Meet the Founder

Dr. Marcus Ellis
Marcus has spent his career turning data into action — not just for corporations, but for the people building real things: shops, teams, communities.

Before launching Blue Nalu Analytics, he led data initiatives that helped companies streamline operations, improve decision-making, and upgrade outdated processes using real insights — not guesswork. His work spanned organizations like Red Ventures, Lowe’s, Krispy Kreme, Staples, and TIAA.

But here’s the truth: better graphs don’t solve your problems. If you're a small business, you started with a vision — but how has that evolved? How has the world around you changed? You're not just competing with the shop down the road anymore. You're up against national chains that have an army of analysts.
Spoiler alert: you don’t need a full-time staff. You need a trusted partner who will listen and advise.

If you’re a town in North Carolina, you’re either growing fast or trying to figure out how to stop shrinking. Either way, data is influencing your decisions — or it should be. But that only works if the numbers make sense to you, not just the vendor who dropped off the dashboard and left an invoice.

Marcus brings together decades of corporate experience and years of university teaching — partnering with students and faculty at UNC, Wake Forest, Duke, Northeastern, SMU, Pepperdine, and more — to offer something better: real help, not more hype.

At Blue Nalu Analytics, we’re here to help you make decisions that matter — and make sense.
Let’s unlock your data’s potential — together.

 How We Work (and Why It Works)
At Blue Nalu Analytics, we keep it simple, practical, and human. We follow a proven process based on the CRISP-DM framework — but don’t worry, we won’t hit you with tech jargon. Our goal is to help you actually use your data to answer real questions and make smart decisions. Here’s how we do that:

1. Start with What Matters (Requirements Gathering)
What’s keeping you up at night? What decisions feel like a shot in the dark? That’s where we begin — understanding what success looks like for you and what questions your data should be answering. No guessing. No fluff. Just clarity.

2. Dig Into the Data
We look at what data you have today — from POS systems, foot traffic vendors, spreadsheets, or even handwritten notes. We also work directly with your vendors so you don’t have to play middleman. The goal: see what’s usable, what’s missing, and what’s possible.

3. Get It in Shape
Data is messy. We clean it, organize it, and make sure it’s ready for action. No more wondering if that weird number is a typo or a trend.

4. Explore, Model, and Make Sense of It
We dig in to spot patterns and answer your big questions. That might include forecasts, segmentation, or just showing you what’s really going on. Whatever it is, we keep it aligned to your goals — not just fancy stats for the sake of it.

5. Double Check Everything
We don’t hand over results until they’re tested, validated, and grounded in your business reality. No black boxes. No mystery models. Just insights you can trust.

6. Show You What Matters
We present findings in plain language with simple, useful dashboards and visuals. You’ll walk away knowing what’s happening, why it matters, and what to do next — no decoder ring required and nothing is ever one and done.