Founded in 2011, the minority-owned research and advisory consulting firm makes its debut at #285; husband-and-wife team Dr. Marcus Martin and Dr. Eddilisa Martin are profiled in Inc.’s September 2018 issue

ARLINGTON, TEXAS (Aug. 15, 2018) – Inc. Magazine announced its 2018 Inc. 500 list of the fastest-growing private companies in America, and a seven-year-old North Texas firm has made the cut.

Making its debut at the #285 mark is 2M Research, an Arlington-based, minority-owned research and advisory consulting firm focused on providing objective and rigorous research, large-scale data analytics, program evaluation, and policy analysis consulting services to a variety of entities: federal, state and local government agencies; life science companies, financial institutions, healthcare organizations; and nonprofit organizations.

The firm’s three-year growth was 1,706 percent, and their 2017 revenues were $9.5 million (and 2018 is projected to be another record year). Since landing its first federal prime contract in November 2013, 2M Research has been awarded prime contracts in 21 federal agencies.

The company was founded in 2011 by the husband-and-wife team of Dr. Marcus Martin (CEO), who has a Ph.D. and Master of Public Health, and Dr. Eddilisa Martin, who has a Doctorate in Pharmacy (PharmD). The two leaders are profiled in a two-page, full-color spread found in in the September issue of Inc. Magazine (NOTE: The article is also pasted below).

In the Inc. 500 article, Dr. Marcus Martin discusses how he determined, after a year of 24/7 strategizing and research from his kitchen table, that government contracting was not only a good fit for their skill set but had strong potential for scalability and securing their reputation as a leading research-and-advisory, small-business consulting firm. Dr. Eddilisa Martin shares how her extensive experience in pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors played a key role in their growth, resulting in the majority of their 2017 work coming from those areas.

“We might have hoped – but never imagined – that 2M Research would see this kind of growth so quickly. It’s a tremendous honor to be included on the Inc. 500 list. The credit goes to the incredible 2M team and the hard work of our senior leadership. They embraced the vision and continue to deliver results to our clients in a remarkable way.”

Dr. Marcus Martin, CEO, 2M Research

Headquartered in Arlington, 2M Research also operates offices in Washington, D.C. and Atlanta. The firm holds SBA 8(a) certification and SBA HUBZone certification, and more than 70 percent of 2M’s staff members hold advanced degrees. Current employment is 80, but the firm expects to have over 100 employees by December 2018.

2M Research’s client roster includes the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research, National Science Foundation, Department of Housing and Urban Development and Novo Nordisk Pharmaceuticals (see complete list below). Some of their most exciting projects include the following:

• 2M is evaluating part of the Government’s response to the Zika virus (CMS Zika Health Care Services Program).
• 2M is supporting the new CDC Opioid Surveillance System, which tracks all opioid admissions in hospitals across the country.
• 2M is supporting the evaluation of the Federal Government’s efforts to assess improvements in emergency preparedness within the nation’s hospital system.
• 2M is conducting a number of research and policy studies related to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Child Nutrition Programs that provide healthy food to children across the country, including the National School Lunch Program in school districts throughout the country.

“It’s trite but true – your success lies in the hands of the people you hire. We made a deliberate and very focused effort to recruit widely respected veterans as part of our senior leadership team. These very talented and brilliant researchers — who bring decades of experience and deep networks as well as strong management skills – have expertise that spans across a number of different disciplines, from econometrics and statistical modeling, to survey research and public policy, to population health and experimental psychology. Our recruitment efforts paid off. These leaders immediately brought a level of credibility and trust to the organization that was invaluable, and they placed our firm in a position for long-term success and sustainable growth.”

Dr. Eddilisa Martin, President, 2M Research

She adds that the management teams’ in-depth knowledge extends to survey research, medicine, pharmaceutical sciences, economics, epidemiology, clinical research, nutrition, biostatistics and more.

2M operates four core research practice areas led by a vice president who has a Ph.D. or M.D. degree and published peer-reviewed journal articles and/or government-approved reports, and is considered a subject-matter expert in their field. These seasoned vice presidents bring 20-plus years of experience leading and managing complex research projects within their respective areas of expertise. The four areas of practice are:

• Clinical Research – led by Dr. Regina James (M.D.) – a former medical officer and the former Director of Clinical and Health Services Research at the National Institutes of Health National Institute on Minority Health Disparities
• Education Research – led by Dr. Stephane Baldi (Ph.D.) – a very accomplished national education expert who has led major STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) program evaluation studies for government agencies
• Public Health Research and Practice – led by Dr. Debbie Holden (Ph.D.) – a very accomplished public health expert who has led major public health studies for government agencies
• Social, Behavioral and Methodological Sciences Research – led by Dr. Jim Murdoch (a Ph.D. who is senior vice president and senior economist for 2M) – the former Dean of the School of Social Science at the University of Texas at Dallas. He has been with 2M since its inception.

The practice areas are supported by two research centers. Their service areas are large scale data analytics, macroeconomic and microeconomic research, large scale program evaluation and policy analysis, clinical research services, survey research, and strategic and operations consulting.

The 2M Survey Research Center features 50 survey-CATI (computer-assisted telephone interviewing) stations, a focus group and cognitive monitoring facility, training lab, economic experiments, customizable survey solutions. These must meet complex data collection requirements, performance standards, information security, and physical safeguards, while complying with all applicable laws and regulations for the secure handling of federal data.

The 2M Statistical and Geospatial Innovation Center offers advanced analytics to solve complex problems that require big data mining and modeling, simulation, spatial analysis and visualization, implementation of alternative estimation strategies for complex statistical models, merging large and diverse administrative databases, and creating applications for GIS.

2M’s client roster includes federal agencies, nonprofit organizations, pharmaceutical and biotech firms, and educational organizations: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), National Endowment for the Arts (NEA); National Science Foundation (NSF); U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA); Agricultural Research Service (ARS); USDA Economic Research Service (ERS); USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS); U.S. Department of Defense (DoD); U.S. Department of Education (ED); U.S. Department of Health and Human Services(HHS) Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA); HHS Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); HHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS); HHS National Institutes of Health (NIH); HHS Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals (OMHA); HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE); HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR); U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD); U.S. Department of Labor (DOL); U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT); The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ); The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA); and Novo Nordisk Pharmaceuticals.