AigoraCast

Former Zevia COO Hank Margolis joins John Ennis to discuss the practical work of building a beverage company. They explore formulation improvements, culture shaped by employees, the risks of rigid strategy, and the relationships that help a small brand grow. Hank also reflects on making time for family and his work at Flavorchem's The Bench.  

Hi, I'm Dr. John Ennis, CEO at Aigora. In this episode, I enjoyed speaking with Rasto Ivanic, Co-Founder and CEO of GroupSolver. Rasto and I talked about where AI belongs in consumer research and why the answers still have to come from people, focusing on why he stopped his engineers for six months to fix survey data quality, and why he does not believe a synthetic panel can tell you what a person...

Hi, I'm Dr. John Ennis, CEO at Aigora. In this episode, I enjoyed speaking with Thorsten Guksch, International Head of Data Science at SAM Sensory and Consumer Research. Thorsten and I share a lot of common interests, and I loved taking a deep dive with him on turning open-ended consumer feedback into structured sensory insight. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did, and remember to...

In this episode, I'm speaking with Roberto Salas, a Global Consumer and Sensory Insights Executive based out of Princeton, New Jersey. With over two decades in the FMCG industry, his career has spanned the globe, starting in Mexico and taking him through South Africa, the UK, Latin America, and eventually to his current work at IFF. We had a fantastic conversation about bridging technical sensory...

Hi, I'm Dr. John Ennis, CEO at Aigora. In this episode, I enjoy speaking with Dr. Paula Varela. Paula and I shared a fascinating conversation regarding the role and risks of AI in consumer research, before discussing how sensory science can help drive healthier and more sustainable food choices. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did, and remember to subscribe to AigoraCast to hear mo...

"In this episode, I'm speaking with Michael Nestrud, a dedicated researcher of the human experience who uniquely bridges the gap between rigorous sensory science and the culinary arts. Based in Chicago, Michael is currently with First Position Training and Consulting, where his driving mission is to make 'product evaluation and sensory science for everyone.' We had a fantastic conversation about h...

Hi, I'm Dr. John Ennis, CEO at Aigora. In this episode, I enjoyed speaking with Greg Fodor, an innovator based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Greg and I had a fascinating conversation about the future of immersive experiences, the limitations of current VR hardware, and how headset-free technology could completely transform the way consumers interact with digital environments and products.  I hope...

Hi, I'm Dr. John Ennis, CEO at Aigora. In this episode, I enjoyed speaking with Nicolas Pineau of Data Insights. Nicolas shared a lot about his experiences both applying and teaching AI within sensory and consumer science, and I heartily agreed with his perspective that we are just at the beginning of an exciting change in our field.  I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did, and rememb...

Hi, I'm Dr. John Ennis, CEO at Aigora. In this episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Josh Cook of FlowAltDelete, a Microsoft MVP and true master of M365 Copilot.  Many of our clients and students use copilot as their daily driver, so it was great to have an expert on Copilot on the show to share his excitement about the powerful new way of working it enables.  I hope you enjoy this conversa...

welcome back everyone to another episode of AigoraCast. Today, I'm very happy to have Decio Cataldi and Matteo Bonfini from Adacta International on the show. Decio Cataldi is the executive director at Adacta International, a leader in consumer and sensory research. In his role, Decio oversees the company's strategic and financial direction with a specific focus on driving growth through technologi...

Hi, I'm Dr. John Ennis, CEO at Aigora. In this episode, I had a wonderful conversation with Dr. Damir Torrico, an Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. I particularly enjoyed our discussion on why curiosity is so vital, and specifically how "always asking" and pushing back on AI outputs is the key to achieving real fluency with these new tools. I hope you enjoy this c...

Hi, I'm Dr. John Ennis, CEO at Aigora. In this episode, I caught up with my longtime friend, Dr. Wei Qin, Global Director of the Insights Center of Excellence at Ingredion. I particularly enjoyed her story about a flavorist using AI to find a molecule they hadn't considered. It is a great example of her view of AI as a "stretcher" for human limits. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I d...

