How We Work
All of our work is informed by deep expertise in the cognitive and social sciences – the basis for everything we do.
Our Methods
Focus Groups
Determining how new ideas hold up in public discourse.
Extended Response
Measuring whether ideas last.
Priming Surveys
Quantifying what can be, rather than simply reporting what is.
Talkback Testing
The ultimate test—can a concept be embraced and passed along?
Content Analysis
Identifying dominant frames and missing ideas in public discourse.
Cognitive Elicitations
Eliciting how people think, not just what they know.
Ethnography
Authentic conversations where people live, work and play.
Our Team
Axel Aubrun
Co-Founder
Axel Aubrun, PhD, is a psychological anthropologist who focuses on long-term culture change. He has authored articles in publications ranging from the Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute to Non-Profit Quarterly. Aubrun is a graduate of Amherst College, Oxford University, and the University of California, San Diego, where he spent a year lecturing in cultural anthropology before co-founding Topos.
Meg Bostrom
Co-Founder
Meg Bostrom is a veteran communications strategist with a unique perspective resulting from her rich and varied experiences as communicator, public opinion analyst, advertising agency executive, and political consultant. As co-founder of the Topos Partnership, she has researched public opinion and analyzed communications strategies on a wide range of social issues.
Joe Grady
Co-Founder
Joseph Grady, PhD is a cognitive linguist whose academic research and publications have focused on the role of metaphor in thought and communication. Before founding Topos, Grady taught linguistics at Georgetown University and the University of Maryland, and also spent a number of years as a consultant helping to analyze and develop brand names. He received his PhD from the University of California at Berkeley.
Isaiah Bailey
Senior Fellow
Isaiah Bailey specializes in education policy, political communication, and race politics. He has served in numerous research roles, including as Survey Research Manager within the Tennessee Department of Education and more recently at the Hub Project. He is a graduate of the University of Richmond (B.A.), and a graduate of the University of Michigan (M.P.P.; M.A.).
Andrew Brown
Research Director
Andrew Brown, PhD is a cultural anthropologist whose research has looked at the interaction between culture, rhetoric and public discourse. His work has included cross-cultural research in the US, Ireland and the former Soviet Union. He has taught at Colby College and the University College Cork.
Asilia Franklin-Phipps
Analyst
Asilia Franklin-Phipps, PhD is a researcher studying the sociocultural and historical contexts of education and how future teachers learn about race and racism in and out of the classroom. Asilia received her doctorate in Critical Sociocultural Studies in Education from the University of Oregon where she has also taught courses in Education Studies.
Diane Garbow
Analyst
Diane Garbow, PhD is a cultural anthropologist whose research examines Colombian and Latino immigration to the US, federal and local immigration policies, race and citizenship. She has taught courses in both Anthropology and Latin American Studies.
Jamila Gilmore
Analyst
Jamila Gilmore, M.Sc., is a sociologist with research background in race, inequality, and liberation movements in the U.S. and Cuba.
Charles Lord
Analyst
Charles Lord, Ph.D. began his academic training in cultural anthropology, exploring the interactions of culture and education in North Africa, and ultimately received his doctorate in Higher Education from the University of Michigan, based on ethnographic study of US community colleges.
Stephanie Maez
Senior Fellow
Stephanie Maez brings more than 15 years of public policy, strategic communications, civic engagement, issue advocacy, campaign management, and non-profit management experience to the Topos team. She holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Political Science from the University of New Mexico.
Julia Offen
Analyst
Julia Offen has a PhD in cultural anthropology, an MA in Sociology and an MFA in English, and has conducted ethnographic research among circus performers in central Europe.
Mariya Taher
Narrative Liaison
Mariya Taher, MSW, MFA, worked in the anti-gender violence field for ten years in the areas of research, policy, program development, and direct service. In 2015, she cofounded Sahiyo to empower Asian communities to end female genital cutting. She is a prolific writer whose articles have appeared on NPR, Ms. Magazine, Huffington Post, Brown Girl Magazine, Solstice Literary Magazine, The San Francisco Examiner, Cecile’s Writer’s Magazine, and more.
Amy Tennant
Research Assistant
Amy is a research assistant and transcriber for Topos Partnership. She has a BFA in painting with experience in classical realism and mural painting. Her work history includes accounting, tech support and training for both nonprofit and corporate entities such as an open and inclusive church organization, a travel association dedicated to responsible tourism in the Pacific Asia region, and a major cruise line. She is interested in holistic health and healing and is a certified health coach.
Greg Tennant
Video Producer, Web Developer
Greg Tennant is an award-winning filmmaker and videographer whose work includes dramatic fiction, feature-length documentary, nonfiction television, and ethnographic research. He is a graduate of the USC School of Cinematic Arts and the CIIS Department of Philosophy, Cosmology and Consciousness. He has been the Topos Webmaster and Web Developer since 2015.
Sara Tomczuk
Analyst
Sara Tomczuk, PhD is a sociologist who studies interethnic relations and culture. She has conducted fieldwork on Roma-Majority relations in Slovakia and the Czech Republic and has been an instructor at University of Washington and North Seattle College.
Remy Trupin
Senior Fellow
Remy Trupin is a creative, strategic and entrepreneurial leader with extensive policy advocacy experience. Remy was the founding executive director of the Washington State Budget & Policy Center, an organization which he led and grew into a national model. He brings strategic insight from working with organizations and coalitions developing and implementing legislative advocacy, communication and ballot campaigns. Remy volunteers board leadership and strategic advice to social service, civic and human rights organizations and is an American Marshall Memorial Fellow.
Margy Waller
Senior Fellow
Margy Waller is a veteran policy advocate and communicator whose past work has included serving as Visiting Fellow at the Brookings Institution, Senior Advisor on domestic policy in the Clinton-Gore White House, Senior Fellow at the Progressive Policy Institute, and Director of Public Policy at United Way of America.
