Nelson Saldaña
Nelson currently works as a corporate ethnographer, providing innovation and strategy advisory to Fortune 500 companies. He is an expert in using both qualitative and quantitative methods from the social sciences to provide foundational and impactful research and insights to solve human-centered problems that extend beyond simple business contexts. His recent work at ReD includes revitalizing an iconic brand for a new generation of consumers and understanding barriers to the adoption of new technologies. Prior to working at ReD, he was pursuing a PhD in Sociology at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. His dissertation investigated the non-economic impacts of storefront businesses in Detroit amidst its recent revitalization and bankruptcy restructuring. He plans on defending soon and hopes to turn it into a manuscript for aspiring entrepreneurs and urbanists. He also holds an MPH in Urbanism and the Built Environment from Columbia University and a BS in Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics with a minor in English from the University of California, Los Angeles.