In this episode of the Anthropology in Business podcast, Jennifer Studebaker speaks with Matt Artz about her career as a business anthropologist. The conversation focuses on Jennifer’s journey from academia to applied anthropology, her experiences in various roles, including project management and market research, and her recent work on the Career Tools for Anthropology workbook. Jennifer shares insights on the value of anthropological skills in business settings, the importance of networking, and her passion for making anthropological knowledge accessible to students and practitioners alike. She also discusses her new consulting company, Studebaker Consulting LLC, and plans to offer training in practical business skills.

Jennifer is the owner and founder of Studebaker Consulting LLC. She is a business anthropologist and a PMP® certified project manager. She has over twelve years of research, operations, and communications experience. She has worked with nonprofits, foundations, startups, market research firms, and other consultants. She is based out of Kansas City, MO, but welcomes collaboration opportunities across the US and globally.

Jennifer is a Co-Chair of the Anthropology Career Readiness Network (ACRN). Serving in this role has allowed her to give back to her discipline and help anthropology graduates discover the potential of their education. She is a co-editor and co-author of Career Tools for Anthropology. Jennifer, along with her ACRN Co-Chairs Elizabeth Briody and Riall Nolan, consults with anthropology departments on how to improve the career readiness of their curriculum. She is also a member of the Society for Applied Anthropology’s Nominations & Elections Committee.

• 00:31:30 – Jennifer explains her initial interest in archaeology and the pivot to biocultural anthropology in college.
• 00:05:20 – She describes her exposure to applied anthropology during graduate school at Purdue University.
• 00:15:35 – Jennifer shares her experience at mySidewalk, where she first applied anthropological methods to solve business challenges.
• 00:20:00 – She discusses her transition to the Kauffman Foundation and the importance of networking in securing the position.
• 00:26:20 – Jennifer talks about her interest in project management and obtaining the PMP certification.
• 00:30:40 – She explains the origins and development of the Career Tools for Anthropology workbook.
• 00:34:04 – Jennifer provides information about her consulting work and future plans for offering Google Drive training.

• Jennifer Studebaker on LinkedIn
• Studebaker Consulting LLC
• Anthropology Career Readiness Network (ACRN)

In this episode of the Anthropology in Business podcast, Matthew J Hill speaks with Matt Artz about his career as a business anthropologist. Matthew details his transition from the fields of chemistry and philosophy to anthropology and its application in the business context. He highlights his early experience with design anthropology and its influence on his subsequent focus on organizational development and design. Matthew discusses the approach of addressing complex organizational issues through a comprehensive perspective and outlines his process of organizational consulting.

• Athropologists can apply their skills in organizational development and design by taking a holistic approach to problem-solving and understanding the complexities of organizations.
• Organizational development and design require deep knowledge of the organizational context and collaboration with clients to collectively solve problems.
• Anthropologists can contribute to organizational effectiveness by conducting organizational diagnosis, facilitating workshops, and helping organizations adapt to change.
• Mission-driven organizations, government agencies, and higher education institutions are ideal sectors for anthropologists interested in organizational development and design.

• 00:01:27 Matthew J Hill’s journey from studying chemistry to anthropology and his doctoral research in Cuba on the use of historic cities in heritage tourism.
• 00:06:58 Matthew’s experience at eLab and Doblin, where he applied ethnography to inform design and develop deeper insights into user needs.
• 00:10:00 The importance of taking a holistic approach to problem-solving and the alignment of anthropology with design thinking.
• 00:12:03 Challenges in the design anthropology field and the transition to working at CFAR.
• 00:15:33 Transition to organizational development and design work
• 00:19:00 Importance of contracting and defining the problem
• 00:20:00 Discovery work and organizational diagnosis
• 00:23:01 Partnership and collaboration with clients in organizational work
• 00:25:33 Importance of leadership and collaboration in organizations
• 00:26:41 Getting started in organizational work

• Matthew J Hill on LinkedIn
• Matthew J Hill Consulting

In this episode of the Anthropology in Business podcast, Margret Jaeger speaks with Matt Artz about her career as a business anthropologist. Margret discusses her journey into anthropology and her current role in the research department at the Social Fund Vienna Education Center. She explains the challenges of introducing qualitative research methods in a predominantly quantitative-focused organization. Margaret also shares her experience in building a research team and the value of interprofessional collaboration. She emphasizes the need for anthropologists to have a holistic view of the world and their ability to understand and adapt to different contexts quickly. She also discusses her advocacy work in promoting medical anthropology in healthcare education and the importance of training local trainers to ensure cultural sensitivity and relevance.

• Introducing qualitative research methods in a predominantly quantitative-focused organization requires explaining the value and benefits repeatedly.
• Building a research team involves finding individuals with the necessary training and experience and providing them with opportunities for growth and development.
• Anthropologists have a unique ability to quickly understand and adapt to different contexts, making them valuable in various business sectors.
• Interprofessional collaboration is essential in healthcare and other fields to address complex problems and improve outcomes.
• Training local trainers is crucial to ensure cultural sensitivity and relevance in healthcare education.

