Maria Bezaitis

From BlueOxen

Maria Bezaitis is Director of the People and Practices Research Lab within Intel Research. In this role, Maria leads the team of social scientists who conduct ethnographic research on people, practices and the institutions that govern everyday life. Current research programs include a focus on driving adoption in low-infrastructure communities, time & mobility, everyday monetary practices, and Islamic charitable institutions.

Maria comes to Intel with over 10 years experience leading and managing ethnographic research organizations. She was Vice President at Sapient Corporation where she was responsible for the Advanced Research Team that focused on developing research-based offerings for key business units. Maria began her professional career at E-Lab, a consultancy that pioneered the use of ethnography for product development, brand and business innovation. At E-Lab she was a managing partner and had oversight of E-Lab's project practice. Maria completed her Ph.D. in French Literature and Cultural Studies at Duke University where she focused on early image technologies, "collections" and seriality. She is based in Oregon on the Amber Glen campus.