Vanessa is a seasoned market research leader and brand strategist with experience in translating consumer research into actionable insights and strategies to further the development of brands and businesses. She is relentlessly focused on creating and proving the value of consumer research in order to help make crucial business decisions, such as new product development, product packaging, shopper programming, and brand re-positioning decisions. Vanessa started her career in new product development and brand strategy working with large clients such as Johnsonville, General Mills and WhiteWave Foods. She utilized various primary consumer research approaches in order to identify key insights to move the business forward and develop cutting edge new products.She then moved to The Integer Group, an international global commerce agency (shopper marketing agency), and began a long career in understanding shopper dynamics and the complex path to purchase using both secondary and primary research techniques. At Integer, she was able to create national shopper programs and custom chain retail programs based on unique insights and creative thinking. Her primary clients included, MillerCoors, Johnson & Johnson ACUVUE Contact Lenses, Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews, and Sony Entertainment. After 10 years at The Integer Group, Vanessa decided to take her beer category experience in-house and joined the CANARCHY Collective, a national collective of craft breweries. Here, she was able to leverage her extensive consumer research background to conduct primary consumer research for the 7 breweries across the U.S. With this research in hand, Vanessa helped the company make important decisions regarding new product development, new packaging decisions, brand repositioning changes, partnership opportunities, and other marketing decisions. Since leaving the CANarchy Collective in August of 2019, Vanessa has started two entrepreneurial endeavors. She started Acceleration Insights, a freelance consumer research and brand strategy consulting business, as well as Edam Essentials.Edam is a lifestyle wellness brand that's all about promoting self-care for women. After working in corporate America for 17 years, Vanessa discovered that making time for self-care was the best way to stay emotionally balanced and to wash away all of the stresses of daily life. These daily me-time moments give you mind, body and beauty benefits, so Vanessa created a skincare/ self-care accessories designed to enhance those moments.