Research For Impact - A Course For Applied Researchers

5 Weeks

Cohort-based Course

Research reports are valuable, but the real game-changer is the follow-through that turns those insights into business impact.

Research For Impact - A Course For Applied Researchers

5 Weeks

Cohort-based Course

Research reports are valuable, but the real game-changer is the follow-through that turns those insights into business impact.

Hosted by

Steph Kumar and Megan Henderson

Over a decade building research teams at Google, Twitter, Pinterest and Yahoo.

Steph Kumar and Megan Henderson

Over a decade building research teams at Google, Twitter, Pinterest and Yahoo.

Previously at

Course overview

Influence Action With Your Research

This course is for experienced researchers of all types (quant, qual, UXR, marketing, sales and more) in industry settings who are looking to have more impact with their stakeholders, see their findings result in action, and build their brand as a strategic go-to partner. I’ll guide you through influencing skills and best practices that they don’t proactively teach you on the job, but expect you to have.

Note: In this course, we're not going to cover research methodologies, design or analysis (I'm assuming you've got those technical skills in spades!).

This course is for applied researchers who...

Are looking to motivate stakeholders into taking action and/or make decisions from the research.

Want to build strong(er) cross functional relationships and be seen as a go-to partner.

Want to up-level their influencing skills, resulting in increased scope, higher ratings, and even promos.

Are looking to motivate stakeholders into taking action and/or make decisions from the research.

Want to build strong(er) cross functional relationships and be seen as a go-to partner.

Want to up-level their influencing skills, resulting in increased scope, higher ratings, and even promos.

What you’ll get out of this course

Develop stronger stakeholder relationships

Humanity and relationships are at the core of inspiring action with your work. Learn methods for building stakeholder relationships that go deeper than a research share out and serve you throughout your career.

Influence action through data-driven storytelling

Storytelling doesn't just happen at the end of a research project. You'll learn tactics for bringing your stakeholders along through your work. When you do get to the end of the project, they feel co-ownership of the results and compelled to act.

Deliver engaging data-backed presentations

You’ll learn tips for creating research moments your stakeholders will remember. Best practices like “WIIFM” (What’s In It For Me) positioning, the 5 second rule (no, not the food version), and how to relentlessly edit your final product.

The art of the follow through to inspire business action

Impact begins at the end of your presentation. You’ll walk away with sample questions and methods to use with your stakeholders to see action and also feel the impact of your work.

Make connections with applied researchers and build community

Success in our careers hinges on a supportive community. Here, you'll gain entry to a curated group of fellow researchers facing similar challenges. These connections can evolve into lasting professional relationships.

This course includes

5 interactive live sessions

Lifetime access to course materials

11 in-depth lessons

Direct access to instructor

5 projects to apply learnings

Guided feedback & reflection

Private community of peers

Course certificate upon completion

Maven Satisfaction Guarantee

This course is backed by Maven’s guarantee. You can receive a full refund within 14 days after the course ends, provided you meet the completion criteria in our refund policy.

Course syllabus

Week 1

Jan 22—Jan 28

Jan

🔎 Looking Inward as a Professional

Tue 1/238:00 PM—9:30 PM (UTC)

🔎 Looking Inward as a Professional

3 items

Week 2

Jan 29—Feb 4

Jan

🧑 Better Understanding Our Stakeholders

Tue 1/308:00 PM—9:30 PM (UTC)

🧑 Better Understanding Our Stakeholders

3 items

Week 3

Feb 5—Feb 11

Feb

📚 Molding Data into Insightful Narratives

Tue 2/68:00 PM—9:30 PM (UTC)

📚 Molding Data into Insightful Narratives

3 items

Week 4

Feb 12—Feb 18

Feb

🎬 Curating Presentations That Inspire Action

Tue 2/138:00 PM—9:30 PM (UTC)

🎬 Curating Presentations That Inspire Action

3 items

AMA Recording & Notes

1 item

Week 5

Feb 19—Feb 23

Feb

💪 Impact: The Work After the Work

Tue 2/208:00 PM—9:30 PM (UTC)

💪 Impact: The Work After the Work

3 items

Course Schedule

2.5 hours per week

Tuesdays
12-1:30p PT // 3-4:30p ET (90 min)
During these times, you’ll join a live Zoom session with Steph, Megan, and your fellow applied researchers where you will engage via video, chat, Q&A, and breakout rooms.
Insight into Action Class Projects
1 hour per week
You'll get weekly prompts during the course with exercises to apply new concepts in your daily role. As a group, we'll discuss and reflect on our projects both in class and on the Maven community Slack.

Meet your instructor

Steph Kumar

Founder, Two Cents Insights

Hey there, I'm Steph. 👋

I'm a former research executive from Twitter turned research agency founder and leadership coach at Two Cents Insights.

For more than a decade, I've built and scaled global research teams at Twitter, Google, Pinterest and Yahoo. In these roles, I interviewed hundreds of researchers, managed entry level researchers to seasoned directors, and have been a member of promotion committees for early career professionals through executive levels. I'd love to share insights from these experiences to help you thrive in yours.

Similar to many applied researchers, my career didn't start in Tech. I have a Master of Public Policy from the University of Southern California and spent my early career working for non-profits and public sector organizations. My published work ranges from the academic journal of Contemporary Economic Policy to The New York Times and Think With Google.

Why I started this course

Researchers are trained in our craft — qual, quant, market research, UXR, and more — yet we often have to stumble upon or even guess how to maximize the value of our work in an applied setting. It shouldn't be this way. I’ll guide you through the influencing skills they don’t proactively teach you on the job, but expect you to have.

Megan Henderson

Learning Experience Designer

Hi there! I have partnered with Steph to develop and deliver this course as a learning experience designer. I have facilitated learning and development in corporate and academic settings for several years and have a masters degree in Instructional Media & Technology from Teachers College, Columbia University.

My graduate work included research on numerical cognition in children as well as knowledge-building in makerspaces for adult learners; I was able to transfer skills from my quantitative business background and get exposure to qualitative research about biomaking. I am now finding my way (and acquiring needed skills!) as an applied researcher outside of academia.

This course is worth it simply for the opportunity to work with Steph! She has depth of experience and actionable advice across the range of applied research roles. She is eager and able to impact your career for the better.

I look forward to learning with you through the course we've designed!

What people are saying

Steph is the quintessential research and strategy leader, who elevates and strengthens everyone who works in her organization. Her advice helped me to develop a deeper appreciation for the various levels of strategy, planning and methodology we consider for research.

Rodney Little

User Researcher & Designer

Stephanie is best-in-class when it comes to guiding researchers on how to drive true business impact. She helped me unlock my own superpower of creativity in my research, helped drive clarity in my communication, and ultimately helped me deliver insights to my stakeholders that drove the business in a positive direction.

Sonam Mahawar

Sr. User Researcher

Among the leaders across my career, Stephanie distinctly stands out. Diligently prepared, fastidiously organized, accessibly articulate, relentlessly curious, and fiercely proud of her team. Stephanie... makes giving and receiving feedback feel like a gift.

Maggie Howley

Research Leader

Where Business Impact Happens

Researchers are formally trained in the craft (e.g., qual, quant, design thinking, etc.) yet our findings need to be translated into our stakeholders' language to be meaningful to them.

So you found that....

60% of consumers do X... what does that mean for the business?
Half of developers you talked to said Y... why does that matter?
30% of French shoppers feel Z about your product... what should I do with that?

These questions are a preview of what The Work After The Work entails. It's taking your research the extra mile to meet your stakeholders where they are.