What Insights Career Network does

Insights Career Network (ICN) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Alameda, California, founded in late 2021 and launched in April 2022 to provide career support and job search resources exclusively to market research and insights professionals. The organization operates a free membership community of 3,200+ members and maintains a LinkedIn following of 32,000+, delivering programming through bi-weekly virtual Seekers & Allies Meetups (80–100+ attendees per session), weekly Friday Forum office hours, AI skills workshops, and an extensive content library of 70+ recorded sessions and decks. Core products include the Insights Job Referral List, which surfaces openings within two degrees of hiring managers, and the Active Insights Job Seeker List, a directory of 250+ pre-vetted candidates with 21+ data points each. ICN also produces original Research on Research, including the Hiring Study (70 voices) and the 2025 Census Report (470+ participants), published in Greenbook and Quirk's Media.

The organization is 100% volunteer-powered with no paid staff, relying on a leadership team of 15 core volunteers and 25+ total volunteers. It does not develop proprietary technology and instead operates on third-party tools including Zoom, Google Forms, Google Sheets, LinkedIn, Mailchimp, and donated QuestionPro licenses. Revenue is generated entirely through individual donations (suggested tiers of $5/month, $25/year, $50 for coaching) and corporate sponsorship (Friend $500, Partner $5,000–$10,000, Premier $25,000–$50,000), with sponsors receiving logo placement, curated access to job-seeker profiles, and co-branding opportunities. On December 15, 2025, ICN formalized as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit ("ICN 2.0") under a new Board of Directors chaired by Simon Chadwick, the inaugural Chair of the Insights Association, with subsequent board additions including Barry Jennings (ex-Kantar, Dell, Microsoft) and Michael Brereton. The organization serves three core segments: insights professionals in career transition, employed industry "allies" who mentor and refer, and insights industry employers/recruiters who sponsor and access the talent pool. Distribution is primarily virtual and global, with conference presence at QRCA Annual and IIEX North America via a Mobile Career Support Center, and grassroots in-person meetups in U.S. markets including Denver, Chicago, Washington D.C., Texas, Colorado, Georgia, and California.

Name

Insights Career Network

Legal name

Insights Career Network

Website

https://insightscareernetwork.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Insights Career Network is a volunteer-powered 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing free career support, networking, and job referral services to market research and insights professionals in transition, with 3,200+ members and 32,000+ LinkedIn followers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Career Services & Community Networking

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Information (51)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Mentoring, Coaching, Alumni Networking & Peer Support Platforms (EDAFAMAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Essay, Resume & Portfolio Coaching Platforms (EDAFAMAD)

Keywords

• Career transition support
• Market research community
• Job referral services
• Professional networking events
• Insights industry careers

Headquarters

HQ city

Alameda

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: ICN collects financial contributions from individual members and supporters. Recommended donation tiers include $5 pay-as-you-go, $25/year, $20+ for events, $50+ for workshops, and $50 for 30-minute 1:1 insights career consultations. Donations support monthly operating expenses and transitioning to nonprofit operations.
2. Corporate Sponsorship: ICN offers corporate sponsorship tiers: Friend of ICN at $500; Partner Sponsor at $5,000–$10,000; and Premier Supporter at $25,000–$50,000. Sponsors receive recognition across ICN communications, programming, LinkedIn posts, logo placement on the website, curated access to active job-seeker profiles, co-branding opportunities, and invitations to partner briefings.
3. Membership Fees: Membership is completely free for all participants. No revenue is generated from membership fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Insights Career Network (ICN) is a volunteer-powered 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs a free career support community for market research and insights professionals. It delivers bi-weekly virtual Seekers & Allies meetups, weekly Friday Forum office hours, a curated Insights Job Referral List, an Active Insights Job Seeker List directory, AI skills workshops, peer coaching, and original Research on Research studies (Hiring Study and Census Report). All programming is free for members and funded through donations and corporate sponsorships.

