- Building Community
- Advancing Careers
- Shaping Industry
Where Research + Insights Professionals Come to Connect, Learn, and Lead.
The VIBE Black Market Research & Insights Professionals Conference —Visionary Insights, Bridging Experiences — is the premier conference celebrating, elevating, and advancing professionals in the Market Research & Insights industry.
Every year, researchers, strategists, analysts, educators, and thought leaders come together to push the latest thinking – and each other – forward. This is the room where careers shift, partnerships form, and everyone gets better.
March 10-12, 2027
WHO WE ARE
About VIBE
The VIBE Conference —Visionary Insights, Bridging Experiences — is the premier conference celebrating, elevating, and advancing Black professionals in the Market Research & Insights industry.
It is a space intentionally designed to:
- Build community and representation within the insights ecosystem
- Spark meaningful conversations, collaboration, and professional growth
- Connect emerging and established leaders across brands, agencies, academia, and research organizations
- Inspire innovation, authenticity, and leadership in the future of insights
WHY ATTEND
The VIBE Mission
The VIBE Conference exists to elevate, empower, and connect Black professionals in the insights industry by creating a space where community, culture, and innovation thrive. We bring together researchers, strategists, and industry leaders to learn, collaborate, and shape a more inclusive and representative future for insights.
01
Connect with professionals across every corner of the insights industry — from consumer research to brand strategy to data analytics
02
Hear from inspiring speakers who are doing the work at some of the most recognized companies in the world
03
Discover tools, frameworks, and ideas you can take back and immediately implement in your work
04
Build the kind of professional relationships that last beyond the conference
05
Experience cultural moments unique to VIBE
CONFERENCE EXPERIENCE
What Happens at VIBE
Welcome Event
Connect. Reconnect. Kick Off the VIBE.
Start your VIBE experience by connecting with fellow attendees in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. Whether you’re reconnecting with familiar faces or making new connections, our Welcome Event sets the stage for two days of learning, collaboration, and community.
Keynote Speakers
Big Ideas. Bold Perspectives. Real Inspiration.
Hear from visionary leaders and industry trailblazers as they share fresh perspectives, personal experiences, and actionable insights. Our keynote speakers will challenge your thinking, spark new ideas, and inspire you to take your career and impact to the next level.
Breakout Sessions
Explore. Learn. Grow.
Dive deeper into the topics that matter most to you. Our interactive breakout sessions offer opportunities to explore emerging methodologies, strengthen your skills, exchange ideas, and gain practical knowledge you can apply to your work and career.
Panel Discussions
Real Conversations. Diverse Perspectives.
Engage in thought-provoking conversations with industry leaders and experts as they explore emerging trends, tackle pressing challenges, and share perspectives on the future of insights. Expect candid dialogue, fresh thinking, and takeaways that extend beyond the conference.
Networking
Meaningful Connections. Lasting Impact.
At VIBE, connections are more than an exchange of business cards. Build relationships with fellow professionals, industry leaders, and potential collaborators through intentional networking experiences designed to spark conversations, open doors, and strengthen our community.
From the Welcome Event, to happy hour, to the dedicated networks breaks in between, every moment is an opportunity to expand your network in a room full of people who get it.
FEATURED SPEAKERS
The Dynamic Speakers We heard from in 2026
Tikica Benjamin
Founder & Strategic Insights Consultant
VIBE Black MRI Conference and Foresight Forward
Anuli Akanegbu
PhD
Cultural Anthropologist
Reggie Alston
Vice President of Qualitative Research
Ebony Marketing Systems
Abenaa Boakye
Marketing & Analytics Analyst
Levi Strauss & Co.
