The MRII Diversity Award is proudly sponsored by Full Circle Research.
We’re proud to recognize Ivayana Abdi, as the 2026 MRII Diversity Award recipient!
What motivated you to apply for the MRII Diversity Award?
Diversity in market research is not just about identity. It includes different paths into the industry, varied professional backgrounds, and a range of perspectives and ways of seeing the world. That framing aligns with how I understand my own value in this space, and it made applying feel both timely and meaningful. Investing in my personal growth and continuously expanding my research knowledge base is something I take seriously. I am actively working to position myself at the intersection of research, operations, and the rapidly evolving AI research landscape, and access to continued education matters enormously in that journey.
What does it mean to you that you were selected as the MRII Diversity Award winner?
Being selected is meaningful on multiple levels. It affirms that a nontraditional path into this industry has value, and that the time I have spent learning and growing is recognized beyond the organizations I have worked within. It also reminds me that visibility matters, and that being seen in this way carries a responsibility to show up for the researchers who will come after me.
Tell us about your motivations for pursuing an MR/Insights career.
My path into market research was not linear, but looking back it makes complete sense. I am someone who is drawn to building things, understanding how people think, and making complex information useful. Research operations became the place where all of that converged. Over time, my work deepened into qualitative and multicultural research, where the stakes felt highest — helping organizations understand audiences that are too often underrepresented in the research process itself. What keeps me motivated is not just the work, but the opportunity to shape how it gets done, who it centers, and what it ultimately delivers for the people and communities being studied.
What were your initial expectations (both positive and concerning) for the Evolving Methods in Market Research Express course?
Going into the course, I hoped it would give me a clearer and more structured view of how the industry is evolving, and help me connect my hands on experience to a larger framework. I was excited about the potential to sharpen my thinking around emerging tools and methodologies, especially given how much is shifting right now with AI and technology in research. My honest concern was whether the course would feel too foundational for where I am in my career. I was pleasantly surprised. It met me as a practicing researcher and pushed my thinking in ways that felt immediately relevant rather than introductory.
What feature[s] about the course were most valuable to you?
The most valuable aspects were the frameworks around the hybrid researcher model and T shaped collaboration across functions. Rather than positioning new technology as something that replaces researchers, the course framed it as an expansion of what skilled practitioners can do, which aligned with how I already approach my work and gave me sharper language to articulate it. The instructors, as well as the content, were really engaging and energizing!
How do you look to leverage your course experience as you progress in your research and insights career?
I am actively looking into roles that sit at the intersection of research, operations, and customer success and this course gave me the frameworks and language to show up more strategically in that space. I plan to use what I learned to evaluate emerging tools more critically, advocate for hybrid methodologies within the organizations I join, and help bridge the gap between what technology enabled research can do and what clients actually need. More broadly, this course reinforced that the most impactful researchers going forward will be those who can operate across methods, functions, and technologies, and building toward that is exactly what I am focused on.
MRII launched the Diversity Award program to underscore our commitment to providing fair access to learning opportunities for market researchers and insights professionals, and reinforce our dedication to supporting efforts to combat racism, discrimination, inequality and injustice. The award is designed for individuals in the U.S. from underrepresented groups who aspire to advance their market research and insights skills.
Recipients receive coverage for the fees of a Principles Express course of their choice, offered in collaboration with the University of Georgia Center for Continuing Education, as well as support from the Insights Association with free attendance offered at the annual CRC conference.
Learn more about the award and past recipients here.
