The value of testing creative concepts with real consumers and synthetic audiences before launch.Why synthetic data must be clearly tagged to maintain transparency, research integrity, and trustworthy data.How leaders can encourage innovation through cross-functional collaboration, open communication, experimentation, and permission to fail.Resources and LinksIDXThe Future Role of Communications is Taking ShapeInsight Innovation CompetitionYou can reach out to Crispin Beale on LinkedInMany thanks to Crispin Beale 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 speaks with John Gilfeather, President of John Gilfeather & Associates and 2026 Market Research Council Hall of Fame inductee for Lifetime Achievement. John reflects on a career that spans Yankelovich, Roper, TNS, Logica Research, and his own consultancy, sharing lessons from decades of B2B, public affairs, corporate reputation, and public-release research.The conversation explores what makes research “good,” why mentorship matters, and how industry disruptions—from telephone to online to AI—have changed the craft. John also offers a thoughtful warning about preserving questionnaire quality, human judgment, and client impact as the insights industry evolves.Key Discussion Points:John’s early career at Yankelovich and the foundations of serious, craft-driven researchThe role of corporate reputation research in shaping stakeholder behaviorHow methodologies have evolved from in-person interviews to phone, online, and AI-enabled researchWhy “good research” must help clients make better decisionsMentorship, industry ethics, and the importance of training the next generation of researchersResources & Links:Market Research Council Hall of FameYou can reach out to John Gilfeather on LinkedIn.Many thanks to John Gilfeather 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 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 AwardHow digital twins and synthetic data fit into the insights toolkitThe importance of grounding AI tools in validated human dataWhy insights professionals must become “shepherds of the right questions”Lessons from Panoplai’s evolution from Glimpse to a modern insights platformResources & Links:PanoplaiIIEX Europe EventYou 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, 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.

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 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.

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.

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 Joanna Byerley, founder of Talent Pools AI, to unpack how AI is reshaping hiring, leadership, and careers in the insights and ResTech space. Joanna explains the shift from traditional executive search to talent intelligence—a more strategic, data-informed way to map markets, pipeline talent, and benchmark salaries before a single role is posted.She and Karen explore the emerging reality of jobless growth, the erosion of entry-level roles, and what that means for the future leadership pipeline. They also discuss how to build AI-native roles, what separates the 5% of successful AI initiatives from the rest, and why human judgment remains the irreplaceable core skill for insight and strategy teams navigating ambiguity.Key Discussion Points:From search to talent intelligence: How market mapping, talent pipelining, and salary benchmarking create smarter, less transactional hiring strategies for insights and ResTech leaders.Jobless growth & entry-level erosion: Why AI-enabled productivity is decoupling revenue growth from headcount and what that means for early-career researchers.Careers as lattices, not ladders: How AI and role convergence (product, consulting, insights, tech) are reshaping career paths and the skills that matter most.What successful AI leaders do differently: Governance, focus on a few high-impact use cases, realistic 2–4 year horizons, and a culture that tolerates disciplined experimentation.The one thing AI can’t replace: Human judgment—the ability to weigh context, nuance, ethics, and risk in turning AI outputs into business decisions.Resources & Links:Talent Pools AI – Executive Search & Talent IntelligenceJoanna’s article: Platforms, Proof & Power – The New Rules of Insights & Executive HiringInsights Career Network (ICN)You can reach out to Joanna Byerley on LinkedIn.Many thanks to Joanna Byerley 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 Jairus Lofton, Senior Manager of Strategic Insights at Panera Bread, to unpack how human-centered insights power menu innovation in QSR and fast casual. Jairus traces his journey from Hershey to Sonic, McDonald’s, and now Panera, sharing a behind-the-scenes case study on rebuilding Sonic’s core burger from the ground up using guest feedback, quant modeling, and rigorous testing.He explains how culinary inspiration, trend data, and real-world operations come together to decide what actually makes it onto the menu—and stays there. Jairus also talks about serving younger consumers like Gen Z without chasing every shiny trend, why brand authenticity matters more than ever, how AI fits (and doesn’t) into his process, and the philosophy of “flexibility with rigor” that guides his work and advice for other insights professionals.Key Discussion Points:How strategic insights at Panera Bread shape menu innovation, from guest feedback to foresight and trend spotting.A deep-dive case study: rebuilding Sonic’s flagship burger based on consumer dissatisfaction, competitive benchmarking, and CLT/taste tests.The complex cross-functional ecosystem behind “menu magic”: insights, strategy, culinary, supply chain, and marketing working in lockstep.Balancing trend reports, social listening, and culinary creativity to decide which food trends are worth scaling—and which to skip.Adapting to Gen Z’s desires for transparency, customization, and unique flavors while staying authentic to the Panera brand.Jairus’s advice to insights pros: cross-industry networking, borrowing ideas from other categories, and practicing “flexibility with rigor.”Resources & Links:Panera Bread – Brand & MenuThe Hershey Company (early career in retail sales & CPG)CAVA (example of fast-casual brand resonating with younger consumers)7 Brew Coffee (emerging drive-thru coffee brand mentioned in the episode)You can reach out to Jairus Lofton on LinkedIn.Many thanks to Jairus Lofton for being our guest. Thanks also to our production team and our editor at Big Bad Audio.

