Diane Hessan is an entrepreneur, market researcher, and board director, widely recognized for her groundbreaking work in business innovation and voter insights.

She is the founder and Chairman of C Space (formerly Communispace), the first company to use social media to help global brands deeply understand and engage their customers. As CEO, Diane led C Space through four demanding startup years and then a decade of explosive growth, expanding to twelve countries and partnering with hundreds of major corporations worldwide.

For the past decade, Diane has conducted a landmark, longitudinal study of the American electorate, tracking trends, shifts, and common ground among voters across divides. Her research has appeared in more than sixty Boston Globe columns and culminated in her acclaimed book, Our Common Ground.

Through her current company, Salient Ventures, Diane invests in and advises high-potential startups. She has mentored and championed more than 100 emerging companies across the country.

Diane currently serves on the boards of Eastern Bank, Sago, Tufts University (Trustee Emeritus), and NACD New England. She has served on over 15 boards, including Panera Brands (through 2025) and Brightcove, where she chaired the board prior to its sale. Her honors include Harvard Business School’s Business and Community Leader of the Year, the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce Entrepreneur of the Year, and induction into both the Market Research Hall of Fame and the Babson Academy of Distinguished Entrepreneurs. She is also a recipient of the NACD Directorship 100 award.

She holds a BA from Tufts University, an MBA from Harvard, and honorary doctorates from Bentley University and the New England College of Business. She has two daughters and four grandchildren—and is the founder of The Sound Bytes, an a cappella group that sings about business.