Aurora GPS™

achieve alpha™
Aurora GPS is an intelligence gathering, market analysis and consumer research consultancy with a global reach.

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FirstLight®

magnify truth™

FirstLight Cloud-Based Intelligence Management Software is the easiest way to aggregate, analyze and distribute critical insights throughout your organization.

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RECONVERGE®

forge belonging™

RECONVERGE is a social learning community for current and aspiring intelligence leaders seeking to elevate their careers, their organizations, and their colleagues.

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Aurora WDC stands ready to help you break through.

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Send us a confidential email to inquiry (at symbol) aurorawdc (dot) com and we will arrange a private call to discuss your unique situation and requirements.

Running Into The Fog

https://runningintothefog.podbean.com/

Arik and Derek Johnson will be talking with friends and industry leaders documenting their ‘running into the fog’ journeys, navigating the unknown and under-certainties they’ve had to cope with in their professional and personal lives. This podcast is for established business leaders and emerging entrepreneurs who are interested in developing strategies to adapt to competitive and market forces around them, enabling them to reposition consistently when conditions warrant. Getting comfortable with discomfort, the Johnson Brothers are here to champion your cause and help you see the path forward.

Dr. Tom Tao – April 19, 2022

“We lack CI programs in business school settings, both in the US and internationally and I think...

Bill Baker – April 5, 2022

“Every human being is made on purpose and for a purpose. Seek it,” says Bill Baker, Board Member...

Angie Tuglus – March 22, 2022

As a natural entrepreneurial leader, Angie Tulgus spent most of her career helping large...

About Aurora WDC

Aurora WDC serves organizations worldwide in their efforts to win in the marketplace, deploy technology to amplify insights, and build a culture of intelligence. Its three offerings have been crafted intentionally to serve the needs of intelligence professionals and top executives.

Aurora GPS is committed to helping its regional, national and global clients achieve alpha™ in their marketplace through ethical intelligence gathering, incisive analysis and transformative skill-building.

FirstLight is the SaaS platform of choice for intelligence leaders and analysts. It gathers information from thousands of public and private sources, synthesizes them into a coherent picture, and delivers those insights into the hands of your stakeholders.

RECONVERGE is a social learning community on a mission to forge belonging™ among the best and brightest intelligence professionals in the business world so they can discover how much more there is to learn.

Aurora WDC: break through™

Aurora GPS is committed to helping its regional, national and global clients achieve alpha™ in their marketplace through ethical intelligence gathering, incisive analysis and transformative skill-building. Through our Global Professional Services (GPS) team, we show our clients how to exploit gaps in competitors’ strategies, attack profitable adjacent markets, repulse business threats, and plan for multiple possible futures. Get started tackling your toughest strategic question now.

Aurora WDC Global Primary Research / HUMINT

Global Primary Research (HUMINT) Human Intelligence

IP Analysis (Patent & Intellectual Property)

War Games, Competitive Simulations & Scenario Planning

Sourcing & Supply Chain Intelligence

Competitor & Executive Profiling

Market Sizing & Competitive Landscaping

Conference Intelligence & Tradeshow Coverage

Merger & Acquisition Intelligence

Strategy & Business Model Validation

Competitive Pricing Intelligence & Go-To-Market Strategy

Counterintelligence Investigations & Training

Legislative-Regulatory Impact Analysis

Voice of Customer (VOC) Customer Insights & Engagement

Product Development & Product Management Analytics

Win-Loss Analysis & Sales Effectiveness

Intelligence Program Development & Analytical Fitness

Interactive FirstLight Demo

Click the interface below to take a self-guided tour of Aurora WDC’s FirstLight platform. You’ll get to choose which features are most important for you and then experience a recorded demo tailored to your needs.

Interactive FirstLight Demo

If you are using a mobile device, click the button below to launch your demo experience.

Personalize Demo

FirstLight is the SaaS platform of choice for intelligence leaders and analysts. It gathers information from thousands of public and private sources, synthesizes them into a coherent picture, and delivers those insights into the hands of your stakeholders. That’s how you magnify truth™ inside your organization.

Enterprise Edition
For those analysts committed to a full Intelligence Operating System™, FirstLight Enterprise Edition™ offers a complete bespoke intelligence backbone capable of serving any size organization.

Team Edition
For those analyst teams who require a single source of truth, FirstLight Team Edition™ offers a centralized intelligence platform to coordinate team activities and impacts.

Virtual Analyst
If you are like most intelligence teams, your resources are stretched. There is no shortage of questions to be answered, reports to write, or executive needs to address. Managing a software platform sounds great, but you simply don’t have the extra time in your day.

RECONVERGE is a social learning community on a mission to forge belonging™ among the best and brightest intelligence professionals in the business world so they can discover how much more there is to learn. The RECONVERGE network offers multiple opportunities to connect, including IntelCollab™ webinars, local Insight Circles™, and the annual RECONVERGE:G2 Intelligence Leadership Symposium.

