Smarty Pants was delighted to add Tess to its growing talent roster in 2021. A rare combo of academic prowess, creative genius, and dynamic leader-in-training, Tess is a smarty pants through and through. She supports flagship clients across all phases and types of research – from designing a children’s UX evaluation to analyzing consumers’ needs for a food delivery platform.      

Tess joined the company as an Insights Whiz as she completed her master’s degree in Developmental Psychology at Columbia University’s Teachers College. Her graduate studies were focused on children’s media and entertainment as well as the acquisition of strong qualitative and quantitative research skills. She’s not shy to admit that she “geeks out” about human behavior and well-designed children’s educational entertainment.

Prior to her time at Columbia, Tess spent three years in New York City supporting an agent, casting directors and actors at Paradigm Talent Agency. She also became a very successful standardized test prep tutor and college admissions consultant, helping students across the New York tri-state area prepare for their futures.  

Tess obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Harvard University. She minored in Theater, Dance and Media and earned a citation in French. During her time as a research assistant as Harvard’s Lab for Developmental Studies, Tess developed a passion for conducting research with young people. Outside of the classroom, she starred in plays and musicals and taught middle-schoolers dance and improv as part of CityStep, an arts and social impact organization that unites college students and city school children through self-expression, collaboration and mentorship.

When she’s not busy studying consumers and preparing client deliverables (or helping other kids get into Harvard 😊), Tess can be found baking, traveling, and catching drag and comedy shows around New York.