Press Release Archives - data.org https://data.org/news/category/press-release/ Thu, 05 Dec 2024 14:33:42 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.3 https://data.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/cropped-favicon-test-32x32.png Press Release Archives - data.org https://data.org/news/category/press-release/ 32 32 Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth and data.org Announce AI2AI Challenge Awardees  https://data.org/news/mastercard-center-for-inclusive-growth-and-data-org-announce-ai2ai-challenge-awardees/ Thu, 05 Dec 2024 13:45:00 +0000 https://data.org/?p=28137 The Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth and data.org today announced the five awardees of the Artificial Intelligence to Accelerate Inclusion (AI2AI) Challenge, a global call for AI solutions that advance inclusion and economic empowerment.

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NEW YORK – The Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth and data.org today announced the five awardees of the Artificial Intelligence to Accelerate Inclusion (AI2AI) Challenge, a global call for AI solutions that advance inclusion and economic empowerment. Working on projects across Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, North America, and South Asia, each of the awardees will receive $200,000 to develop and scale their solutions, as well as technical expertise and mentorship from the data.org and Mastercard teams. 

“Our work in data science has laid the foundation for us to take advantage of the opportunity to develop AI responsibly, equitably, and for the benefit of all,” said Shamina Singh, founder and president of the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth. “This cohort of AI2AI Challenge awardees are bringing forward innovative tools, solutions, and approaches that will drive inclusive growth and redefine how we use AI for social impact across countries and industries for the coming years.” 

Selected from a pool of more than 500 applicants across 82 countries, AI2AI Challenge awardees are tackling the climate crisis, small business development, financial inclusion, and gender equity through existing AI solutions that have a demonstrated record of success and are ready to scale with additional funding and technical assistance.  

“The power of AI to drive impact is tremendous and must be harnessed to ensure its benefits extend to all segments of society,” said Danil Mikhailov, executive director of data.org. “In the data and AI race to be first and move fast, we must thoughtfully strive for inclusive growth that leverages data and AI to tackle the world’s most pressing problems.” 

The Challenge received regional support from Dasra in India and Capital One in the United States to help expand the geographic diversity of the awardee pool and provide additional expertise at the intersection of responsible AI and financial inclusion. 

As data.org’s fourth global innovation challenge, the AI2AI Challenge advances the organization’s commitment to train one million purpose-driven data practitioners by 2032. Each awardee has committed to sharing or open-sourcing their work so other organizations can replicate and scale their solutions. 

THE AWARDEES: 

Quipu – Colombia 

Quipu leverages AI to offer the technical infrastructure to bridge the financial inclusion gap for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Their approach integrates comprehensive onboarding for MSMEs, a robust scoring model analyzing non-traditional data, and intelligent disbursement and credit collection. The AI-driven credit alternative scoring model utilizes machine learning algorithms to analyze a diverse array of alternative data points, such as mobile transaction histories, social media interactions, SMS, and payment patterns. This approach allows for a comprehensive and accurate assessment of creditworthiness, particularly for those businesses typically excluded from traditional financial systems. 

IDinsight – Ethiopia 

Partnering with Last Mile Health and Ethiopia’s Ministry of Health, IDinsight focuses on an AI-powered call center that 40,000+ Health Extension Workers (HEWs) can contact for real-time medical guidance on complex cases. IDinsight’s AI solution will include a case management system and a question-answering service based on comprehensive Ministry of Health (MoH) guidelines that will provide real-time support to call center agents who will further relay critical information to HEWs via phone. Call center agents, as a result, will learn new AI skills, leading to more efficient and effective work processes, and new career pathways.  

International Rescue Committee – Global 

Signpost is an International Rescue Committee (IRC) program that provides critical information to displaced people impacted by conflict, disasters, poverty, and violence.   Their AI-powered humanitarian infrastructure offers lifesaving access to information and resources through frontline help centers, digital channels, and social media. The Signpost platform allows IRC and local partner NGOs to create AI agents to deliver support at scale while removing language and geographic barriers. With pilots of this AI solution underway, IRC aims to expand its platform to selected low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). 

