Featured In
The Rise Group and founder Katrina Starnes have been featured in national business and industry publications.
What we believe
We're in a communication crisis — because we've stopped listening.
Most organizations aren’t failing to listen because they don’t care. They’re just stuck listening in ways that get the loudest voices and the simplest answers. It’s like navigating with a faulty GPS. You can be completely sure but end up completely wrong. And it’s how good people end up confidently heading the wrong direction. Hearing noise instead of truth makes good decisions almost impossible.
We believe in helping people be heard so leaders can act on what’s real, not on assumptions. Evidence over anecdote. Reality over the story that’s easiest to tell. Decisions grounded in what’s real. It isn’t always comfortable. But leaders who meet the moments that matter armed with the truth — even when it’s hard — make better decisions.
That conviction is what shapes how we work.
The problem
You're not hearing the people you need to hear.
It isn’t because you aren’t trying. Reaching the people who matter is harder than it looks. It isn’t a lack of effort; it’s the wrong work being done.
- Surveys that get very few responses — and even those that do respond don't represent who you need to hear from.
- Listening sessions with low attendance, where those who show up aren't the right people or are repeats from prior sessions.
- Stakeholders who don't believe their input will lead to action — they've seen nothing change before, so they stop talking.
Failure becomes virtually inevitable when research is seen as a task on a to-do list and not a discipline that creates strategy. It’s easy to feel frustrated. The cost of misalignment is high.
You don’t have to keep guessing. You can get the insight you need to make better decisions.
What you're really after
Relief on the decision in front of you — and an organization that listens for good.
Because better impact requires better insight.
Who we work with
We work with organizations that are deciding what to build, change, fund, prioritize, or measure—and need a clearer understanding of the people affected.
Our clients come to us when the cost of guessing is too high and they need to:
- Understand what employees, customers, communities, or stakeholders actually think, need, and experience.
- Design or improve programs and initiatives based on what people need rather than what leaders assume they need.
- Navigate change with a clear picture of how decisions are impacting the people involved.
- Make a high-stakes decision and want real evidence that informs what comes next.
- Measure and understand what's working, what's not, and why.
- Turn information into action — translating research, data, and human insight into decisions leaders can actually make.
Whether you’re responsible for your people, programs, communities, customers, or business, we help you get the intelligence you need to make decisions with greater confidence.
Need more than assumptions, anecdotes, or another survey collecting dust? Let’s talk.
How we work
The RISE Framework
What we do
Six ways we help leaders listen — and act.
Every engagement is focused on hearing people, finding what’s true, and providing clear direction — scaled to what you need. We partner with health systems, public health agencies, universities, economic development organizations, nonprofits, foundations, and mission-driven employers.
Community Needs Assessments
- Know what your community really needs, in their own words
- Comply with CHNA, accreditation, and funding requirements with research that will stand up to scrutiny
- Take action based on results your board can stand behind
Public Health & Program Strategy Research
- Know your trusted messengers, barriers, and wording that will influence your audiences
- Test concepts and feasibility before spending the money
- Create the research foundation for effective programs and services
Perception & Reputation Studies
- Understand how your organization, industry, or region is seen by your key audiences
- Discover the perceptions that influence talent attraction, enrollment, investment, and trust
- Gain a clear understanding of how to improve things and what to communicate
Community Engagement & Partnership Strategy
- Hear directly from the individuals whose lives you impact
- Identify where your organization's strengths overlap with the communities you engage, and where they diverge
- Get a clear engagement strategy with priorities, milestones, and metrics
Employee Experience & Engagement Research
- Figure out what your employees are truly experiencing, including those who don't voice their opinions in any survey
- Determine what's really motivating engagement, retention, belonging, and trust
- Receive actionable advice, prioritized, that leadership can use
Membership & Association Research
- Understand what members value, what they'll pay for, and what's driving them away
- Hear from members and non-members to guide dues, programming, and community
- Get a board-ready plan for engagement, retention, and growth
Why leaders trust us
research projects spanning public health, transportation, education, technology, government, non-profit & community organizations
voices heard and brought into decisions that affect them
of research experience across public and private sectors
fieldwork reach from hyperlocal and rural communities to national and international studies
Clients Feedback
Our Clients Reviews
Here is what our clients have to say about their experience with us a partner.
VP Strategic Planning
The Rise Group maintains the highest standards of data integrity and implements new techniques to improve accuracy and quality of our industry leading studies. They are a true partner demonstrating dedication through exceptional response times, superior data accuracy and top-notch consulting for all research needs.
Sr. Research Strategist
As a market researcher myself, I recognize when someone truly understands research, and the strategy and rigor that goes along with a full-scale research study. Katrina is one of those researchers who goes above and beyond to make sure things are done the right way. We look forward to many more years of partnership with her and her team!
Sr. Research Strategist
For projects both large and small, The Rise Group consistently delivers beyond expectations and ahead of deadline. With each project, the team provides insight and direction on how we can improve what we have done in the past and stay ahead of the curve.
Director
The Rise Group developed unique customer surveys for two specific client divisions of our company. Data can easily and quickly be pulled in multiple ways to view our client results. The customer support is superior in resolving any query we have.
Administration
The Rise Group has helped Alexander’s make huge strides in not only collecting customer and employee satisfaction data but organizing it in a way that is of value to us. To be able to learn and adjust our strategies with the help of this information has been key to our ongoing effort in achieving our goals.
Operations
Clients who stay 10+ years, on average.
A note from our founder
Why this work matters to me
Even though I didn’t realize it, I’ve been passionate about using research to make a difference since high school. On a youth board in Northern Illinois, I noticed events were planned without feedback or input from those we served. It didn’t make sense to me, so I developed a survey to gather feedback, find out what people needed, and based future programming on what we heard — after every event, every time.
We learned that meeting people’s needs led to incredible growth in participation and engagement. The past few decades of my career have only increased my conviction in how much listening to understand, then responding, matters. It allows for the co-creation of beautiful things and the ability to meet real needs.
I believe we are experiencing a communication crisis because we’ve stopped taking the time to listen. This is why I care so much about the work we do. The Rise Group exists to help people be heard, so leaders can listen to what is real — not just the loudest voices, or the ones that simply tell them the stories they want to hear. Acting on evidence, not just assumptions, is crucial to meeting reality rather than delusions.
We are here to help leaders meet the moments that matter armed with truth, even if it’s hard. When you work with us, you get me and a team that cares as much as I do about making a difference in the world. If you’re looking for a research and strategy partner with these convictions, we’d love to work with you.
Let's talk
Facing a decision that needs to be grounded in reality?
Our best work is done one-on-one. Tell us the challenge you’re facing, and we’ll tell you honestly whether we can help.
The Rise Group maintains the highest standards of data integrity and implements new techniques to improve accuracy and quality of our industry leading studies. They are a true partner demonstrating dedication through exceptional response times, superior data accuracy and top-notch consulting for all research needs.