Annie Neimand, Ph.D., works with organizations and leaders to apply systems thinking, human-centered design and the science of how people think and act to social change strategy. She is most passionate about building an anti-racist, equitable and sustainable world where all people can live with dignity, joy and belonging. She designs and leads projects that shift systems and culture toward racial, economic and social justice.
Previously, Annie worked as the Director of Research for the Center for Public Interest Communications at the University of Florida. She worked with her colleagues to launch the Center and co-created evidence-based frameworks that have been shared with thousands of social change practitioners. She directed the Center’s research initiatives and consulted for organizations all over the world, including United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Participant Media, National Geographic Society, Define American, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, The White House Office of Technology and Science Policy, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, MTV, Invisible People and Housing Narrative Lab.
Annie supported these organizations in learning and applying research and evidence-based frameworks to systems change strategy. She supported media organizations in identifying how to better measure and evaluate social impact campaigns. She worked with nonprofit and philanthropic organizations to improve the inclusion of community voices in strategy development and implementation. And she led projects for a range of partners – from small grassroots to big intergovernmental organizations– designed to change behavior on public health, humanitarian, economic and social justice issues.
For 10 years, Annie was also the Research Director for frank, a gathering for social change practitioners, researchers and students. She managed the $10,000 Prize for Research in Public Interest Communications. The prize has awarded over $100k to scholars whose work is being applied by practitioners. She is most proud of building an active network and field of practice around evidence-based strategy, and increasing the inclusion of scholars of color sharing their work with the social change sector.
Annie's work is regularly featured in Stanford Social Innovation Review, including two of the publication’s most-read articles, the Science of What Makes People Care and Stop Raising Awareness.
Annie has a Master’s degree and Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Florida. She studied social movements, strategy and intersectionality– an area of research that looks at how racism, classism and sexism are built into our social policy and programs and shape people's lived experiences. She taught undergraduate and graduate level courses, including Race, Class and Gender, Sociology of Gender, Social Problems, and Public Interest Communications Strategy.
Annie lives in Los Angeles with her husband Scott, a high school art teacher, her almost 3-year-old daughter Emilia, and her two wiener dogs that love Zoom meetings. For fun, Annie loves to be active on Peloton (add me! @Shmanniee), hike around California with her family, thrift for vintage and volunteer at her Temple.
Comments are closed.