You get answers.
We get you.
Experts in your industry. And your audience’s inner workings.
With qualitative researchers who come from your industry, we get up to speed faster, dig in deeper, and go farther. With expertise in branding and human behavior, we also know how to extract and interpret the insight you need to connect with your audiences. See how our multi-faceted team of experts works to your advantage.
Technology
We speak engineer.
Fluently.
In a constantly shifting technology world, the right research partner can help you find secure footing and a clear path forward. Rely on Thinkpiece to be that partner. With over 20 years’ experience as software engineers, systems analysts and cloud technologists, our tech-focused researchers understand the unpredictable landscape you’re tasked with navigating. What’s more, we’re prepared to dive head-first into it.
Collaborating with leading technology innovators on a wide range of high-level research projects, we’ve built our strengths in edge computing, machine learning, UX/UI, cloud computing, and more. We’re equally comfortable getting into the weeds with product teams as we are getting to what truly motivates your audience.
Rely on us to be the bridge between your technology gurus and key decision makers with nuanced insight your stakeholders can leverage to take action. We know the tech world moves fast. So do we — working nimbly to understand your goals, find your audience, ask the right questions, and deliver reports that are ready to use.
Meet your B2B Technology Team.
John Dibling
COO, Technology and Finance Lead
About John
Geeking out daily.
COO, Technology and Finance Lead
John still remembers his first computer fondly: a TRS-80 Model, circa 1978. He taught himself BASIC then TRS-80 Assembly Language programming, in the process learning about the inside workings of computers. Thus his fascination with technology was launched, and it’s never stopped growing.
Before joining Bonnie in building Thinkpiece, John built his technology and financial chops as a trading analytics programmer and software engineer. After running out of funds to finish his PhD in theoretical physics, John completed his bachelor’s in computer science with a (prescient, we might add) emphasis in AI. John worked for several financial services technology companies until his wife and collaborator Bonnie announced that she wanted to start her own market research firm. John stepped in as the technology lead who’s equally comfortable talking with software engineers and c-level executives.
Though he tends to downplay the title, John also serves as the company’s Chief Operating Officer. While helping clients extract maximum value from market research to move their products and services forward, John also helps with the day-to-day tactical running of Thinkpiece. And when the team has any computer issues, he still gets a kick out of solving them.
Fun fact: A man of many talents, John has worked as a professional chef and a semi-professional poker player. He also brews his own beer, and is happy to send you a sample.
“Our clients are smart, hard-working, passionate, and sometimes saddled with square pegs that they need to fit in to round holes. They deserve success. I want Thinkpiece to make a difference in our clients’ pursuit of that success.” — John Dibling
Chris Dethloff
Technology Moderator
Chris Dethloff
The art of research.
Technology Moderator
Chris views qualitative research as the process of naturally connecting with someone to better understand how they see the world. By combining this understanding with a practical knowledge of the subject, he believes it’s possible to craft a picture from the respondent’s perspective.
Chris applies his background in systems engineering and his understanding of the relationship between technology and business to help him find the story that’s hidden in and between every answer. For him, successful moderation means knowing where you’re going and how it will look when you get there, while also acknowledging that every respondent will reveal a new, different way of getting there. Chris views every project as a unique picture that needs creating; respondents add color to give this picture depth as he applies his own expertise to guide conversations and better understand what shapes those colors are forming.
Technology Case Studies
Healthcare
We got our
start in
scrubs.
As organizations direct their focus on the patient experience, understanding the human component of healthcare is more critical than ever. At Thinkpiece, that’s what we specialize in.
Our healthcare-focused research team is comprised of former clinicians and healthcare professionals who started by the patients’ side. We know how to connect with patients as well as the providers who care for them. But more than that, we grasp the science behind the products that are improving people’s lives.
With decades of market research experience for leading healthcare innovators, we help our healthcare clients delve into expectations around the patient experience, as well as the impact of digital transformation on the healthcare world. Our in-depth research provides healthcare organizations the insights they need to understand segmented audiences across generations, as well as clinicians across departments and specialties.
By being agile and personalized in our approach to research, we help clients respond nimbly to rapid changes driven by patients who want more say in their healthcare. With the insight you need — when and how you need it — you’ll make better decisions that help create a stronger brand. And a healthier world.
Meet your Healthcare Team.
Bonnie Dibling
CEO, Lead Researcher
About Bonnie
Bonnie
believes in
qualitative
research.
CEO, Lead Researcher
Bonnie launched Thinkpiece in 2013 with $600 in seed money and a desire to show clients there’s a better way to do research. She’s been busy doing just that ever since. Before she hung out her shingle, Bonnie started working in healthcare at the age of 17 while attending college (inspired by the movie “Flatliners,” she admits). As a medical assistant, EMT, phlebotomist, lab assistant, and lab consultant liaising with medical offices, Bonnie learned how to find common language and human connection in a complex and clinical world.
