Scott Smith

Principal

With over 15 years as a thought leader, analyst, research leader, writer and futurist, Scott has traveled the globe
monitoring and mapping the convergence of social, technological and economic change. Prior to founding Changeist in 2007, he served as a futurist and director for Washington, DC-based foresight firm Social Technologies, helping respected brands such as Nokia, Honda, P&G, Kellogg’s and McDonald’s understand and plan for new consumer behaviors and the technologies that will impact their lives in the future. Prior to this, Scott led consumer and business research and consulting practices for the Yankee Group, Current Analysis and Jupiter Communications, in London, Washington, DC and New York, respectively. In these roles, he learned and refined the analytical, pragmatic view of the world that makes Changeist's insights distinctive and valuable today.

Scott's straight-ahead analysis and resistance to industry hype has allowed him to maintain a clear and focused view of how technology has altered the face of ours lives as consumers globally—and allowed him to better understand how it is really changing business —looking past the smoke and mirrors to find evidence on the ground. He has shared his vision at major conferences such as the recent ICE08 in Toronto, LIFT08 and LIFT07 in Geneva, 2007's SxSW, and EPIC 2006, and his opinions have been reported by Bloomberg, Le Monde, CNN, and CNBC.

He has also presented his roadmapping methodologies at the annual conference of the Product Development Management Association (PDMA). Scott is a member of the Association of Professional Futurists and a past member of the Industrial Design Society of America (IDSA).

Melissa Vannoni

Consultant — Consumer Technologies

Melissa has over 15 years experience in the high technology industry ranging from market analysis and research work, to managing marketing organizations for award-winning software companies. She directed three research groups for the Yankee Group, a leading technology market research firm. This work included managing consulting, market forecasting and trend analysis for the company’s hardware, software, telecommunications and Internet clients. After her work at Yankee group Melissa went on to run marketing for two software start-ups, managing market research, competitive analysis, product marketing and go-to-market strategies for the firms. She now consults with major hardware and software clients providing competitive intelligence, market research and business strategy insight.

Melissa’s career has spanned the US and European technology markets where she managed primary and secondary research teams to gather data on global trends and consumer behavior. In her later work as a software industry entrepreneur and co-founder she raised over $14 million in capital to grow her firm’s presence from its headquarters in London to offices in New York, Boston and San Francisco. She has been profiled in the Financial Times and regularly quoted in publications such as Business Week, The New York Times, Le Monde and USA Today.

Melissa has a BA in journalism and business writing from the University of New Hampshire, and a graduate certificate in managerial finance from Harvard University. She is a member of the American Marketing Association the Massachusetts Innovation and Technology Exchange (MITX).

Susan Cox-Smith
Creative Director

Susan brings experience of nearly 20 years as a designer, art director and creative director to the visualization of change, and has lived and worked in global capitals such as Washington, DC, New York and London. With many years directing the photographer’s eye, she has led or assisted creative development in communications for clients such as British Airways, The Irish Tourist Board, Carlson Hospitality Group, TIAA-CREF, Amtrak, and Turner Broadcasting (CNN, TNT).

Susan is responsible for the clean, modern and highly visual style in all of Changeist's communication work. She recently turned her creative eye to the future, developing a unique experiential environment to help employees of a global Fortune 500 consumer brand gain better insight into the trends affecting the lives of their most important customer segments. She contributes to Changeist’s work with media, experience design, and understanding change in consumer lifestyles.