Tema-Lyn, Laurie

Laurie Tema-Lyn (1951–2023)

It probably started in the womb of a mother who loved listening to opera, going to Broadway theater, dabbling in oil painting, and cooking delicious foods. Laurie grew up in a household where creativity was cherished and nurtured, so there was little doubt that she would craft a professional life that would integrate the arts and her personal passions. While genetics and family encouragement played a critical role, good fortune and wonderful business mentors made their mark on a career that began in direct marketing, where she was immensely grateful to learn from the best in the business and was given latitude to be an “intrapreneur” before that word was even coined. 

A taste of facilitating creative meetings provided by training at Synectics added new tools to Laurie’s repertoire, and she joined the firm as an Associate/Consultant for three years. She left to co-found IdeaScope Associates, and for twelve years headed up consulting for this boutique strategic visioning firm which had a staff of 25, and offices in Cambridge, MA, and San Francisco. 

In 1995 she reframed her professional world, launching Practical Imagination Enterprises (PIE), an Innovation and Qualitative Research Consultancy with a network of outstanding colleagues. Clients come to Laurie and PIE when they need to recharge their thinking—look at their business differently, create future vision, generate, and develop new strategies, new product, and positioning ideas. Through the years Laurie created and refined a well-proven process using the language of innovation and a host of face-to-face and on-line qualitative research methodologies, which engages three streams of human expertise: cross functional client teams, "thought leaders" who provide content to complement client teams’ knowledge, and consumer teams to provide “raw material” in the form of insights and ideas.

Laurie had the privilege of working with some of the world’s leading companies and brands in most every industry, and she also delighted in helping smaller firms, entrepreneurs and non-profits flourish. She was an active member of the Qualitative Research Consultants Association (QRCA)—served on the leadership team of the Philadelphia Chapter and was a founding member of the Emeritus SIG. Laurie was formerly Editor-In-Chief of QRCA VIEWS magazine and a frequent presenter at national and international QRCA conferences. Throughout her career, she presented widely and authored dozens of articles on qualitative research, consumer trends, new product development, presentation skills, and healthy, creative cooking. Her newest cookbook, published in 2023 is Zest! Food that’s fun to make & good for you. It is available in print and digital format: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1667860917

Laurie was active in the arts as a singer with the Voices Chorale NJ. An avid organic vegetable gardener, she was amazed and inspired by the magic process of planting seeds which turned into mouthwatering juicy, ripe, homegrown tomatoes.