Est. 2024 · Chicago

A consumer-insights advisory practice for retailers and consumer brands ready to grow beyond business as usual.

Knox Oates Foresights partners with insights leaders and executive teams to build Consumer Centricity Centers of Excellence — the kind that move companies from interesting findings to measurable, top-line impact.

Start an engagement See our approach

Said by leaders in the room

[Placeholder — the highest-leverage testimonial on the site. Best source: a senior insights leader who hired Elizabeth at Ulta, Kohl's, General Mills, or Molson Coors, OR a current advisory client. One strong sentence about a measurable outcome or a shift in how the function operates.]

[Name pending] [Senior insights or executive title] · [Company] [Engagement type] · [Year]

How we work

Four ways to engage the practice.

01 · Keynotes From $5,500

Forward-looking executive talks for retail and CPG leaders.

Up to 60 minutes, tailored to executive teams, leadership offsites, and academic audiences. Recently delivered at the World Retail Congress, TMRE, and The Quirk's Event.

Schedule a 15-min call Download speaker kit See the full picture

02 · Workshops $5,895 / on-site

Skill-building for insights teams.

On-site sessions for teams of 4 to 40 that move practitioners from interesting to impactful through powerful research briefs.

See the workshop

03 · Advisory Hourly — retainer

Counsel for insights leaders.

Custom strategies to design and stand up a Consumer Centricity Center of Excellence within your organization.

See the advisory practice

04 · Roadmaps Self-serve · $945

Frameworks for personal and team growth.

Ready-to-use templates aligned to the Nine Core Skills of insights professionals. Optional coaching add-ons.

Get the framework

Managing Partner · Principal Consultant

Elizabeth Knox Oates

A 20-year insights veteran with proven experience building functions that drive business impact. Elizabeth has dramatically grown top-line revenue for multibillion-dollar retailers, driven innovation for products and experiences, and redefined the strategic role of consumer-based teams across the enterprise.

She brings that same approach to executives across retail and CPG through Knox Oates Foresights — advisory engagements, workshops, and keynote stages.

Insights leadership at

Molson Coors Ulta Beauty Kohl's General Mills American Family Insurance

Education & affiliations

MBA

Wisconsin School of Business, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Guest lecturer

A.C. Nielsen Center for Marketing Analytics & Insights
Author

More Than Just Interesting, Paramount Market Publishing

Recognition & affiliations

Top 8 to Watch

Wisconsin School of Business Update, 2021
[Additional credential pending]

e.g., board role, named publication, podcast feature
[Additional credential pending]

e.g., industry award, advisory board, conference committee

From the founder · Available now

More Than Just Interesting

How to build an insights function for impact

A practical playbook drawn from twenty years inside multibillion-dollar retailers — Ulta Beauty, Kohl's, and General Mills. The book Elizabeth's keynotes are built around, and the foundation for every KOF engagement.

Buy on Amazon Buy on Bookshop.org Barnes & Noble Read a sample chapter (PDF)

What you'll learn

How the FOUR steps to actionability align research questions to specific business actions before you begin.
Why deciding on actions before research isn't putting the cart before the horse.
How to manage budgets, timelines, and people when consumer-centricity is the priority.
How to develop your team in the nine critical skill areas that determine a function's success.
How to claim a seat at the decision-making table and prepare your organization to be consumer-centric.

Endorsements

"[Endorsement pending — ask publisher for the blurb roster. Best fit: a senior insights or retail executive whose name carries weight in the buyer audience.]"

— [Endorser name], [Title], [Company]