Our Team

Deep Expertise. Integrated Thinking. Practical Results.

Dragonfly SCI brings together decades of experience in sensory science, consumer research, and data analytics. Our team combines scientific rigor with practical business experience to help companies make better product decisions.

Rebecca N. Bleibaum, M.A.

President & Chief, Sensory Intelligence

Rebecca brings 40+ years of sensory and consumer research experience with major multinational companies. She began her career at Tragon Corporation under QDA pioneers Herbert Stone and Joel L. Sidel, ultimately serving as Chief Sensory Officer. In 2017, she co-founded Dragonfly SCI.

Her expertise includes QDA, sensory research, product optimization, claims substantiation, and sensory strategy.

Rebecca is a co-developer and instructor of the UC Davis Applied Sensory & Consumer Science Certificate and a co-author of Sensory Evaluation Practices, Fifth Edition and A Practical Guide to Comparative Advertising: Dare-to-Compare.

Heather A. Thomas

Chief, Data & Analytics

Heather brings 35+ years of experience in sensory data analysis, experimental design, product optimization, and advanced statistical modeling.

She spent nearly three decades at Tragon Corporation, where she led research and analysis and developed approaches to product optimization, segmentation, multivariate analysis, and choice-based modeling.

Heather is the developer of Maximizer™, which integrates sensory, consumer, and instrumental data to guide product development and marketing decisions. She also has extensive expertise in QDA panel performance and trained-panel data analysis.

Heather earned her B.S. in Food Science from UC Davis, specializing in sensory science under Rose Marie Pangborn.

Janet Williams, M.S.

Chief, Consumer Insights

Janet brings 30+ years of experience in strategic consumer research for CPG brands.

Her career spans sensory evaluation and consumer insights at Wilson Foods, Miller Brewing Company, Del Monte Foods, Clorox, and Tragon Corporation. She specializes in research design, qualitative and quantitative methodologies, consumer insights, and advertising claims substantiation.

Janet earned her M.S. in Food Science and Technology from UC Davis.

One Team. Three Perspectives. Decades of Experience.

Sensory science. Consumer insight. Data analytics.
Together, we turn complex research questions into clear, actionable decisions.