Meet Our Team

Ann is the President and Founder of the IdeaMine^®LLC. She has her BA in Psychology and her MBA from Washington University. Ann worked in marketing at Ralston Purina for ten years prior to founding the IdeaMine in 1988.

Ann’s true love is conducting research in the field and working directly with consumers in a variety of venues (e.g., focus groups, mini groups, triads, dyads, one-on-one interviews, in-home interviews, and shop-alongs). She is known for getting people to open-up and express their inner-most feelings on just about any topic you can imagine. Ann relies on a large toolbox of qualitative skills and techniques plus over 30 years of experience in marketing and marketing research.

Clients know they can rely on Ann to design effective methodologies, execute them with precision, and deliver timely and highly-strategic final reports that are loaded with insights and ideas.

Ann has worked with a wide assortment of domestic and global brands, representing a range of industries and categories (e.g., consumer products, electronics, utilities, healthcare, financial services, retail, sit-down dining, fast food, theme parks, seeds and insecticides). She works with consumers, business professionals, and medical professionals. She is as adept at talking with children, tweens, and teens as she is adults of all ages. Everyone loves talking and sharing their thoughts with Ann.

Bill Gatto is Co-Owner and CFO of the IdeaMine^®LLC. Bill retired from corporate life in 2015 and was immediately snatched up by the IdeaMine^®LLC (he is Ann’s husband).  Bill spent his career at Ralston Purina and Ralcorp Holdings.  He progressed up the ranks and enjoyed a number of titles (Vice President of Sales, President, and Group President) across a wide spectrum of grocery product industries (e.g., pet food, baby food, chocolate, bakery goods, frozen breakfast, and Active Nutrition).  He is well-versed in both branded and store-brand products.  His strengths include strategic planning, organizational development, change management, sales, operations, engaging multi-functional teams, mergers, managing budgets/P&L. Bill consults on a variety of projects across a wide spectrum of topics.

Ashley McGowan is the Director of Technical Support and Logistics at the IdeaMine^®LLC. She provides technical support for projects, graphic input for final reports, and she works as a liaison between the IdeaMine and facilities when projects have a pre-group assignment/component. Ashley is Ann’s daughter and grew up working at the IdeaMine^®LLC. She knows the ins and outs of the business. Ashley also works as a team builder/facilitator for a variety of organizations.

Ashley graduated from Denison University with a degree in Communications before attending the University of Denver, where she received her Master’s in Organizational Leadership. Ashley lives in Denver with her husband Ryan and their two daughters Ella and Maia.

William B. Brashaw (Bud) is the dream-come-true Bookkeeper and Chief Record Keeper for the IdeaMine^®LLC. He is Ann’s Dad and was willing to take on the responsibilities of Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable when he retired from the ministry and college administration. Bud is an ordained minister who graduated from Yale Divinity School before earning his PhD at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland. An academician at heart, he devotes much of his time to research and writing. He is the author of three books:

Sinister Among Us
Fundraising, the System that Works
The Big Ten Of Grammar