Michael Powell, PH.D.

Michael Powell is a professional cultural anthropologist and careful listener working at the intersection of research, business, and design. As a connector-of-dots and strategic thinker, he enjoys diving deep into unwieldy problems using ethnographic insights, cultural analysis, and creative thinking. A common thread across his projects are institutions of everyday life—from mobility patterns and grocery stores, to health care products and voting habits. After earning a Ph.D. in cultural anthropology from Rice University in 2006, Michael has been working as an ethnographic consultant, with a project scope that includes UX research, design research, strategy consulting, branding, and startup cultures.