This Thing Changed Me
Overview
Sunday, August 18, 1:30–2:30pm Pacific Time
Participate in a unique salon where every participant shares one deeply meaningful professional experience that shaped them as ethnographers and as people. Experience the power of connection and empathy as EPIC members from diverse backgrounds come together to learn from others’ pivotal moments in our work. Join us in celebrating the beauty of reflexivity and the strength found in shared vulnerability as we look ahead to our community’s next 20 years.
Hosts
Shelley Sather
Independent Ethnographer
Shelley is an independent Ethnographer with deep expertise in designing studies for emerging products and technologies. She began her research career in commodities software design, just as the analog (open-outcry) markets in Chicago were being replaced with digital solutions from outside the US. There, she developed a keen understanding of how people experience digital transformation – having witnessed, first-hand, not just the re-shaping of an industry, but an entire culture of work. These early niche beginnings lead to a broad and deep career, rooted in the observation of cultural change and the complexity of lived experiences. Her goal is to humanize business strategy so that whatever a company ‘makes’ is developed out of a sincere picture of the people they’re creating [products, communications, business models and systems] for. Client engagements range from sprawling, complex global studies for Fortune 100 businesses to research for smaller ventures close to her heart. What unites this roster is a shared desire to meet people where they are. Currently, you can find her in Brooklyn, plotting her next trip to New Orleans. To learn more about some of the work she’s lead, visit www.demophile.com
Meg Kinney
Partner, Strategy Executive | Bad Babysitter
Meg has always believed that every business problem is a human problem. Any solution involves asking someone to change an attitude or a behavior.It is Meg’s natural curiosity around what inspires willingness to change, and her ability to make complexity approachable and actionable, that has driven her career. Armed with a Masters in Global Sustainability Leadership, Meg helps organizations use human understanding and cultural context to solve business problems and navigate the sustainability imperative. She is an executive brand strategy veteran who came from the heartland of America and subsequently worked on the frontiers of just about every kind of communications agency specialization. Meg left agency life to start Bad Babysitter – a brand strategy consultancy focused on using an ethnographic approach and documentary storytelling style to humanize the consumer and to contextualize brand meaning across the value chain. Clients range from global brands such as Procter & Gamble, Constellation Wines, and Mastercard as well as Climate Tech startups, traditional retailers, and emerging sectors.
How to Register
Register for salons when you complete your in-person registration for EPIC2024. Salons are free but capacity is limited to 30 people. For detailed information and to register click the button below.
Salon size: Maximum 30 participants
Date: Sunday, August 18, 1:30–2:30pm Pacific Time
Location: In-person in Los Angeles
Questions? Contact registration@epicpeople.org