Quiet in nature but ferocious in spirit, Michelle always sees the best in everyone she meets. A natural friend, mentor and fellow co-conspirator she exudes empathy and compassion like no other. Spending her early years eating sushi and pocky in Japan and formative years in Indiana, Michelle’s eclectic background combined with her education in psychology and ID culminate into a unique perspective of the world. Driven to understand what drives others, Michelle is just as at home exploring the underground food scene of a new city as the mindset of post industrial robber barons.

An altruist at heart, Max started as a designer but was moved to focus on research for emerging markets and underserved populations. This brought him to India where he learned how to identify opportunities for design through research in unfamiliar cultures. He is an intrepid adventurer, driven to travel and seek out the hidden stories of people's unmet needs. He wishes to improve the world not by creating, but rather by communicating the needs he finds in a compelling, transportive way to those best suited to help.

Hailing from Detroit, Chris left the world of vehicle styling to become a design researcher and constant learner. He continually seeks out new sources of information and strives to improve the world by sharing what he learns with others. He loves to explore inaccessible places, whether climbing into abandoned buildings in a forgotten metropolis, paddling down winding rivers in the Grand Canyon, or scuba-ing among coral reefs.

Analytical by nature, Curtis sought a world where science was complemented by art and stumbled his way into design research. A thoughtful, impartial observer of humanity, he cut his teeth as a researcher for NPR. Known to seek new experiences regardless of peril, he is drawn to the unusual and unexpected. He feels most alive when his imagination is awakened by the novel or intense, to the occasional distress of friends and family.