Product Strategy · AI Innovation · Social Research · Belonging

Research that
makes room for
everyone.

I study the gaps between who a product was built for and who actually needs it. I help teams close those gaps through rigorous, equity-informed research and strategic design practice.

MK
10+
Years in UX Research
5+
Organizations Transformed

Design for Belonging

This is the course I wish had existed when I started. Eight standalone modules, a full course path, and a premium bundle, each designed so you can learn exactly what your practice needs right now.

Individual Modules · $79 to $97 each

01
Foundations of Inclusive Research
$79
02
Research Planning with Equity in Mind
$79
03
Recruiting & Representation
$97
04
Moderating Across Difference
$97
05
Analyzing Through Inclusive Lenses
$97
06
Storytelling & Stakeholder Buy-In
$97
07
Accessibility as a Research Outcome
$97
08
Scaling Inclusive Research in Organizations
$97
All 8
Full Course: Design for Belonging
All 8 modules, all resources, full course access. The complete system end to end.
$299
All 8 +
Premium Bundle
Full course plus complete toolkit bundle and bonus materials. Built for leaders, consultants, and teams.
$499

Talks that move teams to act.

I speak from practice, not theory. Every talk I give is grounded in real research, real product failures, and real examples of what change actually looks like.

"Not For Me": Hidden Friction in Digital Experiences
How products invisibly exclude the people who need them most, and the practical shifts that change that. Featured at SXSW 2025.
The Adjustment Tax: Measuring the Cost of Exclusion
A framework for understanding and quantifying the burden placed on users who must constantly adapt to products not built for them.
Dignity as a Design Principle
Beyond compliance and checklists. Why dignity must be the baseline, not an aspiration, for product teams.
AI & the Reproduction of Exclusion
How algorithmic systems inherit and amplify historical inequities, and what researchers, designers, and leaders can do now.
From Research to Belonging: Making Inclusion Stick
Practical strategies for translating inclusive research into lasting organizational change, not one-off initiatives.
"This talk doesn't just talk about inclusion. It gives you the language, the tools, and the courage to actually do it."
Attendee, SXSW 2025
Social Research AI Innovation Strategy Product Strategy Accessibility Design for Belonging Product Exclusion Dignity in Design Organizational Change
Submit a Speaker Inquiry

Strategy for teams ready to go deeper.

I partner with product teams, design organizations, and leadership to build research practices that are genuinely more inclusive. Not as a one-time project, but as a durable capability. Every engagement is shaped around your specific context and goals.

01
UX Research Strategy

Building or maturing a research practice that centers equity, rigor, and user dignity from the ground up.

02
Inclusive Product Design Advisory

Embedded advisory for design teams building features, flows, and products that serve diverse populations.

03
Accessibility-Informed Research

Research methodology, participant recruitment, and analysis frameworks that make accessibility insight actionable.

04
AI Product Inclusion Guidance

Identifying and mitigating exclusion embedded in AI-powered product experiences before they reach users.

05
Workshops & Team Enablement

Custom facilitated sessions that build inclusive research capabilities and shift team culture toward belonging.

06
Research Audits & Reviews

Comprehensive review of existing research practices and methodologies through an equity and inclusion lens.

I work with
Startups Product Leaders Design Organizations Enterprise Teams Nonprofits & Mission-Driven Orgs Academic Institutions

Ideas in progress.

View All Insights
Accessibility · 8 min read
The Adjustment Tax: What Exclusion Actually Costs Your Users

When a product isn't built for you, you pay in time, effort, and dignity. Here's how to measure and reduce that hidden burden.

Read Essay
AI & Inclusion · 11 min read
What AI Gets Wrong About "Natural" Language

Voice assistants mishear non-Western names. Forms don't accept certain characters. These aren't bugs. They're design decisions.

Read Essay
Research Practice · 6 min read
Dignity as Infrastructure: A Framework for Inclusive Research

Accessibility checklists won't get you there. Here's why dignity needs to be embedded in your research methodology, not appended to it.

Read Essay

I'm Manu. I build products and research the people
left out of the room.

I'm a Product and AI Innovation Strategist and Social Researcher. My career has taken me across some of the largest product organizations in the world: Meta, OpenAI, Amazon, U.S. Bank, McGraw-Hill, and OneMain Financial. Every engagement has deepened my conviction that the research we do determines who gets to belong.

I work at the intersection of accessibility, AI, financial services, healthcare, and education. These are industries where design decisions carry real consequences for real people. I bring rigorous, equity-informed research to teams building at scale, and I help them move from good intentions to structural change.

I also teach. My course, Design for Belonging, is built around the principle that belonging isn't a feature. It's a foundation. And I speak at conferences and organizations that are ready to do the harder work.

Meta OpenAI Amazon U.S. Bank McGraw-Hill OneMain Financial
"The adjustment tax is real. Every time a product wasn't built for you, you pay for it. In time, in friction, in dignity."
Research
Qualitative, mixed-methods, and participatory research with emphasis on underrepresented and marginalized populations.
Accessibility
Accessibility as a strategic, embedded practice. Not a retrofit or an afterthought.
AI + Inclusion
Critical examination of how AI systems encode exclusion and how to build more equitable foundations.
Education
Teaching the next generation of researchers how to center equity, dignity, and belonging in their practice.

Let's build something that
belongs to everyone.

Whether you're looking for a speaker, a strategic research partner, a workshop facilitator, or access to the course for your team, I'd love to connect. Every collaboration starts with a conversation.

LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/manukaligotla
Based in United States · Available globally