G2 Annual Conference
RECONVERGE:G2 is the annual Intelligence Leadership Symposium hosted by Aurora WDC, and is planned for April 23-25, 2019.

Insight Circles
Insights Circles, facilitated by Aurora WDC, are small groups of Market Research, Strategy, Innovation, and Intelligence professionals that come together to accomplish a shared goal.

IntelCollab Webinars
Twice each month, the community comes together virtually through the IntelCollab™ webinar series, focusing on everything from intelligence tradecraft to technological and social trends.

Aurora WDC Leadership Team

Greg Ervin

LinkedIn: View Profile
Twitter: Follow @AuroraGreg

Full Bio

I am responsible for the oversight of all endeavors that couple technology and human analysis, including the FirstLight® Intelligence Platform. I take a hands-on development approach to the FirstLight technology roadmap and implementation of new features – both client-facing as well as foundational technology. I believe that a personal approach to addressing client needs leads to a more responsive, and ultimately higher-value, technology solution. When I’m not knee deep in code, I play the drums for a local Milwaukee band. If you’re in the area, come check us out!

Craig S. Fleisher, Ph.D.

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Twitter: Follow @CraigFleisher

Full Bio

Having lived for decades in both Canada and the US as well as shorter periods in Australia and New Zealand, I am a researcher, author/editor (15 books, 200+ scholarly articles) and internationally recognized expert on analytics and intelligence. In my years of teaching at the University level in multiple countries and consulting in private practice, I’ve had the privilege of advising a “who’s who” of executives and organizations. I love learning and helping others learn about leading practices in the intelligence field. I am most proud of developing and mentoring scores of former students into becoming highly successful intelligence professionals.

Angela Forgues

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Full Bio

I love solving gnarly problems – breaking them down, tussling with teammates and clients, and unearthing unexpected connections, emergent patterns and leverage points. At Aurora WDC, my work sits in the space where technology and custom research come together to support actionable, data-informed insights. That means you might find me refining research scopes, building more incisive data collection systems, synthesizing qualitative and quantitative findings, telling stories through data visualizations, or mentoring staff members. I’m a compassionate listener and an intensely curious person. Part of that comes from my passion for partner dancing – if you don’t listen closely, you step on your partner’s feet! Off the dance floor, my research interests include health & wellness, life sciences, and technology.

Arik Johnson

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Twitter: Follow @ArikJohnson

Full Bio

I founded Aurora WDC in 1995 in the corner of my mother’s beauty salon. I believe it’s important to know where you came from, so that you know where you want to go. Speaking of that clarity, I stepped aside as CEO in late 2009 to hand the day-to-day operation of the company to my brother Derek so that I could focus on the development of competing hypothetical solutions to seemingly intractable intelligence problems. My passion is bringing the “open reconnaissance” approach to organizations, business, and governments to help them solve the most pressing challenges of our time.

Lauren Kenny

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Twitter: Follow @laurenthkenny

Full Bio

My passion and expertise lies in conducting in-depth secondary research and developing high-impact deliverables that help clients understand the core of the issue, answer critical questions, and make better decisions. I’m a naturally curious person who enjoys tackling complex problems in a variety of fields, industries, and sectors with a balance of rigorous logic and design thinking. In my professional endeavors, I draw on my identity as a former student-athlete, incorporating lessons of grit, teamwork, discipline, and empathy. My academic achievements include an MBA with a Concentration in Healthcare Administration from Florida Southern College in Lakeland, FL and a BA in Intelligence Studies from Mercyhurst University in Erie, PA.

Emily Pillar

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Twitter: Follow @emilyapillar

Full Bio

I specialize in systems and program design with a decade of combined experience in intelligence analysis, program management, healthcare administration, marketing, and sales. Driven by a passion for finding innovative solutions to complex intelligence needs, I manage analyst teams at Aurora WDC and provide advisory services to support clients’ ever-evolving information needs across various industries. I am particularly intrigued by healthcare trends and social factors that are continuing to make industry-agnostic impacts on the world of business. Outside of work, when I’m not juggling tasks as the care manager of an aging parent, I might be found perusing antique stores for unique items, enjoying the local beach, diving into a new art project, or trying to keep my plants alive.

John Thomson

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Twitter: Follow @JohnThomson67

Full Bio

I joined Aurora WDC in early 2005 and have more than 20 years of experience in HUMINT, OSINT, investigations, and counterintelligence, conducting research in over 60 countries. I focus on managing the field intelligence collection efforts of our research teams with strong moral principles to ensure the legal and ethical collection/delivery of insights. I also oversee our field intelligence collection efforts and manage a global network of collection assets, analysts/SMEs, and intelligence partners. My academic achievements include a B.S. in Marketing from American University in Washington, D.C., MBA coursework at Monmouth University in Long Branch, NJ, and the Georgia Private Investigator program at Gwinnett Technical College in Lawrenceville, GA. I’m an artist by nature – outside of work, I am a working musician, songwriter, and producer, and I also dabble in sci-fi art.

