Rival Technologies Opens Applications For Second Year Of Innovation Insiders

Applied AI program helps enterprise brand research and insights teams connect AI with their existing data, research tools and workflows

VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Rival Technologies today announced the launch of the second year of Innovation Insiders, its 12-month applied AI program for senior research and insights leaders. Kicking off in November, the program will bring returning participants together with a limited number of new enterprise brands invited from Rival's customer base.

The first Innovation Insiders group included research teams from Warner Bros. Discovery, Oura and other leading brands. Over the past year, participants have moved from prompting and building custom skills to mapping ROI to AI initiatives. Additionally, they explored shared knowledge systems, synthetic research approaches and ways to connect AI with existing research tools and company data.

"Innovation Insiders gave our team the structure and the community to actually move on AI, not just talk about it," said Sofia Gomez Garcia, executive director, innovation and global community at Warner Bros. Discovery. "With the speed things are moving, many of us are getting whiplash or are overwhelmed by the prospect of keeping up with AI. The sessions were grounded in what we were really dealing with, focusing on the tools we could actually use and seeing the big picture of net benefits. But creating that psychological safety was just as valuable as upskilling."

The second year will focus more on using AI with teams' own data, systems and processes, with monthly sessions adapting as AI capabilities and research applications change.

"If you want to change how your organization uses AI in research, you can't lead that change from a distance," said Andrew Reid, CEO and founder of Rival Technologies. "Senior leaders don't need to become AI experts, but they do need to get close enough to the work to understand what it requires, evaluate tools and partners, and support their teams. Innovation Insiders gives leaders a place to build that understanding and learn how other leading brands are navigating the same challenges."

The inaugural Innovation Insiders group concludes Oct. 13 with an in-person hackathon at the Fairmont Château Whistler in British Columbia, ahead of Rival Summit, Oct. 14-15 at the same location.

For year two, each brand can register up to six people. The program includes monthly two-hour live sessions, a half-day workshop focused on each team's workflows and business needs, an online hackathon, a private peer community, custom AI tools and early access to Rival Labs prototypes.

Research and insights teams can learn more or apply at rivaltech.com/innovation-insiders.

About Rival Technologies
Rival Technologies is a research technology company redefining how brands understand people. As a pioneer in conversational research, Rival's AI-driven, mobile-first platform transforms traditional surveys into engaging, chat-like experiences that reflect how people communicate today. By blending quant, qual and video in a single conversational flow, Rival helps global brands like Cash App, ŌURA, Carnival Corporation and Warner Bros. Discovery capture richer insights, increase response rates and move from data to confident decisions faster. Part of Rival Group, Rival Technologies was named to the Top 10 Most Innovative Technology Suppliers in Greenbook's 2025 GRIT report. Learn more at rivaltech.com.

Media contact: Marie Melsheimer, [email protected], +1-541-815-3951

SOURCE Rival Technologies