Product overview

Insights Career Network (ICN) is a volunteer-powered 501(c)(3) nonprofit offering a community-based career support platform for research and insights professionals. The core offering consists of free membership providing access to bi-weekly Seekers & Allies Meetups, weekly Friday Forum office hours, the Insights Job Referral List, and the Active Insights Job Seeker List. Additional offerings include the ICN Bootlegs library of 70+ recorded sessions, the AI Skills Workshop series, a GPT Plus Mock Interview Coach, QuestionPro license grants, peer coaching, and original research publications including the annual ICN Census Report and Hiring in Insights Study. The platform serves job seekers, employed professionals, and industry allies through a combination of community events, job resources, skill-building programs, and mental health support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ICN Membership Free membership that gives individual insights professionals access to the ICN community, including the members-only LinkedIn group, bi-weekly member email with Zoom links, job referral lists, event invitations, and member-only discounts and drawings.
• Seekers & Allies Meetups Bi-weekly virtual meetups held on Mondays at 10 AM PT / 12 PM CT / 1 PM ET on Zoom, featuring guest speakers, job seeker topics, industry news, and small breakout sessions for career support. Regularly hosts 80-100+ attendees from around the globe.
• Friday Forum (Insights Career Office Hours) Weekly unscripted open Q&A sessions held on Fridays at 1 PM ET on Zoom, welcoming insights career professionals to discuss job search and career management topics in an informal setting.
• Insights Job Referral List Free curated list of job recommendations sourced from connections 1-2 degrees away from hiring managers, considered the #1 resource for many job seekers in the insights profession. Delivered via a shared Google Sheet.
• Active Insights Job Seeker List Directory of more than 250 insights professionals ready to research, each providing 21+ data points about their research experience. Free to access and download, used by employers and recruiters to source pre-vetted candidates.
• AI Skills Workshop: AI for Market Research Monthly 1-hour virtual workshop series for ICN members that builds practical AI adoption skills for market research professionals, led by Z Johnson (Head of Learning and Research).
• GPT Plus Mock Interview Coach Personalized AI-powered mock interview tool built on ChatGPT Plus to help job seekers practice and improve interview skills for insights roles.
• Hiring in Insights Study Original Research on Research initiative featuring 70 voices from hiring managers, recruiters, and job seekers, exploring trends and best practices in hiring insights professionals.
• 2025 ICN Census Report Inaugural comprehensive survey of 470+ ICN members capturing career trajectories, challenges, employment status, and member satisfaction to understand the professional landscape of the insights industry.
• Insights Career Coaching Affordable peer-to-peer mini-coaching sessions led by experienced ICN volunteers including Co-Founder Brian Fowler and industry veteran Scott Worthge, supporting members with resume reviews, interview prep, and career strategy.
• Corporate Sponsorship Program Tiered corporate sponsorship offering for insights industry employers and recruiters with three tiers — Friend of ICN at $500, Partner Sponsor at $5,000-$10,000, and Premier Supporter at $25,000-$50,000. Sponsors receive logo placement, communications recognition, curated access to active job-seeker profiles, co-branding, and invitations to partner briefings.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 470 ICN members participated in the 2025 ICN Census Report.
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• GreenbookcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 August 2025In August 2025, ICN announced a major collaboration with Greenbook to launch Greenbook's new market research and insights career channel at Greenbook.org. ICN authors contribute articles on career topics including the freelance revolution, AI and diversity in insights roles, and non-linear career paths. This dedicated resource helps professionals navigate a complex job market.
• VoxpopmesupportingTechnology or IntegrationVoxpopme provided the infrastructure and tools for the ICN team to conduct its original Research on Research hiring study, supporting the research initiative with video survey and analysis technology.
• QuestionProsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerICN announced an exclusive member benefit: free premium QuestionPro licenses for ICN members. These licenses help members conduct surveys, build market research and analytical skills, and add experience to their professional portfolios.
• EQJOY / EQ UnitedsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerICN continues its partnership with EQJOY on EQ United, a grassroots movement to strengthen children's mental health across the U.S. ICN members are invited to volunteer as EQNITE event organizers to bring local gatherings to communities, building connections beyond traditional insights circles while supporting family wellbeing and joy.
• Insights Industry PartnerssupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerICN's Insights Industry Partners help bring awareness to ICN programming and job seeker resources. Partners include: MSMR (Michigan State University), University of Wisconsin-Madison, QRCA (Qualitative Research Consultants Association), MRX Pros, Quirks Media, Greenbook, and Insights Association.
• Women in Research (WIRe)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerICN researchers and contributors from WIRe curated the 'Beating Bias When Building Teams' resource page, helping organizations identify baked-in biases affecting hiring decisions and staying relevant. WIRe also co-hosted an ICN and WIRe panel on inclusive team building.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Insights Association: North American trade association for the market research and insights industry, formed via the merger of CASRO and MRA. Operates industry standards, advocacy, and networking for the same population ICN serves, and shares personnel overlap (ICN Board Chair Simon Chadwick was the inaugural Insights Association Chair).
• IIEX (Insights Innovation Exchange): Industry conference series run by Greenbook/Insights Association bringing together insights professionals, technology vendors, and brands. IIEX is a peer in the same ecosystem, competing for the same audience's time and attention through events and thought leadership.
• Quirk's Media: Editor and event host covering the market research industry through Quirk's Magazine, the Quirk's Event, and editorial content. Quirk's is a peer publishing channel for ICN's research output and an established partner, with overlapping audience of insights professionals and recruiters.
• ESOMAR: Global industry association for market research, insights, and analytics professionals, providing research standards, events, and training. ESOMAR is the closest global incumbent peer: it serves the same professional community with continuing education, networking, and content, although ICN's career-support focus is narrower than ESOMAR's standards and policy remit.
• Greenbook: Leading media, events, and research platform for the market research industry, including the GRIT Report and the IIEX conference series. Greenbook is both a strategic partner (launched a dedicated career channel with ICN in August 2025) and a peer serving the same insights audience with content, networking, and recruitment adjacencies.

Direct peers

• Women in Research (WIRe): Nonprofit professional community advancing women in the market research and insights industry through events, mentorship, and education. WIRe is the most direct functional peer to ICN, addressing the same end audience (insights professionals) with a community-led, volunteer-driven model — and WIRe is itself an established ICN partner.
• QRCA (Qualitative Research Consultants Association): International membership organization specifically for qualitative research consultants and practitioners. QRCA is a direct peer to ICN's qualitative-research segment and is itself an existing ICN partner sharing event promotion and programming with the network.

Regional players

• Market Research Society (MRS): UK-based professional body for market research, insight, and data analytics, offering training, certification, and member services. MRS is a regional peer — geographically focused on the UK but serving the same professional community as ICN in a career-support and continuing-education capacity.

Emerging players

• RIVA Market Research Training: Market research and focus group moderation training provider serving insights professionals. RIVA is a direct peer in the upskilling category ICN addresses with its AI Skills Workshop, mock interview coach, and career-assist training content.
• University of Michigan MSMR Program: Master of Science in Marketing Research program at Michigan State University, a leading graduate training ground for the insights profession. MSMR is a feeder program that ICN partners with and that produces the next generation of insights talent, making it a natural peer in the talent and education pipeline.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/insights-career-network

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Insights Career Network