Jemma Ahmed
Advancing Research Curator
Jem has been working for two decades in the space where consumer, design, product, marketing and cultural insight meet. A mixed methods insight practitioner, her work focuses on how technology can empower minority Global communities. With expertise in data science, market research and user research, she has delivered projects at scale which have had significant business and societal impact. From rebrands, defining creative, advertising and design direction, redirecting product and design roadmaps, through to shaping government and economic policy- Jem does research which creates change. As a leader, she has created, grown and transformed sizeable insight teams at companies such as the BBC, Etsy and Bumble- ensuring the voice of the customer becomes company vernacular.
She also works as a curator at Rosenfeld Media, helping to bring together community and education to help other researchers advance their own practices.
Jem holds a Masters in Law from Cambridge, and is working towards qualifications in somatic psychology and a PHD in adult online harms.
A poet, painter and queer, working class, British Pakistani, Jem blends academic rigour with creativity and an intersectional perspective.
Rosenverse talks by Jemma:
" Holistic sensemaking matters. "
Theme 1 Intro
March 10, 2026
" The moat that once protected researchers—their exclusive data access—is disappearing; now our value is enabling others to use insight. "
Redefining the research toolkit: Expanding methodologies for a changing world
March 12, 2025
" The term ‘study’ rings of academia and reinforces power dynamics; I prefer continuous engagement instead. "
Theme Panel
March 11, 2025
" The relational dynamics of knowledge are shifting from hierarchical and linear to relational and plural. "
Research at an inflection point: Adapting to a new era of collaboration, equity, and innovation
March 11, 2025
" Sustained collaboration with communities through advisory groups can help steer research to be more equitable. "
Collaboration: learning from other fields beyond our own [Advancing Research Community Workshop Series]
August 7, 2024
" You have to say no sometimes. You have the power to put guardrails in place and enforce them. "
Democratization: Working with it, not against it [Advancing Research Community Workshop Series]
July 24, 2024
" Newness isn’t necessarily a new methodology—it can be a new way of looking at something familiar. "
Coffee with Lou #3: What Makes for a Successful UX Conference Presentation?
May 2, 2024
" We need to treat people as people, not users, because they are not a utility or a commodity. "
Theme 2 Intro
March 26, 2024
" Each stage of growth brings different challenges for UX to overcome. "
Theme 2 Intro
January 8, 2024
" Perhaps we shouldn't even be moving beyond the concept of democratization but rethinking it altogether. "
Theme Three Intro
March 29, 2023
" Instead of facing 2020 with exhaustion, folks were looking at it with renewed commitment and bravery. "
Theme 2 Intro
March 10, 2022
" The storytelling is what ultimately supports actual change more than just data. "
Bridge Building across Research Disciplines
August 26, 2021
" The pyramid has gotten so much larger; the number of people feeling special at the bottom is growing. "
What's Next for Research?
June 17, 2021
" We found timed exercises and shifting power dynamics in groups helped trigger a different, less rational part of the brain. "
Convergent Research Techniques in Customer Journey Mapping
March 31, 2020
" Ultimately, we’re all here to help our companies care about the customer faster, no matter the tribe or method. "
Bringing together market and user research
October 17, 2019