“I’m a big believer in open communication and encouraging teammates to leverage their unique voices and perspectives.” Bess Devenow, Director of Marketing at Prodege shares. “When I was just starting my career, I was fortunate to work with leaders who welcomed my input and ideas and I continue to value and encourage these contributions from my team members.” This emphasis on collaboration comes especially in handy now as she spearheads content creation, thought leadership and aids in sales enablement and corporate branding for the cutting-edge marketing and consumer insights platform. “I am incredibly excited about the recent updates to our Data & Insights, Research Solutions, and Marketing Solutions webpages,” she enthuses, “Our team’s designers worked very hard on these eye-catching upgrades and it was thrilling to see everything evolve from concept to completion. I am particularly pleased with the videos that bring our suite of research solutions to life.”

Prior to joining Prodege, Bess spent more than a decade in entertainment research & marketing strategy at National Research Group and held a consumer insights role at a global toy manufacturer. For Bess, her draw to the Insights industry was as much about answering questions as it was about asking them. “Research professionals are curious by nature,” she notes. “Feeling empowered to share my ideas and harness my creativity has enabled me to mentor other women similarly.”

When it comes to her own role models for leadership, creativity and tenacity reign supreme. “I’m continuously inspired by creative female leaders who are innovators in their space and have an authentic voice,” she shares. One female leader who stands out in this respect is Jeni Britton Bauer of Jeni’s Ice Cream. “She spent years perfecting artisanal ice cream and her dedication and passion have resulted in a thriving business with delicious products and strong branding.” Bess adds, “she was also recently named to the federal Small Business and Entrepreneurs Advisory Council which will allow her to pay her knowledge and expertise forward.”

Mentorship and knowledge exchange rank high on Bess’s suggestions for those just entering the field (or still finding their footing.) “Seek out strong mentors who see your potential and empower and encourage you to bring your creative ideas to the table and develop new skills. If you aspire to be a leader in your space, it’s key to work within a team and organization that is supportive of you growing and evolving. I like that WIRe has a Mentor program that matches women newer to the insights space with a local industry professional. I would have loved access to this early in my career.”

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Are you interested in learning more about corporate donorship opportunities with WIRe? Contact Michelle Andre for more information.