Buzzworthy Ventures – India  

Buzzworthy’s BEEKIND is an AI-driven mobile application to revolutionize the beekeeping ecosystem in India by addressing the significant challenges India’s 400,000 small-scale beekeepers face, from hindering crop productivity to livelihood sustainability.BEEKIND empowers small-scale beekeepers, particularly women, small landholders, landless farmers, and tribal populations in rural and marginalized communities, to enhance their economic potential and resilience. Their AI platform also provides real-time insights and predictive analytics, helping beekeepers adapt to changing climate conditions and improve hive management. 

Link Health – United States 

The Link Health initiative leverages AI to tackle the challenge of underutilized federal assistance programs. The platform enables more eligible individuals to receive financial assistance to alleviate poverty, reduce financial stress, and improve well-being. With healthcare settings as the access point to reach low-income and marginalized communities, Link Health aims to unlock $10 million in state and federal benefits through an AI-powered enrollment platform and chatbot. Through these efforts, the Link Health AI implementation addresses immediate economic needs, fosters long-term financial stability, and accelerates inclusive growth.  


About the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth

The Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth advances equitable and sustainable economic growth and financial inclusion around the world. The Center leverages the company’s core assets and competencies, including data insights, expertise, and technology, while administering the philanthropic Mastercard Impact Fund, to produce independent research, scale global programs, and empower a community of thinkers, leaders, and doers on the front lines of inclusive growth. For more information and to receive its latest insights, follow the Center on  LinkedIn,  Instagram, and subscribe to its newsletter.  

About data.org

data.org is accelerating the power of data and AI to solve some of the world’s biggest problems. By hosting innovation challenges to surface and scale groundbreaking ideas, and elevating use cases of the most effective tools and strategies, we are building the field of data for social impact. By 2032, we will train one million purpose-driven data practitioners, ensuring there is capacity to drive meaningful, equitable impact.


Media Contacts

data.org:
Emma Donelan, Director of Marketing and Communications 
emma@data.org 

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data.org Launches Asia Pacific Data Capacity Accelerator  https://data.org/news/data-org-launches-asia-pacific-data-capacity-accelerator/ Fri, 22 Nov 2024 01:00:00 +0000 https://data.org/?p=27753 Today, with the generous support of the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, data.org launched the Asia Pacific (APAC) Data Capacity Accelerator, the fifth in a growing network of global partners that are building a workforce of purpose-driven data practitioners.

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Singapore | November 22, 2024 – Today, with the generous support of the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, data.org launched the Asia Pacific (APAC) Data Capacity Accelerator, the fifth in a growing network of global partners that are building a workforce of purpose-driven data practitioners.  

The APAC Data Capacity Accelerator will catalyze the application of data to address systemic financial inclusion challenges – including the critical need to build the data for social impact workforce. In partnership with the Asian Institute of Digital Finance (AIDF) – a university-level institute at the National University of Singapore (NUS) – and the Association of Pacific Rim Universities, this accelerator will produce a cohort of data practitioners and a training model to scale across the region.  

“Digital transformation, AI and data all have a role to play in shaping society and driving economies towards financial health and resilience,” said Shamina Singh, founder and president, Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth. “At Mastercard, we are committed to driving financial inclusion for small businesses, workers, and communities all around the world. We are proud to work with partners such as data.org, the Asian Institute of Digital Finance at the National University of Singapore, and the Association of Pacific Rim Universities to reach the next generation of data practitioners, so they can harness the power of data and AI to support inclusive economic growth in the APAC region.” 

The latest Capacity Accelerator Network (CAN) launch announcement came at an event held at NUS. Domain leaders across academia, industry, government, and NGOs came together to discuss shared goals and coordination around developing and upskilling purpose-driven data capacity for inclusive growth. 

“data.org works at the intersection of what is possible and what is practical, as increasingly illustrated by the impact of our CAN network partners,” said Danil Mikhailov, executive director of data.org. “We will only reach our goal of training one million purpose-driven data practitioners by 2032 through interdisciplinary, locally-led programs. Our growing and diverse network of partners—including now five Capacity Accelerator Network hubs worldwide—is making connections across sectors and across borders, inspiring a new generation of problem solvers.” 

The APAC Data Capacity Accelerator builds on the work being done at hubs in Africa, India, Latin America, and the United States. To date, data.org programs have engaged more than 20 academic partners around the world, applying the power of research and academic expertise to enable social impact organizations to unlock the power of data to meet their missions. 

For the APAC Accelerator, AIDF and the Association of Pacific Rim Universities are the primary higher education partners.  

