VMHQ was founded by Vivian Harris, a qualitative researcher and consultant with 30 years of experience.

Her work bridges story and data, translating lived experience into insights that guide compassionate care and meaningful change.

After building her career at prominent New England research firms, Vivian Harris founded VMHQ in 2008 to bring thoughtful, qualitative insight to complex questions. Over the years, she has led studies across industries including healthcare, media, and consumer research, helping clients better understand the human experiences that shape decision-making.

While her work has been wide-ranging, Vivian finds the deepest fulfillment in healthcare research. Known for her calm presence and ability to build trust, she creates space for people to share openly—even about sensitive or deeply personal experiences—yielding insights that support more human-centered care and communication.

Vivian holds a B.A. from the University of Notre Dame and an M.A. from the University of Chicago. She currently lives and works out of Portland, Maine.

At VMHQ, Vivian works in close partnership with clients to shape each stage of the research process around their learning objectives, ensuring that insights remain meaningful, precise, and ready to inform action.

Her commitment to building long-term relationships has fostered enduring partnerships grounded in trust, curiosity, and shared purpose.

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“Vivian is one of the best all-around and collaborative market researchers that I’ve had the opportunity to work with in my career. She was extraordinary - from project design, to interview facilitation, to final report presentation...I cannot wait for the opportunity to be able to work with her again.”

Global New Business Development Leader, Dupont
"...Vivian's secret sauce? A surgeon-like precision in how she listens, combined with incredibly attuned emotional intelligence, allows respondents to feel heard and enables her to get to deep insights quickly. She's also just a dream to work with—no nonsense, thorough, and extremely personable."

Strategic Planner, FCB Health
“What I appreciate most about Vivian is her calm and welcoming personality which encourages participation, and at the same time her quick sense and ability to capture, then highlight, key insights.”

Associate Director Urology Marketing, Astellas
"Vivian is a consummate professional and an engaged consultant. She gets involved, providing the prospective and guidance needed to fit your industry and project-specific needs. As a moderator, Vivian connects quickly with respondents. They are immediately comfortable and willing to participate. She has a great balance of being both structured and compassionate. Lastly, Vivian loves her work and it shows! It is always a pleasure to work with someone who makes work feel less like work and more like a fun human study.”

Global Product Portfolio Strategy, AstraZeneca

VMHQ was founded by Vivian Harris, a qualitative researcher and consultant with 30 years of experience.

Her work bridges story and data, translating lived experience into insights that guide compassionate care and meaningful change.

"...Vivian's secret sauce? A surgeon-like precision in how she listens, combined with incredibly attuned emotional intelligence, allows respondents to feel heard and enables her to get to deep insights quickly. She's also just a dream to work with—no nonsense, thorough, and extremely personable."

“What I appreciate most about Vivian is her calm and welcoming personality which encourages participation, and at the same time her quick sense and ability to capture, then highlight, key insights.”