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Kristen Conrad

Vice President

Kristen once described herself as “songbird pollster” and the moniker couldn’t be more accurate. She loves to tell stories through data, words, music, or a combination of all three. Carving her way both as a survey researcher and as a musician, she appreciates how both paths inform and complement each other.

With more than 30 years of experience in opinion research, Kristen started her journey coordinating National Exit Poll field efforts and data collection for ABC News/The Washington Post. To this day, she brings her endless curiosity to bridge the gaps between social science and commercial research, by designing, implementing, and delivering strategic insights to her clients, often using advanced multivariate analytic techniques. Notably, she’s partnered with an eclectic mix of clients, including Marquette Law School, Cornell University, and University of Texas-Austin, as well as Coca-Cola, Delta, Educational Testing Service (ETS), AT&T, and the American Cancer Society.

Kristen is particularly busy during election season, leading multiple polling efforts and providing her expertise as an election consultant to the ABC News Decision Desk. She is also a committed member of the wider research community, learning from and contributing to organizations such as the American Association of Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) and the Insights Association.

And on the music side? She sings and plays keyboards in a local 80s MTV tribute band, sings classical music with some area ensembles, and during holiday season, dons her Victorian garb as a professional caroler.

Kristen earned her master’s degree in communications research from the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania and her bachelor’s degree in English and Government from Cornell University. Particularly passionate about Cornell, she conducts prospective student interviews in the Philadelphia area and over time has come to accept the inevitable comparison to “Andy” from “The Office”.