Senior researchers. Personalized service. Two+ decades doing one thing well.
In 2005, we founded Crux with a straightforward premise: organizations doing meaningful work deserve senior-level research attention — not project coordinators and junior analysts. That belief shapes how we run every project we take on.
We focus on survey and polling research for nonprofits, foundations, youth-serving organizations, and mission-driven companies. It’s not the broadest possible market, and that’s intentional. Deep focus produces better work.
Large firms move fast and spread thin. We move deliberately and stay close. A client once told us we were the only people she’d ever worked with who lost more sleep over her project than she did. We’ve never gotten a better compliment.
At Crux, our hands-on, senior-level approach combines personalized attention, thoughtful research design, and clear insights that drive action.
Large firms hand your project to a junior analyst. At Crux, the researchers who scope your project are the same ones who run it — through fieldwork, analysis, and final reporting. You get senior attention at every stage, not just the kickoff call.
Youth research is not a specialty we added — it's what drives us. We have conducted or overseen thousands of survey projects focused on children, adolescents, young adults, parents, and families. We understand how to design studies that produce reliable data from these groups — and how to present findings that drive action.
The research industry has a data quality problem. Response rates have fallen. Panel integrity has declined. AI-generated responses are entering surveys at scale. We stay ahead of these issues — applying the latest methodological safeguards so our clients can trust what their data says. Our founder literally wrote the book on what goes wrong in survey research.
John is a highly accomplished and respected researcher with extensive experience in market research, particularly in the areas of youth and education. As a former executive at Harris Interactive, one of the world’s largest research firms, John has overseen nearly two million interviews and directed more than 2,500 market research projects. His diverse client base includes public school districts, higher education institutions, consumer packaged goods companies, advertising agencies, media outlets, manufacturers, technology firms, foundations, and associations.
Recognized as an authority on youth marketing, John has been frequently sought out by major media outlets such as CNN, NPR, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, Brand Week, and Advertising Age for his expert insights. He has also been a featured speaker at over 75 industry events and symposia, further cementing his reputation as a thought leader in his field.
In addition to his professional achievements, John is dedicated to giving back to his community. He has served on the board of directors of Causewave Community Partners, and his company, Crux Research, provides significant pro bono resources to various non-profit organizations.
John’s educational background includes a B.A. in Economics (cum laude) from the University of Rochester and an M.B.A. from the William E. Simon Graduate School of Business Administration at the University of Rochester.
In 2022, he authored “POLL-ARIZED,” a book that delves into the challenges faced by pre-election polls and the data quality issues prevalent in the survey research industry.
With his wealth of experience, expertise, and commitment to excellence, John continues to be a driving force in the field of market research, consistently delivering valuable insights and strategic guidance to his clients.
Amazon Best Seller
Have you ever wondered why pollsters can’t seem to predict who the next President will be?
With the sheer volume of data that encircles our lives, why can’t pollsters detect the signal through the noise?
POLL-ARIZED is a provocative examination of what has gone wrong with U.S. pre-election polls written from the unique perspective of a market research industry insider.
Blending actual data from polls, interviews with leading pollsters, and a proprietary survey conducted specifically for this book, POLL-ARIZED positively reframes the narrative on what’s wrong with our polling system and how pollsters should move forward.
We’d like to learn more about what you’re trying to find out.
John is a highly accomplished and respected researcher with extensive experience in market research, particularly in the areas of youth and education. As a former executive at Harris Interactive, one of the world’s largest research firms, John has overseen nearly two million interviews and directed more than 2,500 market research projects. His diverse client base includes public school districts, higher education institutions, consumer packaged goods companies, advertising agencies, media outlets, manufacturers, technology firms, foundations, and associations.
Recognized as an authority on youth marketing, John has been frequently sought out by major media outlets such as CNN, NPR, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, Brand Week, and Advertising Age for his expert insights. He has also been a featured speaker at over 75 industry events and symposia, further cementing his reputation as a thought leader in his field.
In addition to his professional achievements, John is dedicated to giving back to his community. He has served on the board of directors of Causewave Community Partners, and his company, Crux Research, provides significant pro bono resources to various non-profit organizations.
John’s educational background includes a B.A. in Economics (cum laude) from the University of Rochester and an M.B.A. from the William E. Simon Graduate School of Business Administration at the University of Rochester.
In 2022, he authored “POLL-ARIZED,” a book that delves into the challenges faced by pre-election polls and the data quality issues prevalent in the survey research industry.
With his wealth of experience, expertise, and commitment to excellence, John continues to be a driving force in the field of market research, consistently delivering valuable insights and strategic guidance to his clients.
