The world around us is changing faster than ever before. Automation, articial intelligence, big data, geo-location and advanced technology are reshaping every aspect of the way we work and live—and data is at the center of this transformation. Welcome to the Data Gurus Podcast, a leading market research podcast hosted by Sima Vasa, CEO of Innity Squared Ventures.

5-Star rating on Apple Podcasts
Top 5 Market Research Podcasts by Greenbook, 2022

Browse Episodes
Kevin Lonnie Crowsdweaving and Innovation

Crowdweaving and Innovation with Kevin Lonnie | Ep. 75

Kevin Lonnie, CEO of KL Communications, joins Sima in today’s podcast to talk about innovation. Kevin entered Rutgers College of Engineering then decided he didn’t want to be an engineer and switched to Business and Psychology. From there, he took a course in Market Research and realized he’d stumbled on to a profession that involved ... Read more

Emotional DNA with Mike Bloxham | Ep. 74

Mike Bloxham joins Sima in a discussion involving consumer data,  consumer behavior, viewer perceptions of video content at an emotional level, and how this is used. Mike is the Senior Vice-President of The Global Media and Entertainment Division at Magid. He is involved in the development of different services and products that get taken out ... Read more

The Use of Technology and Data to Mitigate Fraud with Steve Danziger, Vignesh Krishnan and Alex Leger| Ep. 73

Sima listens in today as Steve Danziger interviews Vignesh Krishnan and Alex Leger, and their discussion about how technology involves our interactions in data quality and respondents’ experience, and how the technology discussion shapes our agenda going forward. Steve Danziger is Executive Director of Paradigm Innovation Labs, which gives us the marriage of technology and ... Read more

Transforming Out Of Home Media Measurement | Ep. 72

The President of Geopath, Kym Frank, sits down with Sima Vasa for today’s chat. They discuss the history of Geopath, how they use eye-tracking studies, and location data The Uniqueness of Geopath Geopath is a unique organization founded in 1933, as a joint venture between The Agency Trade Association, The Advertiser Trade Association, and the ... Read more

Qualitative Research and Creating Connection with Nikki Lavoie | Ep. 71

CEO and Founder of MindSpark Research International, Nikki Lavoie, joins Sima Vasa today. They discuss the two niches that Nikki has found work really well together for her Paris-based company: 1) international qualitative research and 2) UX research. MindSpark: Born Out of Necessity From a young age, Nikki Lavoie knew she wanted to travel around ... Read more
Detecting Signals in Data w/ Malcolm De Leo

Detecting Signals in Data w/ Malcolm De Leo | Ep. 070

In this episode, Sima Vasa converses with Chief Evangelist for Quantifind, Malcolm De Leo. He shares with us how Quantifind detects signals to help predict outcomes, how he embraces innovation in his career and how he enforced the philosophy of “Corporate accountable, locally responsible.” Chief Evangelist  Malcolm serves as a Chief Evangelist for 20 years now, 5 ... Read more
The Future w/ Merrill Dubrow (Part 2)

The Future w/ Merrill Dubrow (Part 2) | Ep. 69

Today’s episode is our second for our two-part series with guest Merrill Dubrow, the President, and CEO of M/A/R/C Research. He shares with us what gets him excited, especially after serving the industry for 25 years. Merrill Dubrow, a thought leader, also gave some relevant advice for industry professionals that is definitely worth listening to.  ... Read more
The Importance of Relevance w/ Merrill Dubrow (Part 1)

The Importance of Relevance w/ Merrill Dubrow (Part 1) | Ep. 68

Today’s guest is Merrill Dubrow, the President, and CEO of M/A/R/C Research. He shares with us some important industry perspectives on automation and the consultative role of insights companies. This is an episode for industry professionals who wish to stay relevant in this field of work. Six Decades of Excellence Merrill Dubrow has been leading ... Read more
Scaling Up Talent w/ Nicole Patel

Scaling Up Talent w/ Nicole Patel | Ep. 67

Today’s guest, Chief People Officer Nicole Patel joins Sima Vasa to discuss the recruitment process and employee retention at LUCID. Further, she shares the processes they employ within the organization and the culture they promote that is centered on openness and transparency.    Nicole and LUCID Lucid was founded in 2010 in New Orleans, Louisiana ... Read more
Unleashing the Power of Analytics w/ Jason Krantz

Unleashing the Power of Analytics w/ Jason Krantz | Ep. 66

Today’s guest entrepreneur Jason Krantz of Strategy Titan joins Sima Vasa to discuss a wealth of information about data analytics and insights in the B2B space. He shares his personal experience in having a balance between technical and business skills. Further, he discusses how these skills helped him navigate the elusive HVAC industry.   The ... Read more
Next Gen Leaders: Fresh

Next Gen Leaders: Fresh Perspectives w/ Katie Sands and Brad Franz | Ep. 65

In today’s episode, Sima Vasa sits with Executive Director of Client Development at Paradigm Sample Katie Sands, together with Sr. Consultant for Sampling at Burke Inc., Brad Franz. Both are considered next-generation of leaders for the market research industry. Together, they discuss perspectives on data collection and shifts in the industry both for clients and ... Read more
Meet your host

Sima Vasa

Sima Vasa is a growth-focused strategic advisor, investment banker, and entrepreneur with industry-leading expertise in market research and data ecosystems. She is the Founder and CEO of Infinity Squared Ventures, an organization focused on advising middle-market data and analytics companies in business strategy, product innovation, and growth. She is also a Senior Advisor with Oberon Securities, a New York investment bank. Sima is the host of the weekly Data Gurus podcast, and is a frequent speaker at national conferences on market research, insights and investment banking.

Data Gurus

Each week, we explore market research topics, interview industry leaders, and reveal new insights into the world of data. Our mission is to bring you a real-life perspective on what’s happening in the data industry, and share how successful companies and individuals in this niche are surviving and thriving through the sea of change. We encourage you to be bold, be brave and be fearless. Let’s navigate the data ecosystem together.

Be a Guest

Interested in being a guest on the Data Gurus podcast? We want to hear from you! Please let us know who you are, what company you represent, and what topic you would like to speak about, if interviewed on our show.

Testimonials

Relevant & Instructive “Sima’s podcasts are a great resource for the market research (MR) industry. The discussion with Ravi Parmeswar, Winning the CPG Analytics Race 001, was helpful in understanding what issues clients face, and it also provided some thoughts on how the industry can work through them. Sima has a natural way to engage her guests. For example, Ravi’s thoughts on how artificial intelligence (AI) can be useful for MR were enlightening. Overall, very engaging podcast, great job, Sima!”

Pepi6322
03/06/2018

I love how the podcast is focused on all the right things. “A data-intensive podcast that focuses squarely on business – that’s a rare find! The guests are absolutely fascinating, I might add. Thanks for this valuable contribution to the world, Sima!”

Hhrbsjdjdkebbhbv
01/21/2021

Worth The Listen “Really enjoyed listening to each guest and their different perspectives, regarding what they do and how it relates to our ever-changing industry. The host, Sima Vasa, is energetic, enthusiastic, and adds to the whole ‘Be Bold, Be Brave, Be Fearless’ vibe. You can tell she loves what she does and is 100% engaged with her guests. I highly recommend Data Gurus to all, not only for those who are obsessed with data and the industry, but for the life lessons that can be learned as well.”

Data Dork
03/07/2018