Where Technical Acumen Meets Consumer Empathy: The Whole-Brain Journey of Jodi Koehler

When Jodi Koehler enrolled in Purdue University’s School of Chemical Engineering, she had no idea the field of consumer research existed. She simply loved science, problem-solving, and the satisfaction of making things work. But somewhere between chemistry equations and process-control labs, Jodi discovered her true curiosity wasn’t just about how things worked - it was about why people cared about them. 

That spark first ignited during a co-op program at a large chemical company, where she rotated through assignments in production, technical support, and R&D. One project explored new market applications for a chemical product line including use within a hairspray formulation. Her manager, a seasoned Ph.D. chemist, said they would measure success by “tackiness and drying speed.” Jodi instinctively realized that if they were creating a hairspray, they needed to test it on actual hair.

So, she improvised. With a small petty-cash grant, she bought wigs, curlers, and mannequin heads, and set up her own hair-testing station in the lab. While veteran chemists thought she was a bit eccentric, the experiment revealed to Jodi that chemistry and technical measures alone couldn’t capture a product’s real-world meaning. “That was probably the first time I bridged the gap between technology and the user,” she recalls. “And I’ve been doing it ever since.”

From Formulas to Feelings

That early curiosity led to Jodi’s lifelong pursuit: connecting technical rigor with human experience. After graduation, she joined Procter & Gamble and spent 18 years in R&D. She began in more technical roles, optimizing formulations and production processes, but kept wondering how the consumer voice was introduced.

When preparing a hair care product for a human clinical trial, Jodi inserted herself into the testing protocol (which was outside her responsibility), demonstrating her desire to learn more about consumer testing in general.

This curiosity and eagerness to engage helped her negotiate a transfer into Products Research, P&G’s R&D consumer-focused discipline, where she learned to speak the language of consumer research: psychology, behavior, and the art and science of research. For Jodi, it was transformative. She learned how to connect the desired consumer experience with what was technically possible to identify future innovation!

Jodi designed and executed learning plans that integrated qualitative and quantitative methods, moderated research, and helped teams iteratively test prototypes that satisfied both functional and emotional needs. Her work contributed to several successful product launches across feminine hygiene and fabric care.

Over time, Jodi came to see herself as a translator, bridging the gap between the consumer world and product design. She discovered her unique ability to fully integrate left-brain and right-brain thinking, combining technical rigor with creativity and intuition. Facilitative leadership training enhanced her skills in helping lead teams to drive action from insights, ideate on new ideas, and develop holistic propositions.

She also earned an MBA, broadening her business perspective and strengthening her ability to link research insights to the needs of her cross-functional partners. “I realized that the magic wasn’t just in finding insights,” she says, “it was in helping technical and business teams internalize them so they could create something better.”

Rediscovering Passion Beyond the Corporate Ladder

After nearly two decades at P&G, Jodi advanced into management roles where her responsibilities shifted away from the research that had inspired her the most.  She found herself increasingly frustrated as her passion for her work waned. “I loved the research itself, the curiosity, the discovery, the conversations with people, but that wasn’t what they wanted from me anymore...” she recalls. “I realized I wanted to get back to the work I loved.”

When P&G offered a voluntary separation package, Jodi accepted and joined Luxottica Retail to lead customer-experience innovation for LensCrafters for a project that ultimately and ironically did not deliver that close proximity to the customer or user she was looking for in her work. She realized another change was needed.

Crossing Over to the Supplier Side

This clarity led Jodi to the supplier side of research, joining Illumination Research (which later became Radius Global Market Research) as Director of Client Service and Insight Strategist. It was a perfect fit for her blend of analytical and creative thinking. Drawing on her technical and client-side research experience, she designed and led custom qualitative studies, facilitated co-creation workshops, integrated qualitative and quantitative learning, and coached young researchers on transforming data into meaning and stories.

Her curiosity soon drew her to emerging frontiers, especially the intersection of qualitative analysis and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Starting in late 2020, before generative AI entered the mainstream, Jodi was piloting new tools to accelerate analysis while preserving the human touch. She championed responsible AI use within the company, demonstrating how technology could amplify, but not replace, human judgment and empathy.

As she continued to advance and increase responsibility, mentoring others became another passion. Jodi built a co-op and intern program to strengthen their talent pipeline, improved onboarding processes, and became a go-to facilitator for client workshops and strategy sessions. Whether leading teams through ideation, activation, or innovation sprints, she brought disciplined thinking, curiosity, and creative warmth - qualities that had defined her journey from the very beginning.

Becoming Her Own Brand

As research evolved and AI began reshaping the industry, Jodi felt that familiar nudge toward reinvention. Embracing change on her own terms, she founded Integrated Innovation & Insights LLC in 2025, an independent consultancy showcasing her unique blend of technical experience and consumer empathy and positioned herself as the bridge “where technical acumen meets consumer empathy: whole-brain thinking for real-world impact.”

Jodi now partners with research suppliers as well as directly with B2B and B2C clients across diverse industries, designing research that fuels innovation and fosters empathy. Her projects range from exploratory ethnography and in-depth interviews to co-creation sessions, online asynchronous platforms, workshop facilitation, and the thoughtful integration of AI-enabled tools.

Clients see her as a trusted, creative collaborator who brings energy, empathy, and the ability to dive deeply into complex topics, while connecting with technical teams and inspiring marketing teams alike.

Lessons from a Nonlinear Path

Looking back, Jodi sees her career less as a straight line and more as a series of intentional pivots driven by curiosity and passion. “Every time I’ve followed what truly interested me, it’s led somewhere better than I could have planned,” she reflects. “That’s what keeps me moving forward, the belief that learning, experimenting, and staying curious will always open new doors.”

Her story reminds others in the insights field that success doesn’t require a marketing degree or a perfect plan. Sometimes, it takes an engineer willing to buy a few wigs, ask unconventional questions, dive in deep, and see possibilities where others see protocol.

Today, as a Strategic Insight & Innovation Catalyst, Jodi continues to bridge the worlds of science and storytelling, technology and empathy, logic and intuition. And through every conversation, whether with a client, a consumer, or a mentee, she’s still guided by the same conviction that sparked her first experiment: that meaningful innovation happens when we connect both sides of the brain…and the heart.