Conveo co-founder & CPO Hendrik Van Hove joins Lenny Murphy to unpack how AI is reshaping market research—from the rapid normalization of AI moderation to new agency business models and always-on consumer access. Hendrik traces Conveo’s origin (McKinsey to Y Combinator), the importance of bringing veteran researchers into the loop, and why enterprise teams are shifting from “fewer, bigger” studies to many rapid, compounding projects that speed impact (e.g., Unilever sprint examples).The conversation ranges into what’s next: privacy-centric data ownership, wearables that enable seamless voice/video qual at the shelf, and building living consumer models (digital twins) that connect research directly to decisions. If you’re navigating AI adoption, panel strategy, or the future of insights workflows, this one’s a blueprint.Key Discussion Points:From idea to YC: Why research was a “perfect AI use case” and how Conveo blended tech + MRX expertise.AI moderation is table stakes: Market skepticism flipped to acceptance in under a year—and what “better” really means.Agency & enterprise transformation: More projects, faster iteration, and business-model shifts beyond cost/speed.Data ownership & privacy: Toward participant-controlled data and monetization as passive/voice inputs expand.What’s next: Wearables, always-on access, and “digital twin” consumer models that compound learning over time.Resources & Links:ConveoY CombinatorESOMARMRIIGRIT Insights Practice ReportMeta Ray-Ban smart glassesYou can reach out to Hendrik Van Hove on LinkedIn.Many thanks to Hendrik Van Hove 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 Matt O’Mara, President of Cranbrook Search Consultants, to discuss the state of hiring and career development in the insights industry. With more than 30 years of experience spanning client, supplier, and recruiting roles, Matt offers an insider’s view on the opportunities and challenges shaping today’s job market.From the advantages of working with a search firm, to misconceptions about recruiters, to the growing role of AI in hiring and candidate preparation, this conversation is packed with timely advice. Whether you’re an active job seeker, a hiring manager navigating a slow market, or a researcher thinking about your next career step, Matt’s perspectives on networking, skill-building, and the future of work will leave you with actionable takeaways.Key Discussion Points:Why search firms can be a strategic advantage for both candidates and hiring companiesMisconceptions about recruiters—and how ethical consultants add real valueCurrent hiring market conditions: demand shifts, sector slowdowns, and where growth remains strongThe role of AI in hiring and how candidates can smartly use AI to prepare resumes and interviewsRemote, hybrid, and gig work: how work arrangements are evolving in the insights industryResources & Links:Cranbrook Search ConsultantsInsights Career NetworkFreakonomics Radio (Stephen Dubner’s podcast)The Prof G Pod with Scott GallowayMarketplace with Kai RyssdalInsights on the Brink by Tim HoskinsYou can reach out to Matt O’Mara on LinkedIn.Many thanks to Matt O’Mara for being our guest. Thanks also to our production team and our editor at Big Bad Audio.