Joyce Chuinkam
Director
Talk Shoppe
Tinesha Craig
Retired Analytics & Insights Executive
Formerly Target
Kelli Davis
Head of Consumer Insights - MCCS BU
Kraft Heinz
Michael Forsberg
Founder & Strategic Insights Consultant
Michael Forsberg
Kai Fuentes
President & CEO
Ebony Marketing Systems
Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman
Economist and Author of The Double Tax
Harvard PhD Candidate
Darien Grant
Category Insights Executive
Molson Coors Beverage Company
Justin Hawkins
Global Consumer Insights & Analytics Lead, Adult Care
Kimberly-Clark
Tamara Irving
Owner
TMI Design & Consulting
Janelle James
US Head of Cultural Intelligence
Ipsos North America
Richard D. Johnson
Future of Work Economist
Author of Network Currency (2026)
Blake Jones
Sr. Director, Global DTC & Product Insights
Levi Strauss & Co.
Alyssa Kearney
Managing Director
Brand Trust
Crystal Kendrick
President
The Voice of Your Customer
Autumn McDonald
Owner and Faculty
ADM Insights & Strategy and Howard University
Alanna Shipley
Head of Audience Insights
DoorDash
Ryan Soulet
Senior Manager, Global Shopper Insights
Levi Strauss & Co.
Tharius Sumter
Senior Insights & Strategy Consultant
ADM Insights & Strategy
Natalie Watson
Director, Customer & Market Insights
Chick-fil-A
Courteney Wilds
President & CEO
CourtLynn, Inc.
Onika Williams
Founder & President
Evolv3 Consulting
Kristen McCloud
VP of Marketplace Insights
Levi Strauss & Co.
Corey Ross
Sr. Director Consumer and Commercial Insights
GE Appliances
LOOKING BACK
A Look Back at VIBE 2026
VIBE 2026 brought together market research and insights professionals for two and a half days in Atlanta, Georgia. The program featured a powerful keynote from Darnell Lamont Walker, more than twenty speakers from across the industry and academia, and dedicated time for the kind of networking that actually leads somewhere.
Attendees came from some of the most recognized companies in research, consulting, brand management, and beyond. They left with new connections, new perspectives, and a renewed sense of what is possible when Black professionals in this field are in the room together.
SPOTLIGHT SPEAKER
2026 Keynote Speaker
Darnell Lamont Walker
Darnell Lamont Walker is an Emmy-nominated writer, storyteller, and thought leader whose work explores community, culture, and human connection. As the 2026 VIBE Keynote Speaker, he challenged attendees to think differently about leadership, impact, and the stories we tell through research and insights.
WHAT SPONSORS SAY
What Sponsors Say
Alyssa Kearney
Managing Director
Company: BRANDTRUST®️
VIBE brings a level of joy, creativity, and authenticity to the insights field that is truly unique — it’s a space where people genuinely want to connect and grow. We walked away with meaningful relationships, inspiring conversations and a deep appreciation for the community Tikica has built.
Tal Oren
Head of Growth & Learning
Company: talkshoppe
Sponsoring VIBE was an easy call for us. There's something special about getting in on the ground floor of a conference with this much promise. You feel like part of a story, not just another logo on a banner. Bigger conferences can boast about higher attendee numbers (for now), but VIBE puts you in a room with the senior people who actually make decisions in consumer insights. That's exactly the kind of visibility we want for our brand.
Michael Forsberg
Director, Client Experience
BRANDTRUST®️
VIBE is a harmonious collection of seasoned, best-in-class insights leaders sharing (and learning) side-by-side with the next generation of emerging culture makers. Organizations should support VIBE to invest in the future of the community!
Kai Fuentes
Owner
Company: Ebony Marketing Systems
OUR PARTNERS
Our Sponsors
VIBE would not be possible without the organizations that believe in what we are building. Thank you to our 2026 sponsors for making the conference a reality.
SUPPORT THE MISSION
SUPPORT THE MISSION
Support VIBE
Cannot make it this year? You can still be part of what VIBE is building. Your donation goes directly toward conference programming and helps fund the attendance of college students and emerging professionals who deserve to be in the room.
Every amount helps. Whether it is covering materials for one attendee or sponsoring a full student registration, your contribution keeps VIBE growing and accessible.