If NBA star Kevin Durant is taking a shot on a company, we should all pay attention. KD doesn’t miss often, and in the case of New York City-based Suzy, an AI-powered market research and consumer insights platform, his investment seems right on the money, as usual.
Sports stars know about motivation – and so does Suzy. Go to its website, and you’ll see inspiration phrased as a warning, borne of tech failures from coast to coast, from the people who know:
The collective voice of consumers has spawned unicorns and crippled industries — rewarding companies who put customers first and destroying those who don’t. In case you missed it... the consumer won.
We can go a step further: The customer always wins, and the people who realize that are the ones who truly have a leg up in tech.
Among that group is Suzy President Katie Gross, who until September was the company’s Chief Customer Officer. A 20-year industry veteran with global experience at Clint, Toluna, and Mintel, Gross went from building an A-list team to assisting some of the world’s biggest brands to overseeing all of Suzy’s commercial business.
In addition to her role at Suzy, Katie Gross serves on the board of the Insights Association and Market Research Institute International, showing her commitment to mentorship and advancement in the market research industry.
One of the first moves Suzy made after Gross’ ascension was to hire another big name, bringing Grady Leno as new Chief Product & Technology Officer, a position he previously held at Sandoso. The lesson is clear: Never stop adding good people to good companies, and you’ll be all set. Provided, of course, you focus on the customer.
Founded in 2018 by CEO Matt Britton, Suzy has earned accolades across media platforms (including this one) and garnered investments from everyone from H.I.G. Capital and, yes, 35 Ventures, Durant’s company. So far, it seems the results have been just like KD’s shots: Nothing but net.
