Marc Engel

Engel Research Partners Founder & Principal

Research Consultant, Moderator, Facilitator, Speaker, Writer.

Deeply human.

What does it mean to be deeply human... and why does it matter?

In a world increasingly shaped by AI, big data and digital interaction, I believe that focusing on our humanity is more important than ever.

To be deeply human means listening with empathy, embracing complexity and accepting the contradictions of the human condition. It means caring more than is required, seeking common ground and being relentlessly open-minded.

It matters because truly recognizing a person’s humanity – what it feels like to be them – is the way to connect who they are to your product, service or idea. It's that simple and that complicated – and I'm here to help you figure it out.

I'm Marc Engel – a research consultant, moderator and discussion facilitator who engages with all kinds of people on all sorts of subjects to build understanding, clarity and connection.

For over 25 years, I’ve been a trusted partner to companies across multiple industries; creative agencies, marketing and research companies around the world; political consulting firms; social, educational and cultural organizations; and professional associations.

My role is to unearth insights that reveal possibilities, reframe issues or challenges, and unlock opportunities.

A multi-disciplinary background in research, law and comedy brings analytical rigor, disciplined thinking, curiosity, and creativity to everything I do. I am able to make people feel comfortable talking about even the most sensitive subjects – and help them gain greater insight into themselves and perspective about others. And as a comedy writer and performer, I use humor to engage, enlighten and ease tension.

LEARN MORE ABOUT ME

Services

RESEARCH CONSULTING & MODERATING  |  DISCUSSION FACILITATING  |  SPEAKING |  WRITING

All of my work is shaped by a deeply human approach. Every engagement allows me to apply my own humanity and recognize the humanity of others to create better ideas and outcomes for clients.

Research Consulting & Moderating

Under the banner of Engel Research Partners, I moderate focus groups and conduct interviews that serve clients’ strategic goals and research objectives.

For full-service projects, I lead the process from start to finish – defining the objectives, designing the approach that best suits the research inquiry, preparing the screener and discussion guide, summarizing key findings, and developing the recommendations on how to apply the insights.

My research work includes:

Consumer & stakeholder understanding
Concept, product & packaging development and evaluation
Brand identity & positioning
Communications testing
Corporate reputation & social responsibility
Political candidates & social issues

I work with outstanding field directors, recruiting partners and other specialists to assemble just the right team for each project, supporting my role as lead researcher and primary client contact.

“Marc is the best I’ve ever seen at making people comfortable to express what they really think, feel and want. People go from research respondents to individual humans when he’s leading a discussion — making the insights he generates that much richer and more useful.”

— Founder, First Person Strategy

“Marc has that rare ability to extract critical insights while understanding how they impact mission-critical business initiatives. He creates a comfortable environment utilizing a combination of humor and wit that made even the most difficult participants express their feelings. Marc is excellent into distilling what people say into what they MEAN and that’s a big difference.”

— Vice President, Tendo Communications

Discussion Facilitating

I skillfully guide discussions so that everyone is engaged, candor is welcomed and divergent viewpoints can be expressed. I help people articulate the values and beliefs beneath their thoughts, decisions and actions, and provide clients with relevant context about their audiences. I lead these conversations across a diverse range of topics and with people of all ages, life stages, backgrounds, and affiliations.

“Staff members felt energized, connected and excited after the retreat. They appreciated Marc’s infusion of play and the variety of ways he had for getting people to express their ideas, for organizing ideas, and for helping us make so much progress.”

— Board Chair, Fairplay

Out of Focus Groups®

Out of Focus Groups® are my unique approach to generating ideas and innovation rooted in my improvisational theater experience and belief that distorting focus can make it easier for people to abandon existing ways of thinking and imagine new possibilities.

Its success across a wide range of products and services led to the creation of another unique approach called Blocks + Clay™ - a play-based problem-solving model that I developed in partnership with fellow research and communications professional, Pascal Patenaude.

“Marc’s proprietary ‘Out of Focus Groups’ is one of the most innovative and insightful approaches. He got participants out of the traditional focus group setting and into improv-like exercises, which was a unique take on insight mining and an incredibly productive way to stimulate creative ideas.”

