We are Museums as Progress

Museums as Progress (MaP) is a community research and development firm. We help cultural organizations define their strategic purpose, prioritize community goals, and identify opportunities to support those goals through progress-space research.

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People

Kyle Bowen is the founder and principal of Museums as Progress. Many partners, collaborators, volunteers, and independent experts support MaP’s services and programs. In particular, we work closely with Rosie Siemer and the FIVESEED team to provide research insights to clients. Other collaborators can be found in the MaP Community of Practice, which serves as a training ground for research contributors.

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Origins

In 2012, MaP Founder Kyle Bowen began working as an independent researcher, helping nonprofits improve user experience for their members and donors.

In 2018, he began working exclusively with cultural organizations. Museums as Progress launched in 2020 as a newsletter and community of practice. These projects aimed to bring progress-space principles to more museums and museum professionals.

In late 2022, Kyle merged the consultancy’s research services, newsletter, and community into a single entity, THE MAP COLLECTIVE LLC.