• 00:02:00 Margaret's interest in anthropology and journey into medical anthropology
• 00:04:00 Challenges of finding a job in anthropology in Austria
• 00:05:00 Trends of anthropologists going into other business sectors
• 00:07:00 Importance of networking and support among anthropologists
• 00:08:00 Margaret's role as researcher number one in building a research team
• 00:10:00 Research focus on improving courses for non-academic nurses and care professionals
• 00:12:00 Challenges of getting buy-in and explaining the value of research
• 00:13:00 Supporting colleagues as a teacher and researcher
• 00:14:00 Challenges of building a qualitative research team and overcoming them

• Margret Jaeger on LinkedIn
• Apply Club for the Anthropology of Health

In this episode of the Anthropology in Business podcast, Kasper Tang Vangkilde speaks with Matt Artz about his career as a business anthropologist. Kasper discusses the challenges of bridging the gap between academic anthropology and applied anthropology and the importance of breaking down the distinction between the two. He shares the changes he has seen in the field of business anthropology over the past 15 years, including the integration of design and anthropology. Kasper expands on that and highlights the value of design anthropology in studying and changing organizations. Finally, he discusses his new role as the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Business Anthropology and his current research project, RE-ANIMATE, which explores visionary designs for life-enhancing economies.

Kasper Tang Vangkilde is an Associate Professor and Head of Studies at the Department of Anthropology at the University of Copenhagen and the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Business Anthropology. His research interests lie at the nexus of business, organizational, and design anthropology, with a focus on formulating theoretical frameworks for understanding social and cultural dimensions in corporate settings as well as enhancing the applicability of anthropological methods in societal and business contexts. His recent work delves into "life-enhancing design," examining its implications for human and non-human life and its integration into organizational sustainability and responsibility. Vangkilde's past scholarship covers an array of topics, including creativity, branding, and organizational structures, and he has also applied anthropological approaches in the private sector.

• Anthropology can be applied to the study of business and organizations, and it is important to break down the distinction between academic anthropology and applied anthropology.
• The field of business anthropology has evolved over the past 15 years, with more anthropologists actively working in organizations and making an impact through their research.
• Design anthropology offers valuable perspectives on studying and changing organizations, as it bridges the gap between research and application.
• The ReAnimate project explores new ways visions for the economy with a focus on regenerating human and non-human life and draws on the concept of animism to understand modern tendencies.

In this episode of the Anthropology in Business podcast, Louise Vang Jensen speaks with Matt Artz about her career as a business anthropologist. Louise discusses the evolution of applying anthropology in business within a Copenhagen context. She also shares her journey from studying anthropology to joining Is It a Bird and becoming the Co-CEO. She also discusses how the practice has matured over the years and emphasizes the importance of shifting from a focus on methodology to a mindset.

Louise Vang Jensen is a partner and co-CEO at Is It a Bird, a Copenhagen-based strategic innovation agency. With a background in anthropology and over a decade of consulting experience, she focuses on integrating anthropologically informed, human-centered approaches into business. Throughout her career, Louise has led projects and facilitated teams to build innovation capacity and enact organizational change. Her competencies extend to ethnographic research, co-creation, analysis, and project management. She has collaborated with a diverse range of organizations, including commercial companies like NIKE and public sector organizations such as the Municipality of Copenhagen.

• Shifting from a focus on methodology to a mindset of curiosity and reflection is crucial in applying anthropology in business.
• Combining anthropology and design thinking offers strategic potential by integrating slow, reflective approaches with fast, experimental ones.
• Embracing friction and uncomfortable truths can lead to valuable insights and transformation in client interactions.

• 00:01:28 - Louise discovers anthropology
• 00:03:08 - The focus of anthropology education in Copenhagen was not on business
• 00:05:07 - Louise reached out to agencies to apply anthropology in business
• 00:06:22 - Louise joined Is It a Bird after selling a project
• 00:10:11 - The name "Is It a Bird" is a reference to Superman
• 00:11:00 - The philosophy of Is It a Bird is to start with questions and curiosity
• 00:15:00 - Shifted focus from methodology to mindset and value of anthropology.
• 00:19:00 - Transitioned from data collector to trusted advisor.
• 00:21:00 - Anthropology is now recognized and acknowledged in business contexts.
• 00:24:23 - The combination of anthropology and design in strategy
• 00:25:44 - The potential of anthropology in strategy and problem-solving
• 00:27:13 - The importance of curiosity and looking around in strategy
• 00:28:20 - Exploring the role of anthropology as a trusted advisor
• 00:30:29 - Staying in the trouble and embracing friction
• 00:32:00 - Encouragement for those starting their own practice
• 00:32:53 - The value of holding on to uncomfortable truths

• Louise Vang Jensen on LinkedIn
• Is It a Bird

In this episode of the Anthropology in Business podcast, Melissa Cefkin speaks with Matt Artz about her career as a business anthropologist. Melissa discusses how her interest in anthropology began in high school and was further cultivated by her family's international background and experiences living abroad. She pursued her PhD at Rice University, focusing on the Middle East and questions around rethinking anthropology as a discipline. Melissa then transitioned into practicing anthropology, joining the Institute for Research on Learning and exploring the introduction of technology into work systems. This sparked her interest in studying automated systems, leading to roles at companies like IBM, Waymo, and Nissan, where she examined how people interact with and perceive autonomous vehicles. Throughout her career, Melissa has focused on the intersection of people and complex technologies, emphasizing the need for critical thinking and social theory in researching issues like automation and AI.

• Melissa's interest in anthropology began in high school and was influenced by her family's background.
• Her work focuses on understanding how people interact with and make sense of automated systems.
• She emphasizes the need for a social theory-informed approach to research and the importance of bridging the gap between academia and industry.
• Melissa believes that anthropologists can and should play a crucial role in shaping the development and implementation of complex technologies.