Daniel Mai-Innovation Strategist & Business Anthropologist
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Experience
Director Insights
Human Futures
As Director of Insights at Human Futures, I led international human-centered research and innovation projects for Fortune 500 clients across technology, mobility, financial services, retail, and consumer goods. I was responsible for research strategy and design, project and client management, qualitative and mixed-method research, strategic synthesis, and translating customer and market insights into actionable recommendations for product, service, and business strategy. I managed multidisciplinary project teams, led client workshops and executive presentations, and supported projects from initial problem framing through research, opportunity identification, concept development, and validation.
Innovation Consultant & Business Anthropologist
Freelance
As a freelance innovation consultant and business anthropologist, I conducted human-centric insights and innovation projects for Idea Couture, WHOA, STURM und DRANG, A Piece of Pie, and Human Futures Studio on behalf of various Fortune 500 companies.
Associate Director Research
Point Blank Research & Consultancy
As Associate Director Research at Point Blank, I led qualitative and mixed-method research projects, primarily for pharmaceutical and healthcare clients. My responsibilities included research design, project and client management, patient and HCP research, moderation, qualitative analysis, strategic synthesis, and translating findings into actionable recommendations for brand, communication, product, and service decisions. Alongside client delivery, I helped expand the agency’s capabilities beyond traditional market research by building a more innovation-oriented practice, introducing human-centered and strategic approaches that connected customer insights with opportunity identification, concept development, and innovation strategy.
Senior Resident Anthropologist
Idea Couture
As Senior Resident Anthropologist at Idea Couture - a Toronto and London-based innovation consultancy - I led ethnographic and human-centered innovation research for global clients across healthcare, technology, financial services, consumer goods, retail, and mobility. My responsibilities spanned research design, international fieldwork, qualitative analysis, strategic synthesis, and translating human and cultural insights into opportunity spaces, design principles, new product and service concepts, and innovation strategies. Working within multidisciplinary teams of strategists, designers, and futurists, I supported projects across the innovation process - from exploratory research and foresight through co-creation, concept development, prototyping, and validation.
Innovation Consultant & Business Anthropologist
Freelance
As a freelance innovation consultant and business anthropologst, I conducted innovation projects and market research studies following a business anthropological approach, collaborating mainly with Sturm und Drang (Hamburg) and Idea Couture (Toronto).
Innovation Consultant & Business Anthropologist
ReD Associates
As a junior-level Innovation Consultant at ReD Associates, I supported ethnographic research and human-centered innovation projects for international clients. My work included desk research, research design, ethnographic fieldwork and in-depth interviews, qualitative analysis, and the synthesis of behavioral and cultural insights. I helped translate a contextual understanding of people’s everyday lives, practices, and needs into strategic implications and opportunities for product, service, and business innovation.
Doctoral researcher
AUDI AG
As a doctoral researcher embedded at AUDI AG, I conducted a 12-month ethnographic study at the company's headquarters on organizational cultures of remembrance and the role of organizational memory in identity and image building.
Industry experience
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Experienced in Banking and Finance, Information Technology, Retail, Automotive, Healthcare, and Professional Services.
Business area experience
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Experienced in Research and Development, Product Development, Strategy, and Project Management.
Summary
Daniel is a seasoned innovation strategist, human insights and foresight expert, who is passionate about shaping the future and sociocultural dynamics between people, technologies, and brands.
For the past 15 years, Daniel has been working at the intersection of human-centric insights, strategic foresight, product innovation, and organizational transformation in Berlin, Copenhagen, New York, London, and Toronto.
He has been advising Fortune 500 companies in healthcare, retail, automotive, IT & communications, finance & insurance, food & beverage, and other industries.
Daniel brings deep experience across the full innovation process. His expertise spans from framing business challenges with clients, scoping and managing complex projects, to activating outcomes. He designs immersive research studies, runs multi-market, mixed methods insight and foresight workstreams, uncovers the 'Why' behind the 'What', distills strategic implications and identifies new business opportunities for product and service innovation.
On the applied side, his experience covers co-creation and ideation, concept development, user experience design, prototyping, validation, roadmapping, strategic planning, and facilitating workshops and internal capability-building initiatives that help transform an organization.
Skills
Exploratory Human Insights Ethnographic Cultural Immersions (In-Home/On Site) Cultural Semiotics Semi-Structured One-On-One Interviews Focus Groups & Context Sessions Mixed-Methods Survey Design Customer Recruiting / Recruitment Expert Interviews Cultural Ecosystem Mapping Netnography Online Diaries & Journey Tracking Deep Human-Centric Insights & Business Implications Commercial Opportunity Discovery Market & Competitor Analysis Strategic Foresight Steep Horizon Scanning Emerging Technology Opportunity Discovery Change Hypotheses Foresight Themes World Building Scenario Development Opportunity Spaces Identification Co-Creation Concept Development Co-Creation Sessions With Users And Team Members Ideation & Concept Brief Development Concept Testing With Users & Refinement Concept Validation Business Casing Strategic Roadmapping Prototype Testing Ux Testing Ux Research Organizational Design Culture Of Innovation Mapping & Analysis Current Capabilities Assessment Stakeholder Ecosystem Mapping Design Principles For Human-Centric Capability Development Codification Of Innovation Processes
Languages
Education
Justus-Liebig-University
PhD · Cultural Studies & Organizational Ethnography · Giessen, Germany · Summa cum laude (extraordinary)
University of North Carolina
Semester Abroad · Communication Studies · Charlotte, United States
Zeppelin University
MA · Communication & Cultural Management · Friedrichshafen, Germany · 1.2 (Top of class)
Statistics
Experience
Global experience
Expertise
Qualifications
Profile
Frequently asked questions
Have questions? Find more information here.
Daniel is based in Berlin, Germany and can operate in on-site, hybrid, and remote work models.
Daniel speaks the following languages: German (Native), English (Advanced), Spanish (Elementary), French (Elementary).
Daniel has at least 14 years of experience. During this time, Daniel has worked in at least 5 different roles and for 6 different companies. The average length of individual experience is 2 years and 11 months. Note that Daniel may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.
Based on recent experience, Daniel would be well-suited for roles such as: Director Insights, Innovation Consultant & Business Anthropologist, Associate Director Research.
Daniel's most recent position is Director Insights at Human Futures.
In recent years, Daniel has worked for Human Futures and Freelance.
Daniel is most experienced in industries like Banking and Finance, Information Technology, and Retail. Daniel also has some experience in Automotive, Healthcare, and Professional Services.
Daniel is most experienced in business areas like Research and Development, Product Development, and Strategy. Daniel also has some experience in Project Management.
Daniel has recently worked in industries like Automotive, Banking and Finance, and Information Technology.
Daniel has recently worked in business areas like Product Development, Project Management, and Research and Development.
Daniel holds a Doctorate in Cultural Studies & Organizational Ethnography from Justus-Liebig-University, a Master in Communication & Cultural Management from Zeppelin University and a Bachelor in Cultural Studies & Business Administration from University of Duisburg-Essen.
Daniel is immediately available full-time for suitable projects.
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Calculated based on our freelancers’ daily rates as of 6 Sep 2026. Actual rates may vary depending on seniority level, experience, skill specialization, project complexity, and engagement length.
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