Values, Voting & Listening for Common Ground
EPISODE DESCRIPTION:
In today’s episode we talk with Diane Hessan—award-winning market researcher, innovator, and author of Our Common Ground. For four years, Diane listened to 500 American voters across the political spectrum, uncovering surprising insights about what divides us—and what unites us. We’ll explore how her career in market research shaped her approach to voters, what voting reveals about our values as we age, and how listening with respect can transform not just politics, but our relationships, families, and communities.
ABOUT THE GUEST:
Diane Hessan is an award-winning market researcher and innovator, a seasoned board director, and a nationally recognized expert on the American voter.
She serves on the boards of Panera Brands, Eastern Bank, Brightcove, Sago, Tufts University, NACD New England and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. In 2021, she was elected to NACD's Directorship 100 for general excellence in the boardroom and in 2023, she was inducted into the Market Research Hall of Fame.
She is the founder and Chairman of C Space, formerly called Communispace, which was the first company to leverage social media to help companies get insight and inspiration from their consumers. Diane was CEO of the company during four tough startup years, followed by ten years of exponential growth, as C Space worked with hundreds of global brands across twelve countries. From 2016-2021, she conducted an in-depth, longitudinal study of the electorate, looking for trends, shifts and common ground.
She wrote more than fifty columns about her findings for the Boston Globe, culminating in the publication of her book, Our Common Ground. Diane recently consolidated all her investment and advisory work into a new company called Salient Ventures, which helps accelerate the next generation of startup companies in tech. In that capacity, she has invested in, mentored, and championed over 100 startups in the Boston area and beyond. She received a BA in economics and English from Tufts University, and an MBA from Harvard Business School, and she has received honorary degrees from Bentley University and the New England College of Business.
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