“AIDF is proud to host today’s event together with data.org and the Association of Pacific Rim Universities. It’s very exciting to be a part of a movement to empower young people and underprivileged communities, such as small business owners, around the world with the skills they need to be competitive in an increasingly tech-driven workforce,” said Professor Huang Ke-Wei, Executive Director of AIDF. “Our students, regardless of their disciplines, can benefit from exposure to and understanding of data and AI. We hope to create more opportunities for them to apply such critical skills in ways that would be beneficial to the community, society, and the world.” 

“This partnership is about tapping into the power of higher education to ensure that our workforce and our communities are not left behind,” said Thomas Schneider, chief executive of the Association of Pacific Rim Universities. “Data science for social impact has the potential of significant societal benefits in areas such as economic mobility, gender equity, and even public health and climate, so we are eager to see how the data practitioners and social impact organizations involved will address this challenge in a way that serves the public good in the Asia Pacific and beyond.” 

Today’s event included keynotes on topics such as data and AI driving inclusive growth, the power of collaboration among government and social impact leaders, and the unique challenges and opportunities of AI in social impact. Subject matter experts shared their perspectives through panel discussions on bridging the data talent demand-supply gap, data-driven decision-making in multistakeholder partnerships, and scaling innovation and resources. 


About data.org

data.org is accelerating the power of data and AI to solve some of the world’s biggest problems. By hosting innovation challenges to surface and scale groundbreaking ideas, and elevating use cases of the most effective tools and strategies, we are building the field of data for social impact. By 2032, we will train one million purpose-driven data practitioners, ensuring there is capacity to drive meaningful, equitable impact.

About the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth

The Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth advances equitable and sustainable economic growth and financial inclusion around the world. The Center leverages the company’s core assets and competencies, including data insights, expertise, and technology, while administering the philanthropic Mastercard Impact Fund, to produce independent research, scale global programs, and empower a community of thinkers, leaders, and doers on the front lines of inclusive growth. For more information and to receive its latest insights, follow the Center on  LinkedIn,  Instagram, and subscribe to its newsletter.  

About the Asian Institute of Digital Finance

The Asian Institute of Digital Finance (AIDF) is a university-level institute at the National University of Singapore (NUS), jointly founded by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the National Research Foundation (NRF), and NUS. AIDF aims to be a thought leader, a FinTech knowledge hub, and an experimental site for developing digital financial technologies, as well as for nurturing current and future FinTech researchers and practitioners in Asia. For more information, please visit https://www.aidf.nus.edu.sg/.

About the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU)

As a network of leading universities linking the Americas, Asia, and Australasia, the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) is the Voice of Knowledge and Innovation for the Asia-Pacific region. APRU brings together thought leaders, researchers, and policy-makers to exchange ideas and collaborate on practical solutions to the challenges of the 21st century. For more information, please visit https://www.apru.org/.


Media Contacts

data.org:
Emma Marty 
emma@data.org 

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data.org and Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth Launch  “Artificial Intelligence to Accelerate Inclusion” Challenge https://data.org/news/data-org-and-mastercard-center-for-inclusive-growth-launch-artificial-intelligence-to-accelerate-inclusion-challenge/ Thu, 06 Jun 2024 12:53:14 +0000 https://data.org/?p=25523 The Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth and data.org launched the Artificial Intelligence to Accelerate Inclusion Challenge (AI2AI Challenge), a global call for AI solutions to accelerate inclusion and economic empowerment.

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BOSTON, MA | June 6, 2024 – Today, the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth and data.org launched the Artificial Intelligence to Accelerate Inclusion Challenge (AI2AI Challenge), a global call for AI solutions to accelerate inclusion and economic empowerment.

The AI2AI Challenge will focus on inclusive growth, ensuring that the benefits of this rapidly advancing data technology extend to all segments of society. Organizations will be considered for their innovative AI solutions that have demonstrated success and are ready to scale with additional funding and technical assistance.

“Five years ago, we made an early bet on the power of data to advance social impact. Those early investments laid a foundation for the growing field of Impact Data Science and have contributed to the demand for similar interventions for AI. Today, we are proud to be working with data.org to incentivize safe and trustworthy AI applications that empower communities and people. This challenge will shine a light on scalable solutions that help realize the promise and potential for AI to benefit society,” said Shamina Singh, Founder & President of the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth.

