20 Jul The Faces Behind Fluent: Dan
To celebrate Fluent Research’s 20th Anniversary, we’re highlighting the people who have helped shape the organization along the way. This week, we’re featuring Dan Warren, Fluent’s director of youth development & education.
Drawing on his experience as a teacher, academic researcher, and youth development practitioner, Dan leads research that helps organizations better understand children and the environments in which they learn and grow. His work spans qualitative research, data analysis, and client strategy, with a focus on turning insights into more meaningful products, programs, and experiences for young people.
Read below to learn what first drew Dan to Fluent, how his background in education shapes his approach to research, and his experience as a member of the U.S. National Luge team.
1) What inspired you to join Fluent Research?
I first encountered Fluent while working for the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). We were exploring a research study on how scouting had affected the lives of its alumni. A friend who had worked with Fluent through the Girl Scouts recommended the company.
When I met Nellie and William, I was immediately impressed by how thoughtful, engaging, and creative they were in approaching research. Although the study ultimately did not move forward because we were unable to secure funding, I kept Fluent in mind as a company I hoped to work with someday. After the BSA bankruptcy, I reached out to Nellie while looking for my next opportunity, and I joined Fluent shortly afterward.
2) What’s your role at Fluent, and what does a typical day look like for you?
I am the director of youth development and education. There really isn’t a typical day, which is one of the things I enjoy about the role.
On any given day, I might moderate interviews, focus groups, or co-creation sessions; analyze data; write reports; or meet with clients. I’m generally working across several projects at once, so much of my day involves moving between different clients, research questions, and stages of the research process.
3) What’s been your most memorable project or moment at Fluent?
Because much of our work is proprietary, many of the projects that stand out most are difficult to discuss publicly. However, one major highlight has been collaborating with the Google EDU team. It has been incredibly rewarding to contribute to work designed to make the lives of students and teachers more productive, thoughtful, and personalized, especially after being a teacher for so many years.
Another memorable experience has been Research Camp, a concept I developed that combines day camp programming with research. Given my background in the camping world, it has been especially exciting to see children engaged outdoors while clients have the opportunity to observe and interact with them in a natural, energetic, and enjoyable environment.
4) How has Fluent evolved since you joined?
There were only five of us when I joined Fluent. At that time, most of the company was often working together on the same project or a small group of projects.
Since then, Fluent has grown exponentially into a much larger and more diverse team of researchers and support staff. We now work in more specialized teams and manage a much broader portfolio of clients and projects.
5) What’s one thing you’ve learned about research that surprised you?
Coming from an academic and program evaluation background, I was surprised by the enormous range of methodologies and approaches available in market research.
Academic research can sometimes be quite rigid and prescriptive. In market research, the approach needs to be much more responsive to the context, the audience, and what the client is ultimately trying to achieve. That flexibility can make the work more adaptive and, in many cases, more directly meaningful to the people who use it.
I have also experienced a major methodological shift personally. Historically, I worked almost exclusively in quantitative research, whereas today I work primarily in qualitative research.
6) What’s your favorite part of working at Fluent?
My favorite moments are when I see something in the world that I helped work on (which happens almost every day). It is especially rewarding to hear people talking about a feature, product, or experience that our research helped shape. Knowing that people are benefiting from the work we do makes me very happy.
7) What’s a fun fact about you that most people don’t know?
I was a member of the U.S. National Luge Team for several years. I competed on the World Cup circuit and was also an alternate for the Olympic team.
8) If you could have dinner with any public or historical figure, who would it be and why?
It is difficult for me to choose only one.
Jane Goodall would be fascinating because I would love to understand how she built relationships among very different stakeholders and made meaningful progress in such challenging circumstances. I also admire how she inspired people to reconnect with and care about the natural world.
I would also choose John Muir. I once heard that he would climb to the tops of enormous trees during severe storms so he could experience nature from that perspective. I love the curiosity and adventurousness behind that idea.
My third choice would be David Bowie. I love his music, and I have always found his creativity, curiosity, and perspective on life fascinating.
9) What’s a book, movie, or podcast you’d recommend to everyone?
The book I would recommend is A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson. I have read it several times, and I enjoy it more each time.
For a movie, I would recommend Wes Anderson’s The Royal Tenenbaums. I love its unusual cast of characters, its distinctive style, and the performances by some of my favorite actors.
I absolutely love the Desert Island Discs podcast. Biographical stories + music opinions…yes, please!! Any time I can listen to something for more than 30 minutes, and I am not working, this is my go-to.
10) What’s your go-to productivity hack?
My productivity hack is that I work with my wife, Amy. Fluent is not the only company where we have worked together. It’s a hack because we know each other so well that we can speak code and move very quickly through the work. Also, it helps that we work together, so she has some context for when I yell an idea about a project from the shower.
11) If you weren’t in research, what career would you have pursued?
I could imagine two very different paths. One would have been working as a physician in an emergency room setting. I think I would have enjoyed the fast pace, problem-solving, and immediate impact.
The other would have been a career in the building trades, perhaps as a general contractor, plumber, or HVAC professional. I enjoy understanding how things work and the satisfaction of solving tangible, practical problems.
12) What does Fluent’s 20th Anniversary mean to you?
It is an extremely impressive milestone. Reaching 20 years demonstrates that Fluent has consistently provided real value to its clients, maintained strong relationships, and continued to grow over time. Building and sustaining a company for that long is extraordinarily difficult, and it is something worth celebrating.
13) How do you see Fluent evolving in the next 20 years?
One opportunity I see is for Fluent to move beyond conducting research and become more involved in creating the products, programs, and resources that emerge from it. That could include tools and programming for parents or teenagers, proprietary research, educational curricula, professional development, or other practical resources that people can use directly.
I could see Fluent not only helping clients understand the world, but also building things that improve it.
14) What’s one word you’d use to describe Fluent Research? Why?
Stylish.
That has been my impression of Fluent from the very beginning. When I first met Nellie and William, they had such a distinctive voice and approach. The company felt thoughtful, creative, cool, and modern. That sense of style has always stayed with me, and it is something I have tried to emulate in my own work.
15) What’s your favorite way to unwind after a busy day?
I love watching television, especially familiar shows that I can return to again and again. How I Met Your Mother, The West Wing, and Frasier are three of my favorites. I have watched all three series from beginning to end several times.
16) If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
Nepal would be at the top of my list because I would love to experience the Himalayas. The days of climbing big mountains are over for me, but I would love to go to Everest and help clean up some of the trash.
17) What’s your favorite snack or drink to have while working?
I’m not much of a snacker. I usually have coffee in the morning, drink water throughout the day, and have a cup of green tea after lunch.
18) What’s a hobby or activity you’re passionate about outside of work?
Snowboarding is one of my favorite things to do. I especially love that it is something I can do with my children and that we live close enough to the mountains to make it part of our weekends throughout the winter.