This experience served her well as she shifted from the medical world to market research. Quickly realizing that researching paper towels and pudding cups was not her cup of tea, Bonnie leaned into her healthcare background to focus on moderating complicated, highly clinical studies and creating understandable reports. After launching her own research firm, Bonnie knew that she wanted Thinkpiece to continue focusing on the industry sectors that other researchers shy away from: namely, healthcare, technology, and finance.
To that end, Bonnie has surrounded herself with a team of multi-disciplinary experts who, in her words, are smarter than she is. Bonnie and her team excel in revealing and communicating the human stories behind their clients’ complex products and services. She’s made it her mission to help companies think about research differently — not just as raw data on a report but as living, breathing intelligence that provides guidance, clarity, and confidence.
Fun fact: When not digging deep into research, Bonnie gets her hands dirty uncovering dinosaur bones on paleontology digs.
“Out of intense complexities, intense simplicities emerge.” — Winston Churchill
Nancy Miller, RN, MBA
Healthcare Lead
Nancy Miller
Nurturer by nature.
Healthcare Lead
A former head nurse responsible for treating open-heart surgery patients in the ICU, Nancy pours her own heart into her work as Thinkpiece’s lead healthcare moderator and account director. Her previous nursing career spanned multiple specialties, including cardiac and neurosurgery intensive care and burn care. Along with leading clinical departments, training nurses, and building the UNC Burn Center, Nancy also managed to earn her MBA at UNC Chapel Hill. Bedside manner meets business acumen.
Nancy’s familiarity with the science and the humanity required in caring for others serves our healthcare clients well. Her skill at communicating and connecting with physicians, nurses, patients, families, and allied health personnel gives her the unique ability to ask all the right questions, and even better, understand the responses. She then makes sure our clients understand them as well, with C-suite-ready reports they can confidently act on.
Nancy was drawn to market research for many of the same reasons she was drawn to healthcare. She enjoys solving complex challenges, interfacing with individuals from all backgrounds, and finding ways to help people thrive. She also knows that connecting healthcare clients to better insight allows them to continue innovating the products that improve people’s health and wellbeing.
Fun fact: Nancy always choses the less-traveled road, including hiking trails in Morocco and Slovenia.
“I have great respect for providers and patients. Rather than following a script, I have conversations. I recognize when to speak and when to listen.” — Nancy Miller
Healthcare Case Studies
Finance
Economics
excites us.
Really.
In the world of finance, data drives decisions. But we believe there’s more to data than numbers. As marketing researchers who got our start in the banking, fintech and insurance industries, we know the value of numbers. We also know that with the right research partner who brings a background in sociology, those numbers can tell a more meaningful story about what motivates your audiences and how best to connect with them.
Combining real-world finance experience with research-world expertise, our team delves into the data to reveal insight that directly impacts your business activities. By better understanding the behavioral and emotional drivers of audiences, we’ve helped finance clients change the way they communicate with customers from Gen Z to Boomers, determine which products to launch, and bolster their omnichannel strategies to keep more business within their walls.
We speak numbers, but we also speak human. Whether talking with enterprise CEOs, small business owners or millennials, we get audiences to open up and reveal more — allowing us to dig deeper. You’ll get reports with all the data you need, along with the insight to make strategic decisions that propel your success and build your brand.
Meet your B2B Finance Team.
John Dibling
COO, Technology and Finance Lead
About John
Geeking out daily.
COO, Technology and Finance Lead
John still remembers his first computer fondly: a TRS-80 Model, circa 1978. He taught himself BASIC then TRS-80 Assembly Language programming, in the process learning about the inside workings of computers. Thus his fascination with technology was launched, and it’s never stopped growing.
Before joining Bonnie in building Thinkpiece, John built his technology and financial chops as a trading analytics programmer and software engineer. After running out of funds to finish his PhD in theoretical physics, John completed his bachelor’s in computer science with a (prescient, we might add) emphasis in AI. John worked for several financial services technology companies until his wife and collaborator Bonnie announced that she wanted to start her own market research firm. John stepped in as the technology lead who’s equally comfortable talking with software engineers and c-level executives.
Though he tends to downplay the title, John also serves as the company’s Chief Operating Officer. While helping clients extract maximum value from market research to move their products and services forward, John also helps with the day-to-day tactical running of Thinkpiece. And when the team has any computer issues, he still gets a kick out of solving them.
Fun fact: A man of many talents, John has worked as a professional chef and a semi-professional poker player. He also brews his own beer, and is happy to send you a sample.
“Our clients are smart, hard-working, passionate, and sometimes saddled with square pegs that they need to fit in to round holes. They deserve success. I want Thinkpiece to make a difference in our clients’ pursuit of that success.” — John Dibling
Kip Brown
Brand and Advertising Lead
About Kip
Curiouser and curiouser.
