-
Founded by two Yale scientists, XandY is an independent research and strategy firm that helps the world’s most important ideas build momentum in society.
We help organizations locate and move the levers that create lasting change in their target audience. — and we specialize in the most challenging situations where emotions are strong, habits are firm, opinions are polarized, misinformation is rampant, and the stakes are high.
Past clients include billion-dollar corporations, major tech startups, and global NGOs. -
Our clients turn to us for custom research and strategy solutions delivered at scientific-grade quality.
We deliver concrete answers to questions like: What are the real barriers causing skepticism and inaction? What is the most potent fuel for action? What messaging works best, and for whom?
XandY has deep expertise in an arsenal of methods including surveys, interviews, focus groups, experiments, and behavioral research that can allow you to get inside the mind of your unique target audience.
Using these insights, XandY also tackles the next step: designing and testing effective interventions and campaigns. Because nothing can replace the certainty of scientifically testing whether your plan will actually work.
For select clients with mutually aligned goals, we also offer consulting partnerships via a retainer model.
-
Through The XandY Poll, we publish scientific-grade data on how important ideas and innovations are spreading in society. This national survey of U.S. adults generates new data on beliefs, sentiment, and behaviors in a variety of important issues.
See our Data & Strategy page and follow us on social media for findings from the latest iteration.
-
There are brilliant ideas and innovations emerging all around us. But great ideas do not succeed simply because they are great. In fact, history is littered with wonderful innovations that just didn’t catch on due to social obstacles in the form of popular myths, fears, habits, biases, norms, politics, and distractions.
Right now, many emerging innovations — in tech, health, finance, education, and politics — are at a crossroads in public perception and behavior. Even the best of them are not guaranteed to have durable, widespread success. XandY exists to help the world’s most important ideas and innovations gain traction in public opinion and behavior.
Want to collaborate?
Our Team
Matthew Goldberg
Matthew Goldberg, Ph.D.
Co-FOUNDER & partner
Dr. Matthew Goldberg is one of the world’s leading scientific experts on persuasion, human behavior, and public opinion. He has developed custom research insights for tech companies, media companies, political figures, and nonprofits, and has published dozens of peer-reviewed scientific studies. He earned his Ph.D. in Social Psychology and is currently a faculty research scientist at Yale University.
Abel Gustafson
Abel Gustafson, Ph.D.
Co-FOUNDER & partner
Dr. Abel Gustafson is one of the world’s leading scientific experts on social psychology and communication strategy. He has provided research solutions and strategic consulting for multi-national corporations, tech startups, media networks, political figures, and NGOs, and has published dozens of peer-reviewed scientific studies. After earning his Ph.D., he joined Yale University to conduct research on communication strategies related to science, sustainability, and emerging tech. He is currently a professor of public relations at the University of Cincinnati.
Carly Wolfer
Carly Wolfer
Research & Strategy manager
Carly Wolfer is a social scientist with expertise in human behavior, interpersonal relationships, and health psychology. She has managed a diverse portfolio of qualitative and quantitative research projects backed by both public (NIH, NSF, health clinics) and private (branding & design agencies, health & wellness companies) stakeholders. She graduated from Columbia University with a M.A. in Health Education & Behavior Sciences, and is currently earning her Ph.D. in Social Psychology from The City University of New York.
Vinny Badolato
Director of strategic partnerships
Vinny Badolato is an organizational builder and growth strategist who has spent the last two decades in a variety of roles from policy and advocacy to strategy and venture philanthropy. He has lobbied state legislatures, built multiple programs from scratch, raised tens of millions of dollars, and advised dozens of organizations. He holds an M.A. in education policy from University of Colorado Boulder and a B.A. in history from The George Washington University.
Caitlin Kossmann, Ph.D.
Senior Science Writer
Dr. Caitlin Kossmann is a writer, editor, and historian who writes about science and society. Her research areas include scientific communication and community formation, histories of the environmental and life sciences, and intersections between craft and medicine. She has worked at The Yale Review, the nation's oldest literary quarterly, and is a co-founder of the educational nonprofit Saxifrage Institute. She holds a Ph.D. in the history of science, medicine, and technology from Yale University and a BA in ecology and evolutionary biology from Princeton University.
