A Dream Fulfilled

At the close of 2022, I reflect on eleven years as the founding President & CEO and senior research officer for Knology. I could not be more proud of what we’ve accomplished.

At founding, our board identified a gap in the non-profit sector: the need for agnostic social science expertise that could partner with social change organizations. Our remit from that group of visionaries was to provide social science research to the non-profit, government, and for-profit sectors that could help accelerate social justice, environmental security, and better decision-making. Born around a small dinner table in December 2011, we were incorporated in New York State within two months. And since then, we've done some amazing work.

After changing our name thanks to input from trusted partners, we secured a global trademark, refined our strategic plan, and built durable partnerships with an extraordinary array of non-profit and governmental groups. We became, as one of our partners called us, “a good addiction” that helps other organizations do more and do better.

Our work advances the mission of producing practical social science for a better world, but people make it possible. Since founding, we’ve all grown as researchers and steadily improved our practices. That growth would not have been possible without the efforts of every single team member—whether it be interns who joined us for a season, those who shaped our trajectory and went on to new ventures, or those team members who have dedicated their careers to Knology and continue to be the backbone of our operations. Our annual reports have always recognized each person who was part of our team that year. That team has made Knology the force it is today.

Knology has always been fortunate to have a board whose efforts far exceed what I have seen at other non-profits. Through 2021, as the pandemic drew to a close, our board worked tirelessly to map our expansion opportunities and growth potential. I met each week with at least one of our committees to think about growth and next steps. By 2022, it was clear to me that our strengths would be best leveraged under new leadership. I thank our board for collaborating with me to identify a new leader who could help Knology reach the potential we could all see. Under the new leadership of Dr. Christine Reich, Knology’s future is bright.

This annual report demonstrates that Knology is a clear leader in practical social science for a better world and has only just started to show what it can do.

John Fraser, Ph.D. AIA
Founding President & CEO

A Note from the Chair

They say that the only constant in life is change. This maxim certainly rings true for this past year at Knology. We said a fond farewell to Dr. John Fraser, who founded Knology around his dining room table a decade ago and, with a fabulous team, grew it into the organization it is today. We are extremely excited for Dr. Fraser as he begins a new adventure in Alaska, where he will serve as Director of Mission Impact at the SeaLife Center in Seward, Alaska.

While saying goodbye to Dr. Fraser is bittersweet, we are very fortunate to warmly welcome Dr. Christine Reich (who had previously served as the Chief Learning Officer at the Museum of Science in Boston) to lead Knology into its next chapter. Dr. Reich is an extremely accomplished researcher and non-profit leader with more than 25 years of experience. At the Museum of Science, she founded and directed the institution’s Research and Evaluation Department, spearheaded the museum’s accessibility efforts, and led the development of numerous wide-reaching informal learning experiences—such as the Science Behind Pixar exhibition and the Mission:Mars Roblox game, each of which have reached millions of people across the country and around the world. Dr. Reich has also played a leading role in developing national museum networks. Among her many accomplishments, she founded the Collaboration for Ongoing Visitor Experience Studies (COVES) program, which unites museums across the country for the purpose of collecting, analyzing, and reporting on visitor experience data.

The whole Knology team and I could not be more excited to have Dr. Reich on board as our new CEO. She is energetic, strategic, thoughtful, and (to use a term from Boston, where she lives) “wicked smart.” But, just as important, she is a firm proponent of Knology’s mission: “practical social science for a better world.”

As we look toward the future, I am confident that Knology is poised for new and even greater success. Not only is this because of the foundation that Dr. Fraser built and the new ideas and leadership that Dr. Reich will bring, but also because of the amazing talents of the entire Knology team—our staff, board, and many partners who form the backbone of our research. Working together, I am excited to see all that the next chapter brings.

Adam J. Wasserman, J.D.
Chair