Who we are

Our team of ethnographers is a diverse group of sociologists and anthropologists with a wide range of research experiences and academic backgrounds. We also have a fantastic support staff who make sure our ethnographers are able to concentrate on what they do best, ethnography.

Melinda Rea-Holloway, PhD is CEO of our company and an impeccable ethnographer, masterful at the long interview. She’s a specialist in health care issues, gender and kids. Before we started the company, Melinda taught at the university level, and since, she’s used her teaching experience to help lead hard-hitting, fast-paced presentations and entertaining, fruitful workshops on ethnography. Melinda’s training includes both sociology and psychology—she links micro and macro perspectives to bring out the strategic value of ethnography.

Kazuyo Masuda, who lives in Boston, has two, yes two, Master’s degrees: one in Sociology and one in Communications. She has worked in a number of subject areas, including social welfare, gender issues, race and ethnic relations, stereotypes in mass media, retail, in-home ethnography, women’s health, and medical research, including clinical trials. She has worked extensively in the health arena for a variety of companies and around a variety of illnesses and woes: even pet health.

Shalonda Espy-Johnson is a force to be reckoned with. As Director of Operations, she is the logistical mastermind that makes sure that our complex, multi-faceted projects are executed successfully. She also makes sure the business keeps running smoothly and on any given day can be found juggling some of her multiple responsibilities. She can do and does just about anything, and she does it all really, really, really well.

Steve Hagelman is an ethnographer who specializes in video data. He collects it. He watches it. He turns it into teaching tools for clients. He’s made hundreds of videos for clients. They’ve ranged from two minute “teasers” designed to be quick and impactful nuggets of ethnographic goodness, to marathon, narrated documentaries with over three hours of footage, designed to comprehensively detail a project’s findings.