Jan Knight

Jan has over 18 years of market research experience and describes herself as “providing insight to entrepreneurs from startups to grownups.” Having worked in almost every industry segment, she prides herself on providing valuable research and analysis while not needing to be an expert in any specific industry. Whether she’s working on a market analysis for a cardiac medical device or digging deep for competitors in the alcoholic beverage industry, she is often able to uncover information through subscriber-only market research sources that clients just don’t have access to or often don’t know exist. Her training, expertise, and resources help her to go far beyond what the Internet alone can offer.

Her focus on customized secondary market research helps to shape business plans, marketing strategies, new business development, and more. She is also active in working with technology companies who are applying for SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) grants from the federal government, and her research helps to shape their commercialization plans.

Research-driven writing is another of Jan’s offerings and ranges from reviewing global information databases and writing product reviews for an online UK publisher, to crafting market or industry snapshots, and whitepapers for clients’ content marketing.

Previously, she worked as a client liaison at ad/marketing agencies and as a purchasing/manufacturing manager for a niche international educational publisher. She often found she enjoyed “looking things up” even before the Internet and thus a researcher was created!

Since 2001, Jan has been an active member of her international professional association, AIIP (Association of Independent Information Professionals), and recently served two years on the Board of Directors. She’s currently involved with Arizona-based business incubators, is an active Ambassador for the state-wide Arizona Technology Council, a member of BIOSA (BioIndustry Association of Southern Arizona), and regularly speaks to business groups on advanced online search strategies and market research-related topics.

In a professional pro bono capacity, Jan has also served as a panelist for the Venture Ready program from Arizona Commerce Authority, a board member for her local chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), a committee volunteer for the American Marketing Association, and as a Mentor for the Social Venture Fast Pitch competition for non-profit organizations.

Jan earned her M.A. in Information Resources & Library Science from the University of Arizona, and her B.A. in Humanities from the University of California, Berkeley.