Welcome back, everyone, to another episode of Aigoracast. Our guest today is Dr. Riccardo Accolla. Dr. Riccardo Accolla is a neuroscientist and food innovation leader dedicated to creating more resilient food systems through technology and human-centric insights. As the Director of Innovation at Thimus, he applies his expertise in multisensory perception, reward, and emotion to develop product str...

Welcome back, everyone, to another episode of Aigoracast. Our guest today is Todd Renn, a distinguished leader in consumer insights and sensory science with over 25 years of experience driving innovation at industry giants like PepsiCo, Pfizer, Clorox, and Land O'Lakes. Holding a PhD in food science and advanced credentials in business analytics from UT Austin and Wharton, Todd excels at bridging...

Hi, I'm Dr. John Ennis, President at Aigora. In this episode, I have the great pleasure of speaking with Thomas Wiecki, co-author of PyMC. Thomas and I turned out to have a lot in common, and it was a great pleasure to talk with an enthusiastic and like-minded traveler working to figure out this brave new world we all find ourselves in. We hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. And rem...

Dr. Michelle Murphy Niedziela is a behavioral neuroscientist and founder of Nerdoscientist, specializing in integrating consumer neuroscience, behavioral science, and traditional research methods to decode consumer response. With a multidisciplinary approach, she helps organizations apply cognitive science tools to drive product innovation and strategy, bridging the gap between consumer perception...

Hi, I'm Dr. John Ennis, co-founder of Aigora and host of AigoraCast.  This episode I enjoyed speaking with Dr. Maria Keckler, co-founder of the EmpathyRx Lab at San Diego State University.  Maria is very easy to talk to, and I really enjoyed her ideas on the importance of human skills in the age of AI.  I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did, and remember to subscribe to AigoraCast to...

Dave Lundahl is passionate about applying consumer insights to create a cleaner, healthier, and happier world through innovation. In 2003, he founded InsightsNow with a vision to apply behavioral science to advance product innovation. This led to the publication of Breakthrough Food Product Innovation Through Emotions Research (2011), receiving the Disruptive Innovation Award from NextGen Marketin...

Dr. Andreea Botezatu earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in Oenology and Agricultural Management in Romania before working as a commercial winemaker in Europe and Canada. She later obtained her PhD in Oenology from Brock University in Canada, where she also completed a postdoctoral position. Currently an Associate Professor and Extension Enology Specialist at Texas A&M University, Dr. Botez...

Angelica Iobbi is the Sensory Manager at Lactalis USA. She holds a PhD in Food Science and Technology from Oregon State University, where she specialized in wine sensory and flavor chemistry. Since January 2023, Angelica has been leading the sensory department at Lactalis USA, bringing her expertise in sensory evaluation, consumer research, and linking sensory and chemistry data to the forefront....

Greg has focused his career on the development of new methods, techniques, and services for consumer product innovations. His deep experience in the application of consumer behavior to product innovation has garnered industry attention and awards, with work featured in Harvard Business Review, The LA Times, ESOMAR World, and other industry publications. Greg has pioneered cue signals research, an...

Dal Perio is a Senior Manager of Sensory & Product Insights at Starbucks, with 30 years of experience in Sensory Science, Consumer Research, and Marketing Research across seven Fortune 500 companies including Johnson & Johnson, Diageo, and Unilever.   His expertise spans Product Innovation, Consumer Research, Quality Assurance, and Product Testing. At Starbucks, he focuses on Sensory & Product Ins...

Mitchell Feldman is a seasoned entrepreneur with over three decades at the forefront of technology and marketing innovation. As CEO of Jam 7, he pioneers the fusion of human creativity with Agentic AI, transforming the landscape of B2B marketing. Mitchell's vision has established Jam 7 as a leader in AI-driven growth strategies, empowering ambitious tech brands through intelligent, autonomous Grow...

John Ennis is the CEO of Tulle, a company that builds economic efficiency tools for businesses operating on the blockchains, and the Founder and Chairman of Aigora. He's also a market research consultant trained in both mathematics and computational neuroscience. He is the author of 50+ peer-reviewed articles and 4 books in sensory and consumer science, and the recipient of the 2013 Food Quality a...