Holly Vincent '26 - Partner
Details
This summer, Holly Vincent '26 worked with Engagious, a small firm that specializes in public policy message testing and refinement through focus groups. Read more about Holly's Whitehead Partner summer experience!
My name is Holly Vincent. I am a rising junior and Political Science major.
When I was given the opportunity to work with Engagious this summer through the Whitehead Internship Program, I was thrilled to have the chance to learn about public opinion and policy under such a magnified lens. Engagious is a small firm that specializes in public policy message testing and refinement through focus groups. Rich Thau, president of Engagious, moderates the monthly Swing Voter Project in which he interviews Trump-to-Biden swing voters in partnership with Axios, as well as the “Deciders” project, which he moderates in partnership with NBC News. As an intern, I observed these focus group discussions in real time – gaining detailed insight into how Americans, from both sides of the aisle, feel toward party politics today.
In my role, I assisted in preparing discussion guides for the focus groups; writing reports on the groups’ results; developing pitches for potential clients; updating and reaching out to media outlets regarding Engagious’s research; developing Engagious’s LinkedIn presence; collecting data on prospective clients; and compiling and presenting research to clients.
My experience with Engagious was primarily virtual, except for a trip to Washington D.C., where I saw Rich present Engagious’s recent findings at a prominent trade association’s annual convention – House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and South Dakota Senator John Thune also spoke at this event. While we were in D.C., we also met with writers from NBC News to discuss future editions of “Deciders” focus groups. During this trip and throughout my entire summer experience, Rich provided me with invaluable career and life advice. The strength of my analytical writing has grown significantly, which I owe all to Rich’s feedback and eye for “smart brevity.”
The culture of Engagious is one of peer empowerment and teamwork, demonstrated by the weekly team meetings and the company’s tight-knit nature. Being a part of the Engagious team this summer, alongside Rich Thau, Cindy Ng, and Matt Steffee, has been an unforgettable experience, especially at such a pivotal moment in American history. Thank you to Engagious, the CCPA, and the Whitehead Internship Program for making this experience possible for me.
