Brianna founded SYLVER in 2003 with the goal of helping organizations to be more targeted in their organic growth. She's a specialist in Design Ethnography, Creative Problem Solving, and Innovation, having spoken and written on each topic both nationally and globally. She's also been publicly recognized for her contributions to the fields of innovation and consumer research from the Product Development & Management Association (PDMA), HSM Management (in Brazil) and the Qualitative Research Consultants Association (QRCA).
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Many companies–among which are ABN AMRO/Lasalle Bank, GE, Amway, Best Buy, Frito-Lay, Kraft Foods, Marriott International, Motorola, NASA, Radio Shack, Bosch Tools, and ETS–have benefited from her ability to assimilate and interpret the aspirational and functional needs of their customers into actionable guidelines that resulted in new products, new services and/or new businesses for their organizations.
She devotes her free time to educating individuals on the value of consumer research and innovation strategy and the practicalities of how to do it. For many years, she's been an adjunct faculty professor at the Institute of Design, IIT teaching classes on topics such as Cross Cultural Research, Designing Effective and Measurable Qualitative Research, and Online Qualitative Research Platforms.
Brianna holds a BFA in Communication Design from University of Buffalo and a Masters in Human-centered Communication Design and Design Strategy from the Institute of Design at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT).
Adriano Braun Galvao
Vice President
Adriano joined SYLVER in 2007 just as the company was expanding their operations to Brazil and has a taken the lead in developing much of SYLVER'S Latin American and foresight planning and strategy expertise.
He's an internationally awarded professional in the fields of product development, user research and engineering design, having been awarded prizes from IDEA/IDSA, BraunPrize, and Xerox/ASME.
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He's also an author and speaker, discussing topics such as foresight, innovation, strategy and how to link the outcomes of consumer research into the engineering design of a product's architecture. On the later topic, he's also published a book entitled, "Design Relationships: Linking Technical Functions to Users' Tasks;" a book that has garnered great acclaim amongst the engineering community.
Adriano holds a bachelors degree in Design and Mechanical Engineering from the University of Brasilia, Brazil, and a Masters of Human-Centered Design and a Ph.D. in Design Methods from the Institute of Design, IIT.
Rebecca S. Kuchar
Director of Global Insights + Innovation
Rebecca is a classically trained qualitative researcher and marketing expert who brings to Sylver a strong background in financial services, technology, consumer goods/services and retail. Her insightful and actionable work has helped shape new branding strategies, marketing communications and products for some of the world's leading corporations, brands and institutions.
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Orchestrating all aspects of research from study design and fieldwork to analysis and reporting, Rebecca has particular expertise in the evaluation of branding, product/service experiences and multi-channel communications across diverse cultural, ethnic, age- and language-based market segments. She is especially adept at managing online methodologies as an important supplement to in-person research. Rebecca has managed projects in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Japan, the Philippines, Poland, the United Arab Emirates, the U.K. and all across the U.S.
Most recently prior to joining Sylver, Rebecca conducted research on behalf of several research and innovation firms in the Chicago region. She earned her bachelor's degree from Stanford University and MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. She is a member of ESOMAR, the world research organization and a RIVA-trained moderator.
Charles Cascio (Chuck)
Senior Strategist and Advisor
Chuck Cascio brings to SYLVER his extensive innovation experience and wide-range of creative abilities to lead companies into markets outside of their traditional sectors.
He has been a vice president of Educational Testing Service (ETS) and the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. As an officer in both organizations, he was responsible for a number of creative business approaches designed to move products, services, and programs into new markets.
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He and his work have received recognition for many achievements, including an Emmy Award for public service, a Rothman Institute Award for Entrepreneurial Leadership, and more than a hundred invitations to speak at conferences. Chuck was also an accomplished teacher at the university and secondary school levels, where his recognition includes being named a Presidential Scholar, National Endowment for the Humanities Award winner, and guest speaker at various commencement ceremonies.
A freelance writer, Chuck has authored three books and hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles as a special correspondent for the Washington Post; he has received awards for journalism and creative writing.
Chuck holds a bachelor's degree in economics, a master's degree in communications, and additional graduate-level work in executive leadership.
Ellen Frank-Miller
Senior Researcher
Ellen is responsible for the quantitative analysis of consumer research and is a team leader on several projects, including market analysis and new territories definition. She was instrumental in developing SYLVER's unique service, Granular Behavioral AnalysisTM, for understanding consumer needs, behaviors, and motivations.
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Ellen spent 15 years in human resources consulting with Hewitt, Work/Family Directions, Ceridian, and her own firm, Dharana Consulting. In these roles, Ellen conducted both quantitative and qualitative research to help organizations make informed decisions in developing high-impact human resources programs and policies. Her primary focus has been working with organizations to develop high-performance cultures by facilitating work-life balance among employees.
Ellen holds a BA in Economics from Emory University and a Master's degree in Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago. She is currently a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Chicago. Her dissertation focuses on how businesses' brand images and managers' hiring and job placement practices influence the quality of opportunities available to lower-level job seekers.
Rafael Soldan
Research specialist in Brazil
Rafael Soldan is a social psychologist based in Sao Paulo with experience in the application of the humanities and social marketing, and extensive knowledge of observation methods, including ethnographic research. Trained in design thinking, he has lead several consulting research projects on various subjects for major corporations including Renault, Nokia, Fiat, PepsiCo, Intel, Panasonic, Mastercard, Sony, Glaxo, Telefonica. Over the last 5 years, he has accumulated an extensive knowledge of the Latin Americans, their culture, market, lifestyle, motivations and emotions.
Elisa Pontes
Research Specialist
Elisa is based in São Paulo, Brazil. Her contributions make all the difference for the Sylver team, saving them time and helping improve the quality to the final results. She has a bachelor degree in Graphic Design from the University of Brasília and a Masters degree in Design from Senac-São Paulo, where she studied brand as a marketing strategy, focusing in cultural identities and multiculturalism.
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She thought Design Management and Identity Design Systems at Senac University Center; was an active member of the Organizing Committee of R&D Design 2008 conference; worked at the Strategy, Marketing and Communications Department of Banco do Brasil and at the Office of Communication of SESC/DF (Brazil's Social Service of Commerce) focusing on graphic production, layout and imaging, sign design and planning cultural events.
Vinicius Romualdo
Designer
Vinicius uses vigor and compelling visuals to help clients with fresh design alternatives. His experience in computer science and programming combined with his strong understanding of graphics and interaction design makes him stand out by developing unique web design solutions that go beyond mere visual aesthetics. Functionality, usability and accessibility are equally important and taken into consideration in his work.
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His previous experience includes working as a graphic designer for the Center of Strategic Studies and Management (CGEE) and for Lamparina Design - a junior enterprise managed by design students from the University of Brasilia.
He is currently living in New Zealand where he has earned an exchange scholarship to study Digital Media Design at Victoria University of Wellington. Vinicius is also in his last year of Bachelor in Design from University of Brasilia.
Holly Kile
Administrative Assistant
Holly creatively assists client teams with general business tasks and excels at client support. With her eagle eye and analytical skills, she keeps things running smoothly while her teammates at SYLVER work on the projects. She is also responsible for generating interest and growing awareness for SYLVER's services. She leads the creation of newsletters, marketing collateral, handles media relations and supports business development.
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Prior to joining SYLVER, she created Revenue Management Specialists and Healthcare Business Solutions, specializing in medical billing, coding and revenue management for clinical practices. She has also served on numerous advisory and speaker panels for pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer, Abbott, and Genentech.
Holly is seeking her degree in Healthcare Management at South University in Savannah, Georgia.