Austin Fleisher

LinkedIn: View Profile
Twitter: Follow @AceDraco123

Full Bio

I am passionate about the ability of technology to empower management systems to help people make better, faster decisions. I enjoy the problem solving process and learning how to apply those insights in a variety of different industries. One of the most interesting ways to do that is through the use of competitive simulations and different ways to present information to key stakeholders. I consider myself a Competitive Intelligence professional with a degree in Political Science and a Certificate in International Relations from the University of Florida. When I’m not at work, you’ll find me cheering on sports and e-sports from UF, Detroit, and TSM. Go Gators!

Elizabeth Frickelton

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Twitter: Follow @efrickelton

Full Bio

My mission at Aurora WDC is to break down silos inside organizations to foster tighter collaboration through custom technology solutions. That mission looks different for every organization, and I love the chance to help clients discover what that system will look like and how it will evolve over time. For me, that means focusing on leading cross-functional efforts inside large organizations, finding ways that everyone can benefit from better and faster insights. Personally, I enjoy the process of getting to know the real people behind the “company names” and finding ways to help them achieve their goals.

Chad Hillman

LinkedIn: View Profile

Full Bio

I am a technologist who leverages an extremely adaptable mindset and a jack of all trades skill set to explore and employ best practices and productivity gains. I focus on making work life easier for internal and external clients. Issue avoidance is key with development and execution of security protocols along with testing, troubleshooting, maintaining and debugging Aurora’s FirstLight Intelligence Platform. My years of practice and observation translate well to training and mentoring colleagues and clients alike. During my off time in recent years, I am often a DIY builder, fixer and maintainer, sometimes to my own detriment! I also used to dabble in seeing how long I could maintain a spinning wheelchair wheelie.

Derek Johnson, CFA

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Twitter: Follow @DLJAlpha

Full Bio

I am fiercely protective of Aurora WDC staff, clients, partners, and brand. I always have been and always will be. In my time at the company beginning in 2003, I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished. However, I’m driven by how our capabilities translate to the greater good of the professional and personal communities we serve. I am grateful for my graduate degree at UW Madison and undergrad experience at UW Eau Claire, as well as my financial understanding gained through the CFA program – all of which helped prepare me for my leadership role. However, it’s the nearly two decades of practical client and program experience that has made me the intelligence professional I am today. My wife and I have four beautiful children who represent the living legacy of what truly inspires me.

Daniel LaFontaine

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Twitter: Follow @Lafontained_CI

Full Bio

My background on both the “client” side and the “agency” side gives me a deep understanding of client needs and challenges – and how I can best support them using FirstLight’s Intelligence Platform. That means you’ll find me working with everyone to find the best answer: intelligence gatherers, analysts, technology platform developers, and client stakeholders. When I’m not working, I volunteer my time coaching youth basketball and lacrosse teams. I’m also a Canadian. That’s great, eh!?

Lacey MacLean

LinkedIn: View Profile

Full Bio

I consider it a privilege to represent a team of technology and research professionals serving as liaisons and account managers for clients utilizing our proprietary intelligence software. I’m passionate about mentoring and seeking out the best professional opportunities for my capable and intuitive team members. Over several years, I’ve demonstrated my commitment to clients with both quality research and technology consulting by leveraging my market research and technical knowledge. I’m an information technology professional with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) focused in English Language and Literature from The College of St. Scholastica.

John Westberg

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Twitter: Follow @john_westberg

Full Bio

I manage research projects from beginning to end: designing feasible scopes, ensuring timely execution and delivering actionable intelligence. My clients cross almost all verticals, but I have special expertise in retail, CPG and life sciences. I have extensive experience in reputation intelligence, which is using traditional intelligence best practices and tools to assess and mitigate reputation risk. I am an expert at identifying and monitoring early warning indicators for intelligence programs, and applying risk management principles to prepare, prevent and respond to critical issues. In my free time, I enjoy spending time outdoors hiking, kayaking, fishing, meditating, and camping. I am based in Minneapolis, but can often be found wandering around outside in Northern Minnesota.

Recent Blog Posts

Rehumanizing Intelligence Analytics to Empower People for the Path Ahead

Feb 9, 2023

Once upon a time, I used to be a halfway decent writer. Every day, I’d draft a blog post (often two or three) that would examine the underlying narratives of whatever topic was in the zeitgeist of the business world. I wrote about all sorts of stuff I didn’t...

What Got You Here Won’t Get You There

Feb 3, 2022

Exactly 15 years ago executive leadership coach Dr. Marshall Goldsmith wrote a self-help book for already-successful people, subtitled with the same how-to advice many genre titles promise: how successful people become even more successful. And just like almost every...

Believe in Yourself … Until You Learn to Believe in Others

Feb 3, 2020

Twenty-five years ago today, I gave myself a most important birthday present: I started a company called Aurora Worldwide Development Corporation in the twelve feet on the eastern side of my mother’s beauty salon in my hometown of Chetek, Wisconsin and started down...