CLIENTS INCLUDE
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Services
01 Market Research
Primary and secondary research to size a market, validate an idea or uncover where the real opportunity sits.
02 Competitive Analysis
A structured, multi-stage review of competitor positioning, pricing and messaging so you know exactly where you stand.
03 AI Audit + Human Review
Used AI to draft your research? I verify it - catching hallucinated stats, fabricated sources and confident-sounding nonsense before it reaches a client, an investor or your board.
04 General + Academic Research
Deep-dive research grounded in peer-reviewed sources — literature reviews, fact-checking, and manuscript support.
Hi - I’m Kristen Lightner
For more than two decades I've helped businesses and thought leaders answer their hardest questions through custom research, competitive analysis and market exploration.
My clients range from solo founders validating a first idea to Fortune 500 teams sharpening their edge. I've partnered with New York Times best-selling authors on manuscript research and supported academics on peer-reviewed publications.
What I care about most: turning a messy question into clarity you can act on.
500+
CLIENT ENGAGEMENTS
EST. 2004
KKL RESEARCH FOUNDED
Piper Foster Wilder
Founder / CEO - 60Hertz Energy
Kristen is a whiz! I was utterly floored by the pace and quality of her work. We're eager to work with her again.
Samuel Bright
Vice President, Play + Developer Ecosystem - Google
Kristen was a joy to partner with and delivered highly insightful research on an accelerated timeframe. I would happily hire her again for future projects.
Jack McCullough
President - CFO Leadership Council
I hired Kristen to validate the research on my book manuscript. When she completed her research, it was transformative. Shortly after, I signed with a major publishing company and there is no doubt they would have rejected me without her help.
Book Your Project
Share a bit about your project and I'll follow up within 1 business day.
You can also contact me at kristen@kklresearch.com.