From war-torn Liberia to global impact, Dr. Alvin Glay’s story connects resilience, education, and a lifelong pursuit of understanding people. Meet the author, marketing behavioral scientist, and engaged scholar behind the work.
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Dr. Alvin N. Glay is an award-winning marketing behavioral scientist, growth strategist, author, and engaged scholar whose work examines how identity, culture, motivation, and decision-making influence human behavior and commercial growth.
His understanding of human behavior began long before he entered a classroom or boardroom. Born in Liberia, Dr. Glay survived the country’s civil war as a child and spent years in refugee camps before his family rebuilt their lives in the United States. Those experiences taught him to read trust, risk, identity, and belonging as matters of survival. They became the foundation for a career dedicated to understanding people at their most fundamental level.
Dr. Glay holds a Doctor of Business Administration from Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business, where he was trained as an engaged scholar to apply rigorous research methods and business theory to complex, real-world problems. He also serves as a Research Associate at Georgia State University, continuing his work at the intersection of academic research and business practice.
Over more than two decades, Dr. Glay has advised organizations across healthcare, consumer packaged goods, travel, fashion, retail, telecommunications, and technology. His work integrates behavioral science, cultural research, predictive analytics, and marketing strategy to influence customer acquisition, patient adherence and persistence, brand loyalty, and long-term growth.
His client work includes some of the world’s most recognized brands, such as Procter & Gamble, Verizon Wireless, Carter’s, OshKosh B’gosh, Best Western Hotels & Resorts, Bausch + Lomb, and Reckitt, as well as numerous high-growth organizations seeking to modernize their commercial strategy. Across executive leadership roles, he has led initiatives spanning North America, Europe, Latin America, and Asia.
As Chief Strategy Officer at Response Media, Dr. Glay leads strategy across paid media, customer relationship management, analytics, creative, and marketing technology. He has managed more than $1 billion in marketing investment and contributed to billions of dollars in realized business growth. His work has helped brands acquire new customers, improve patient outcomes, strengthen customer relationships, and translate behavioral intelligence into measurable commercial performance.
Dr. Glay is the creator of the TIME Framework™, built on Truth, Intention, Mindfulness, and Empathy, and the Behavioral Growth System™, which brings together identity, culture, motivation, decision science, and behavioral design. Through these frameworks, he challenges organizations to move beyond demographic targeting and short-term performance metrics to understand why people behave, what creates resonance, and how meaningful human connection produces sustainable growth.
He is also the author of Liberian Boy: Triumph Over War’s Shadow and TIME: Growth Is Human. Across his research, writing, speaking, and advisory work, Dr. Glay advances one central belief: the most powerful growth strategies begin with a deeper understanding of people.
A sought-after speaker, he has shared his research and insights at leading industry events, including the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, MediaPost, Digiday, ANA, and the American Advertising Federation.
Award-Winning Marketing Behavioral Scientist. Growth Strategist. Engaged Scholar.
Applying the science of human behavior to measurable growth.
Peer-reviewed research on real-time mobile marketing — downloaded across more than 100 countries — alongside the industry publications that have featured Dr. Glay’s perspective.
An empirical study, conducted in partnership with an online marketplace of millions of mobile users, demonstrating that push mobile communication is most effective when it combines real-time relevance with topicality to deliver a guided, in-the-moment user experience.
Dr. Glay’s doctoral research, rooted in the behavioral theory of being “in the moment,” advised by Dr. Denish Shah. The work identified empirical gaps in the real-time and push mobile marketing domain and tested them through engaged scholarship with real application users.
Featured & Cited In
Dr. Glay was named to The Forward 30, an initiative by Digital Culture Group honoring marketing and advertising leaders shaping the industry’s future. The program celebrates innovators building new systems, cultural architects shaping influence responsibly, and impact-driven executives raising the standard for modern marketing.
View The Forward 30Born in the lush landscapes of Gbarnga, Liberia, Dr. Glay’s early years were defined by the simple joys of rural life and the tight-knit fabric of family and community — until civil war changed everything.
Fled Liberia during the civil war, spending seven years as a refugee in the Ivory Coast without formal education. These years forged the resilience and determination that would define his future.
After immigrating to the United States, Dr. Glay began his academic journey at Georgia State University, earning a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance.
Continued his education at Mercer University, earning a Master of Business Administration and deepening his expertise in marketing strategy.
Completed his doctoral research at Georgia State University’s Robinson College of Business, with groundbreaking work on real-time marketing rooted in behavioral theory. His research has been downloaded across 100+ countries.
Currently serves as Chief Strategy Officer at Response Media and Research Associate at Georgia State University, where he bridges academic insight with real-world marketing innovation for global brands.
Released his memoir Liberian Boy: Triumph Over War’s Shadow and continues to inspire audiences worldwide through keynote presentations on resilience, leadership, and the transformative power of education.
“Marketing literature is a powerful tool, and if one understands how to apply it in practice, true innovation is bound to happen.”
Dr. Glay’s approach combines rigorous academic research with decades of hands-on experience with the world’s leading brands. His work in real-time, proximity-based mobile marketing focuses on meeting consumers in the moment — without disruption — creating authentic connections that drive results.