— Senior Strategist, BBDO

Speaking

I speak at conferences and guest lecture at universities and business schools on research, storytelling, humor & improvisation, and more. I moderate panels, emcee events, and have appeared on leadership and research podcasts. I do one-on-one training and group workshops on speaking & presentation skills, interviewing techniques, insights development, and team-building.

Notable engagements include Joke Around and Find Out (National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation), Humor Me:The Power of the Art of Living Your Best Life and Being Your Best Self Every Moment of Every Day (and Other Crocks), and Tapping into the Creative Storytelling Processes of Broadway and Hollywood: What Researchers Can Learn from Writers, Actors and Directors (Qualitative Research Consultants Association Annual Conference).

“Marc has an amazing gift to connect with people across cultural, religious, age/life-stage boundaries – with empathy at the heart of it all. He transcends and deep dives into the essence of humanity, exploring complex issues through humor. He brings to life the things that connect us as people.”

— Chief Insights Officer, NuThinking, Inc.

“If you were only sharp, funny and real, that would’ve been enough. But you were profound. You were personal, genuine, and super funny with a very strong message. You have given people an unforgettable experience.”

— Co-chair, Limmud Bay Area Festival

Writing

I write about the breadth of subjects that make up my professional life: research, humor, improvisation, ideation and storytelling, open-mindedness and open-heartedness, business lessons, and the human experience.

Funny Business

I write comedy sketches, parodies and my own standup material, which I’ve been performing for over 30 years. I was in two improv/sketch troupes with Kristen Wiig, had parody songs on The Howard Stern Show, and wrote a comedy screenplay, What Will the Neighbors Think? that was optioned by Shoreline Pictures.

To request samples of my comedy work, click here.

About Me

Marc Engel is a research consultant, moderator and discussion facilitator whose perspective is shaped by a background that spans communication, writing, law, and comedy.

He is a trusted partner to companies across multiple industries; creative agencies, marketing and research companies around the world; political consulting firms; social, educational and cultural organizations; and professional associations. Marc helps clients better understand their audiences; develop and position their products, services or candidates (presidential, senatorial, gubernatorial, judicial); build communications strategies; assess brand naming and packaging; and more.

Marc founded Engel Research Partners In 2010 and developed a unique approach to gathering insights and generating ideas called Out of Focus Groups® which incorporates techniques from improvisational theater to expand perspective, spark creativity and strengthen group connection. He also co-developed a play-based problem solving model called Blocks + Clay to help clients shape ideas and unlock innovation. Decades of speaking with and performing for a broad range of audiences keep him dialed into what makes people tick (and what ticks them off), and a relentless curiosity about the human condition allows him to connect with people in a way that leads to deeper understanding and fresh insight.

Marc leads talks & workshops on insights, interviewing and public speaking, and has guest lectured on humor, business and professional development at Stanford, UC Berkeley, Cornell, Arizona State, and Indiana University. He has presented at conferences around the world on humor, applied improvisational thinking, and what researchers can learn from writers, actors and directors.

Earlier in his career, Marc was in improv & sketch comedy troupes with Kristen Wiig and wrote parody songs that were played on The Howard Stern Show. He wrote and co-hosted a live TV segment with comedian Shelley Berman, opened for Second City and comedians Tom Kenny and Will Durst, and emceed and headlined several fundraising events. He has written numerous sketches, satirical pieces, short stories, poems, and a screenplay. Outside the comedic realm, Marc was a partner with B/R/S Group, an analyst Harris Interactive, and a public relations writer for KCET public television and the Shoah Foundation.
Marc was co-Chair of the San Francisco Bay Area chapter of the Qualitative Research Consultants Association (QRCA) and a winner of its Maryanne Pflug Spirit Award. He has served on several nonprofit boards and is a member of the Applied Improvisation Network and the Creative Problem-Solving Institute.
He earned a B.S. in Applied Economics & Business Management from Cornell University, studied Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at the University of Oxford, and received a J.D. from UCLA School of Law.

Contact

Get to Know Me Through My Work:

Expressions of Leadership podcast Video or Audio
QRCA Views podcast (interviewed with Pascal Patenaude by Mike Carlon) Listen here.
Buying to Belong: I was brought on as a partner to Fairplay to conduct research to better understand the experiences of kids in the Metaverse and how best to protect them. You can read the report here.