Hi, I’m Dr. John Ennis, co-founder of Aigora and host of AigoraCast. This episode I enjoyed speaking with Dr. Maria Keckler, co-founder of the EmpathyRx Lab at San Diego State University. Maria is very easy to talk to, and I really enjoyed her ideas on the importance of human skills in the age of AI. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did, and remember to subscribe to AigoraCast to hear more conversations like this one in the future!

Guest: Dr. Maria Keckler, EmpathyRx Lab, SDSU
Dr. Maria Keckler is a keynote speaker, executive advisor, and strategist, known for her expertise in leadership development amidst the rise of AI. She holds a Ph.D. in Education from Claremont Graduate University, where she focused on the interplay of neuroscience, education, and behavior change. Dr. Keckler excels at bridging academic research with practical applications, empowering leaders to leverage human strengths.
Her commitment to empathetic leadership is evident in her roles as co-founder of the Healthcare EmpathyRX Lab at SDSU and editor of The Structural Skills Project. Dr. Keckler is also the author of "Bridge Builders: How Superb Communicators Get What They Want" and has been honored as one of San Diego's 50 Most Influential Latino Leaders.

Links

Research: Empathyrx.sdsu.edu
Website: DrMariaKeckler.com
Newsletter: JustOnePivot.com
Publication: The Structural Skills Project

Dave Lundahl is passionate about applying consumer insights to create a cleaner, healthier, and happier world through innovation. In 2003, he founded InsightsNow with a vision to apply behavioral science to advance product innovation. This led to the publication of Breakthrough Food Product Innovation Through Emotions Research (2011), receiving the Disruptive Innovation Award from NextGen Marketing Research (2017), securing a U.S. patent for measuring implicit reactions (2024), and now being honored with the 2025 IFT Lifetime Achievement Award for Sensory and Consumer Science. He gives back as a member of the Advisory Boards for the Department of Food Science & Technology and the Marketing Programs in the College of Business at Oregon State University.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-lundahl-a6bb45/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/insightsnow/about/

https://insightsnow.com/

Dr. Andreea Botezatu earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in Oenology and Agricultural Management in Romania before working as a commercial winemaker in Europe and Canada. She later obtained her PhD in Oenology from Brock University in Canada, where she also completed a postdoctoral position.

Currently an Associate Professor and Extension Enology Specialist at Texas A&M University, Dr. Botezatu's research focuses on wine aroma, fault remediation, and overall quality, utilizing both chemical and sensory analysis. She also investigates Texas wine consumer attitudes and is exploring the application of emerging technologies like blockchain and LLMs in the wine and sensory fields.

Dr. Andreea Botezatu on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreeabotezatu/
Visit the Texas Viticulture & Enology Facebook Page
Enology Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5Oo5L0jMLR57IuUb0XmBxQ

To learn more about Aigora, please visit www.aigora.com

Angelica Iobbi is the Sensory Manager at Lactalis USA. She holds a PhD in Food Science and Technology from Oregon State University, where she specialized in wine sensory and flavor chemistry. Since January 2023, Angelica has been leading the sensory department at Lactalis USA, bringing her expertise in sensory evaluation, consumer research, and linking sensory and chemistry data to the forefront. Outside of her professional life, Angelica enjoys drinking wine, going for long walks, and practicing pilates.

Angelica Iobbi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelica-iobbi/

To learn more about Aigora, please visit www.aigora.com

Greg has focused his career on the development of new methods, techniques, and services for consumer product innovations. His deep experience in the application of consumer behavior to product innovation has garnered industry attention and awards, with work featured in Harvard Business Review, The LA Times, ESOMAR World, and other industry publications. Greg has pioneered cue signals research, an approach where identifying product cues which motivate specific behaviors helps develop successful new products and brands. At InsightsNow, he is responsible for the growth of new business initiatives. Greg holds a master’s degree in food science and technology from Oregon State University.

Greg Stucky on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-stucky

InsightsNow Website: https://insightsnow.com


To learn more about Aigora, please visit www.aigora.com

Dal Perio is a Senior Manager of Sensory & Product Insights at Starbucks, with 30 years of experience in Sensory Science, Consumer Research, and Marketing Research across seven Fortune 500 companies including Johnson & Johnson, Diageo, and Unilever.

His expertise spans Product Innovation, Consumer Research, Quality Assurance, and Product Testing. At Starbucks, he focuses on Sensory & Product Insights for various channels, ensuring optimal research solutions. He's actively involved in numerous professional sensory organizations and was mentored by Rose Marie Pangborn.

To be put in touch with Dal, please contact Aigora.


To learn more about Aigora, please visit www.aigora.com

Mitchell Feldman is a seasoned entrepreneur with over three decades at the forefront of technology and marketing innovation. As CEO of Jam 7, he pioneers the fusion of human creativity with Agentic AI, transforming the landscape of B2B marketing. Mitchell's vision has established Jam 7 as a leader in AI-driven growth strategies, empowering ambitious tech brands through intelligent, autonomous Growth Agents that amplify human expertise.

Mitchell's career highlights include being named the first-ever Microsoft Worldwide Cloud Partner of the Year, winning the UK Technology Entrepreneur of the Year award, and successfully leading a strategic acquisition by Hewlett-Packard Enterprise (HPE) in 2018. Passionate about the synergy between people and technology, Mitchell continues to redefine the future of marketing by championing collaborative frameworks where AI and human strategists work seamlessly together to deliver extraordinary business growth.

Jam 7: https://jam7.com/

To learn more about Aigora, please visit www.aigora.com

John Ennis is the CEO of Tulle, a company that builds economic efficiency tools for businesses operating on the blockchains, and the Founder and Chairman of Aigora. He’s also a market research consultant trained in both mathematics and computational neuroscience. He is the author of 50+ peer-reviewed articles and 4 books in sensory and consumer science, and the recipient of the 2013 Food Quality and Preference "Researcher of the Future" Award.

John Ennis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnmichaelennis/

Tulle: https://www.tulle.ai/


To learn more about Aigora, please visit www.aigora.com