ADM Insights & Strategy brings forth the authentic voices of constituents to empower client decision-making for the greatest impact.
OUR MISSION
ADM Insights & Strategy helps clients understand their constituents’ social, emotional, and cultural “why’s” to enable the creation of more impactful strategies. Our team is comprised of market researchers and social scientists spanning multiple disciplines.
We approach market research with an anthropological lens for greater human-centricity and depth of understanding, resulting in the potential to fuel impact for businesses and communities.
OUR COMPANY
Autumn D. McDonald, owner of ADM Insights & Strategy, is a Market Researcher, Sociocultural Anthropologist, and Insights Maven with over two decades of experience in research, insights, and analytics, leading client-side insights teams at numerous Fortune 500 companies and research in industries around the globe.
Autumn earned a dual degree in Mathematics and Spanish from the University of Texas at Austin and her Master of Science in Applied Anthropology from the University of North Texas. She engages with a broad community of practitioners and scholars in her role as a full-time faculty member teaching undergraduate multidisciplinary business courses.
In Autumn’s experience, the discipline of market research is highly effective in uncovering “what” people are doing as it relates to their relationships with brands, retailers, and categories. However, Autumn saw a gap in greater holistic human understanding and the deeper “why” behind people’s values, feelings, and behaviors.
Propelled by a belief that knowing the “why” is a critical component to understanding constituents, Autumn embarked on her anthropological journey. In merging her love of market research and anthropology, ADM Insights & Strategy was born, bringing together the best of two worlds with a commitment to holism, depth of understanding, and creating impact for clients.
OWNER, Anthropologist & Market Researcher
Autumn D. McDonald, M.S.
OUR TEAM
PRINCIPALS
Senior Principal
Political Scientist & Market Researcher
Tharius Sumter, M.A.
Tharius Sumter has led research and research teams at Fortune 500 companies for over 15 years. His experience spans multiple sectors including Tech, Food & Beverage, Pharma, Apparel, Pet Care, and non-profit. His work has empowered the development of communications and innovation platforms across 5 continents—identifying key commonalities and cultural distinctions that drive in-market success. Tharius earned a Master of Political Science from Emory University. He loves multi-methodological research and hosting Dutch oven dinners.
Principal
Anthropologist, Market Researcher, & UX
Dr. Melissa Vogel
Dr. Melissa Vogel is a business anthropologist with over two decades of experience in leading research both within the U.S. and internationally. Her career spans industry and academia, with client-side Fortune 100 work, roles at market research firms, and university faculty positions. She has led research on artificial intelligence tools including agent assists, coding assists, chatbots, and summarization tools. Melissa holds a PhD in Anthropology from UPENN with a regional specialty in Latin America. She is a Professor Emerita of Anthropology. Her academic research is published in two books and 20 scientific articles.
Principal
Human Development Scientist
Christopher Ashford, PhD
Christopher Ashford, PhD, is a human development scientist and qualitative researcher with over two decades of experience translating social, cultural, and behavioral insight into strategy across education, technology, global development, and consumer research. He is especially strong at uncovering the deeper “why” behind people’s decisions, connecting research findings to actionable recommendations, and helping teams understand complex communities and systems. Christopher earned his PhD in Human Development and Education from the University of Pennsylvania. Outside of research, he is passionate about mentoring young men, cycling, family, and expanding opportunity through education and community leadership.
Visiting Principal
Anthropologist, Semiotician, & Sociologist
Max Matus, Ph.D.
Max Matus, PhD has led research initiatives for both the public and private sectors across continents, with special focus in Latin America. An expert in Information and Communication Technology Research and Development, he specializes in the use of ethnography and semiotic methods for cultural analyses. Max earned his Ph.D. in Sociology at Wageningen University in Holland.
TIKICA BENJAMIN
Senior Associate
Market Researcher
Victoria Danner, M.A.A.
Associate
Anthropologist
Bria Whitaker
Associate
Market Researcher
associates
Sonia Brown, M.S.
Analyst
Anthropologist
Lyric Fox
Analyst
Market Researcher
Shomari Hall
Analyst
Videographer
analystS
John Jacks II
Analyst
Market Researcher
Josie Murphy
Analyst
Sociologist
- Senior Director, CPG
CLIENT PERSPECTIVES
Autumn has a singular commitment to excellence, and consistently drives to meaningful results for the business and individuals she engages. Her dedication to professional development keeps her among my "go to" resources for perspective on issues ranging from creative research approaches to multi-cultural marketing. I marvel at her breadth of knowledge, expertise, and boundless energy.