Brand and Advertising Lead
Our resident branding expert, Kip started out as a sales guy who quickly learned the value of understanding customers’ needs before trying to sell them something. He carried this knowledge with him as he transitioned into the world of advertising, at a time when the concept of “branding” was just finding its footing.
As a marketing director for The Martin Agency, Kip worked on nationally recognized and Effie award-winning B2B brands built on insights gleaned from research. After 20 years on the agency side, Kip made the leap from creating campaigns to researching their audiences. To this day, he still gets excited about diving into the nitty-gritty of what makes brands — and people — work.
Over the course of his career, Kip has seen that great research coupled with a deep respect for the customer experience lead to breakthrough branding. After helping his colleague and friend Bonnie launch her research firm Thinkpiece in 2014, Kip officially joined the team as a moderator who brings a unique brand perspective and extensive B2B experience. He also brings a rare talent for asking the right questions, listening carefully to the answers, and ensuring clients hear those insights as well. If his work reveals opportunities and helps his clients act on them, Kip knows he’s done his job.
Fun fact: Along with his Effies, Kip has also won two best actor awards for theater roles he played as an 18-year-old and as a 65-year-old.
“I get energized by what I do. I love branding. I study it. I believe in it. And I want to continue to humanize it so that it is really understood by people everywhere.” — Kip Brown
Finance Case Studies
Branding
Winning audiences.
And a few awards.
You have a product or service to launch. You also have an audience to reach. And no matter how complex or sophisticated your offering may be, it still needs to resonate with the people who will be using, interacting, and benefitting from it. That’s where the research comes in.
And that’s exactly why we balance industry expertise with branding know-how. While we have the researchers with real-world proficiencies in our clients’ industries, we also have Effie award-winning branding specialists who have helped build powerhouse brands recognized around the world.
Calling on this experience, we’ll help you craft, segment, test, and refine brand strategies, positioning, messaging, and concepts that clearly communicate the strengths and differentiators of your complex offering. More than launching a product or service, you’ll have the human insight backed by demonstrable data you need to catapult a brand that sets you apart while speaking to your audiences.
Meet your branding team.
John Dibling
COO, Technology and Finance Lead
About John
Geeking out daily.
COO, Technology and Finance Lead
John still remembers his first computer fondly: a TRS-80 Model, circa 1978. He taught himself BASIC then TRS-80 Assembly Language programming, in the process learning about the inside workings of computers. Thus his fascination with technology was launched, and it’s never stopped growing.
Before joining Bonnie in building Thinkpiece, John built his technology and financial chops as a trading analytics programmer and software engineer. After running out of funds to finish his PhD in theoretical physics, John completed his bachelor’s in computer science with a (prescient, we might add) emphasis in AI. John worked for several financial services technology companies until his wife and collaborator Bonnie announced that she wanted to start her own market research firm. John stepped in as the technology lead who’s equally comfortable talking with software engineers and c-level executives.
Though he tends to downplay the title, John also serves as the company’s Chief Operating Officer. While helping clients extract maximum value from market research to move their products and services forward, John also helps with the day-to-day tactical running of Thinkpiece. And when the team has any computer issues, he still gets a kick out of solving them.
Fun fact: A man of many talents, John has worked as a professional chef and a semi-professional poker player. He also brews his own beer, and is happy to send you a sample.
“Our clients are smart, hard-working, passionate, and sometimes saddled with square pegs that they need to fit in to round holes. They deserve success. I want Thinkpiece to make a difference in our clients’ pursuit of that success.” — John Dibling
Kip Brown
Brand and Advertising Lead
About Kip
Curiouser and curiouser.
Brand and Advertising Lead
Our resident branding expert, Kip started out as a sales guy who quickly learned the value of understanding customers’ needs before trying to sell them something. He carried this knowledge with him as he transitioned into the world of advertising, at a time when the concept of “branding” was just finding its footing.
As a marketing director for The Martin Agency, Kip worked on nationally recognized and Effie award-winning B2B brands built on insights gleaned from research. After 20 years on the agency side, Kip made the leap from creating campaigns to researching their audiences. To this day, he still gets excited about diving into the nitty-gritty of what makes brands — and people — work.
Over the course of his career, Kip has seen that great research coupled with a deep respect for the customer experience lead to breakthrough branding. After helping his colleague and friend Bonnie launch her research firm Thinkpiece in 2014, Kip officially joined the team as a moderator who brings a unique brand perspective and extensive B2B experience. He also brings a rare talent for asking the right questions, listening carefully to the answers, and ensuring clients hear those insights as well. If his work reveals opportunities and helps his clients act on them, Kip knows he’s done his job.
Fun fact: Along with his Effies, Kip has also won two best actor awards for theater roles he played as an 18-year-old and as a 65-year-old.
“I get energized by what I do. I love branding. I study it. I believe in it. And I want to continue to humanize it so that it is really understood by people everywhere.” — Kip Brown
