On the Menu: The Power of Action Research

How do you know if your business decisions are truly making a difference? In today’s fast-paced world, successful entrepreneurs don’t just guess—they test, analyze, and refine. Action research provides a structured yet flexible approach to solving real-world challenges, improving decision-making, and driving innovation from within.

Unlike outside-in approaches that rely on external consultants or one-size-fits-all strategies, action research taps into insider knowledge—your expertise, your team, and your unique business context—to create meaningful, lasting change. It’s a systematic and intentional process that helps you assess challenges, implement targeted improvements, and continuously adapt to stay ahead.

In this hands-on and interactive session, you’ll discover how action research methodologies can help you:

● Identify and analyze challenges in your business, organizations, or individual projects with evidence-based insights using the assess – plan – learn model,

● Design small scale studies to test strategies and bring about change, and

● Measure success, learn from data, and refine your approach for continuous improvement.

In an effort to keep this event accessible, we will be offering a hybrid experience for participants. When checking out, be mindful to select between an “In-Person Ticket” and a “Zoom Ticket.” For those not located in NC, we welcome you to join us over Zoom.

Zoom Link: https://rtp-org.zoom.us/j/84204216294

Game Plan

11:30 a.m. | Virtual | Doors to the waiting room open

11:30 a.m. | In-Person | Registration opens & lunch is available

12:00 p.m. | Event begins

1:00 p.m. | Go on back to work!

Our Session Leader

Dr. Meghan Manfra (PhD) is a Professor at NC State University and the Founder of Action in Professional Learning (APL), a woman-owned consulting firm dedicated to action research, strategic planning, grant management, program evaluation, and professional training. With extensive experience as a change agent, keynote speaker, researcher, and evaluator, she partners with individuals and organizations to drive meaningful, data-informed improvement.

Dr. Manfra has played a pivotal role in high-profile research and evaluation projects across education, technology, and public policy. She previously served as the educational assessment coordinator for the NSF’s ASSIST Nanotechnology Engineering Research Center and as the external evaluator for the Prodigy Learning US Innovation Grant. Her leadership in research and evaluation initiatives includes the Durham/Franklin County Teaching American History Grant (US DOE), the Maryland Humanities Teaching with Inquiry project (PBS), and the Minecraft Education program (Microsoft/Florida International University). She has also provided external evaluation for numerous NSF-funded projects, including AccelNet (Next Generation Carbons) and multiple Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs), such as PRECISE, We Focus, Security of Smart Things, and ASTERIX.

Her expertise is frequently sought by North Carolina’s Department of Public Instruction to support curriculum and instruction efforts. Her recent grants include a Spencer Foundation research grant, focused on refining action research methodologies, and a Library of Congress Consortium grant, aimed at improving digital instruction. In 2020, she was awarded the National Technology Leadership Initiative Fellowship, recognizing her contributions at the intersection of education and technology.

Outside of work, Meghan lives in Raleigh with her husband, two teenage daughters, and an energetic springer spaniel named Watson. She loves hiking in Umstead State Park and exploring her creative side through painting classes at the Sertoma Art Center.

What’s On The Menu?

At Frontier RTP, we are constantly growing, and hope you will come along for the ride! We developed On the Menu as a way of helping you and your business grow to the next level, whatever that next level may be.

Each month, we offer a lunchtime workshop on a special topic related to small businesses or startups. On the Menu is taught by a diverse group of experts from around the Triangle (some of whom started their business here at Frontier RTP!) in a small group setting.

Our hope is that these workshops will not only be rich in content, but spark dialogue, start relationships, and make your lunch break meaningful. Did we mention there will be food? For those joining us in-person, there will be a free lunch available. If you are joining us virtually, we invite you to bring your lunch to the Zoom. No shame in eating with your camera on!

We want you to easily access our events and webinars. Please reach out to us with accommodation requests at programming@rtp.org and we’ll do our best to facilitate.

Note: By registering and participating in this event, you consent to the recording of your likeness, image, and/or voice and authorize Frontier RTP to use photographs, video, and audio recordings containing your likeness, image, and/or voice in any medium for any purpose.