ITK Radio | Adam Probolsky | Understanding Polling + Data Science

On this episode of ITK Radio, a conversation with Adam Probolsky.

Adam is the president of Probolsky Research.

Adam has acted as a pollster and strategic advisor on hundreds of successful crisis communications and public affairs projects, local, county, and statewide initiatives, and candidate campaigns, as well as citizen outreach and education efforts.

Additionally, Adam has been a key advisor to the firm’s clients on matters of public policy, legislation, and business strategy.

Adam was both a planning and finance commissioner for the City of Irvine, where he oversaw and approved billions of dollars in private development and public infrastructure projects. As a past chairman of the Irvine Valley College Foundation, he has overseen the fundraising and the award of hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships to students and funding for college police.

He was also a member of the Orange County Waste & Recycling Commission, overseeing landfills, recycling programs, waste-hauling companies, and power-generating facilities. As a member of the Orange County Transportation Authority’s Environmental Mitigation and Oversight Committee, he oversaw the expenditure of over $175 million dollars in public transportation funds.

Adam is a former journalist, and he previously served as a board member and development committee chairman for Jewish Family Service of Orange County and volunteered for nearly eight years with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department as a spokesperson.

Adam formerly served as a member of the Policy Committee on Energy and the Environment of the United States Chamber of Commerce.

Adam’s research and commentary has been published in numerous media outlets, including The New York Times, Riverside Press Enterprise, The Chicago Sun Times, the Orange County Register and Politico, and the San Francisco Chronicle.

Adam earned his master’s degree in data analytics and visualization from the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, Maryland.

You can find Adam on LinkedIn here.

 
 
 

Insights + Ideas:

+ "as a pollster, it is part math, part art, and part psychology"

+ What is polling all about?

+ The problem of "polls of polls"

+ What is the client acquisition process for a polling firm?

+ How to best work with a pollster

+ Answering: "I think that" and "I wish I knew"

+ Is a pollster unbiased when starting a research project?

+ Wrestling with explore vs. exploit during a project

+ Pollsters are constantly innovating and evolving

+ Meeting voters where they are to conduct polling

+ "data is great"

+ "smart pollsters know their role"

+ Helping clients understand the value of research

+ How pollsters work to help a client put them in the best spot to succeed

+ The inside scoop of the fraternity of pollsters

+ Does polling happen every day?

+ Why you should participate in a poll

+ How Adam manages his firm and works with his staff

ITK Radio | Jeff Moon | Focus on China

On this episode of ITK Radio, a conversation with Jeff Moon.

Jeff founded China Moon Strategies, LLC, in 2017 after leaving the Obama White House, where he served as Assistant US Trade Representative for China Affairs and previously at the National Security Council.

Jeff has more than three decades of Asia experience, including ten years working in China in both the private and public sectors since his first visit in 1984.

At Cisco Systems and Dolby, he was a Vice President assigned to Beijing, Silicon Valley, and Washington, DC, in roles focused on business in China.

Earlier in his career, Jeff was a US State Department diplomat specializing in China affairs.

He completed assignments to Beijing, Chengdu, Taipei, and Washington to the China Desk and the Economic Bureau.

He was the Acting US Ambassador in Nepal in his final Foreign Service assignment.

Jeff began his career as an attorney at Skadden, Arps in Washington, DC, and graduated from Johns Hopkins University and Columbia Law School.

You can find Jeff on LinkedIn here.

 
 

Insights + Ideas:

+ What should Americans know about the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)?

+ All Chinese government officials have a CCP rank

+ XI has replaced a lot of the Chinese government apparatus with CCP officials

+ Look for the CCP to ask (demand) for board seats of foreign multinational companies operating in China

+ The CCP took power within the context of imperial tradition - the CCP as "new emperors"

+ China operates equally a long civilization and a new emerging economy

+ Why won't China establish mil-mil (military to military) talks with the US?

+ President Dwight Eisenhower brought a military staffing mindset to his administration

+ Under Eisenhower, the National Security Council (NSC) became the main arm of the US president for formulating and executing policy on military, international, and internal security affairs

+ How US allies are shaping America's foreign policy toward China

+ How China uses imagery, furniture, and symbolism to convey the importance of a meeting with foreign representatives or business leaders

+ The current state of the US-China relationship based on commerce and competition

+ What's the real story of the China-Russia partnership

+ China on the campaign trail during Election 2024

+ Taiwan and related Chinese sovereignty and control is the most important issue

+ China's current sluggish economy and the drive for tech localization

+ China has become prosperous during an era when US-China goals were complimentary

+ The Chinese first instinct is to regulate the economy, not be laissez-faire like the US

ITK Radio | Anne Maas | Better Data = Better Retail

On this episode of ITK Radio, a conversation with Anne Maas.

Anne thrives on analyzing, planning, and implementing new and updated processes and systems that drive operational efficiencies.

Her experience includes developing and managing data, merchandising, wholesale and marketing operations, and teams. As a change champion who excels in fluid, fast-paced environments, her expertise is in managing multiple projects and resolving complex challenges.

Anne specializes in data-driven analysis, change management, omnichannel marketing, and product development.

You can find Anne on LinkedIn here.

 
 

Insights + Ideas:

+ "consumers are demanding so much more"

+ How do you keep the shopping experience special when it is online?

+ "make the online experience as seamless as possible"

+ The importance of accurate data and the product detail

+ Preventing shopping cart failures

+ Making data management a priority for your business

+ A lack of focus on data impacts sales and shopping experience

+ Merchandising and fostering a “treasure hunt” for product

+ How the speed of inventory being moved dictates the business model and use of data collection

+ The rise of digital commerce white-label and private-label sales

+ Target, Total Wine, and DSW as best-in-class retailers succeeding offline and online equally