“In the age of AI, working collaboratively across disciplines to tackle challenges like inclusive growth and climate has never been more urgent,” said Danil Mikhailov, executive director of data.org. “This is data.org’s fourth global challenge—and second with Mastercard’s Center for Inclusive Growth—to source, support, and scale breakthrough solutions, with more than 2,000 applications worldwide submitted to date. With each challenge, we not only grow our network of peers and partners, but we also learn more about how to most effectively build capacity, empower local communities, and ultimately build the field of data and AI for social impact.”

Challenge applicants can learn more and apply on the data.org website. The deadline for submissions is July 18, 2024, at 11:00 pm UTC, after which time a panel of distinguished, expert judges bringing experience in AI at the frontier of social impact and industry, will review submissions, with winners announced by early 2025. Confirmed judges include:

Challenge awardees will receive grant funding to develop and scale their solutions, access to technical expertise and mentorship from Mastercard and data.org teams, and opportunities with select Mastercard’s resources and programs, such as Start Path, to further support their approaches. Additional support for the Challenge will come from Dasra, a strategic philanthropy foundation based in India.

The challenge was first announced by Singh at the Global Inclusive Growth Summit on April 18, 2024. Today, the Artificial Intelligence to Accelerate Inclusion Challenge launches during the Accelerate: Data for Social Impact Conference, hosted by data.org in partnership with the Harvard Data Science Initiative.

About the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth

The Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth advances equitable and sustainable economic growth and financial inclusion around the world. The Center leverages the company’s core assets and competencies, including data insights, expertise, and technology, while administering the philanthropic Mastercard Impact Fund, to produce independent research, scale global programs, and empower a community of thinkers, leaders, and doers on the front lines of inclusive growth. For more information and to receive its latest insights, follow the Center on LinkedInInstagram and subscribe to its newsletter.  

About data.org

data.org is accelerating the power of data and AI to solve some of our greatest global challenges. Launched in 2020 by the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth and The Rockefeller Foundation, data.org is building the field of data for social impact and expanding access to the tools, talent, and emerging technologies needed to create sustainable and equitable change.    

A global organization, data.org convenes and coordinates across sectors to support and advance visionary—yet practical—solutions to drive impact, through data.


Media Contacts

Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth:
Jessica Jeng-Mitchell
Jessica.Jeng-Mitchell@mastercard.com  

data.org:
Emma Marty 
emma@data.org 

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data.org Announces Generative AI Skills Challenge Awardees https://data.org/news/data-org-announces-generative-ai-skills-challenge-awardees/ Wed, 15 Nov 2023 14:12:44 +0000 data.org today announced with Microsoft the five awardees of the Generative AI Skills Challenge, a global grant to explore, develop, and implement ways for organizations to train, upskill, and reskill the workforce to use generative AI.

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New York, NY | November 15, 2023 data.org today announced with Microsoft the five awardees of the Generative AI Skills Challenge, a global grant to explore, develop, and implement ways for organizations to train, upskill, and reskill the workforce to use generative AI. Representing Nigeria, India, Greece, Chile, and the United States, each of the winning organizations will receive $250,000 to train professionals with the skills necessary to successfully utilize generative AI in an equitable and interdisciplinary way.  

Selected from a pool of nearly 600 applicants from across 93 countries, the winning proposals represent a variety of locally-driven solutions that have the potential to scale not only across communities and countries—but across the globe. Further, vast networks of workers will benefit from these innovations, ranging from an app to upskill educators in remote settings to a platform that empowers women-led businesses to increase visibility and sales. Awardees were evaluated in a rigorous multi-step process by a team of judges and reviewers around the world who are leaders in the fields of data science and technology, philanthropy, and education. 

“The impact that these innovative projects will have on our global workforce is significant. Through our shared commitment to educating and empowering industry professionals with the skills to leverage generative AI, we are going to shape the future of data for social impact and its power to transform communities,” said Danil Mikhailov, Ph.D., executive director of data.org. 

In addition to financial support, awardees will receive access to technical resources, technical guidance from Microsoft AI experts, including Microsoft’s AI for Good Lab, and data training. The EY organization plans to host capacity-building workshops and coaching for awardees as part of their global efforts to strengthen the use of generative AI across impact organizations and their beneficiaries. This holistic support will strengthen the awardees’ programmatic approaches, advance their organizational maturity, and plan for the sustainability of their solutions.

“AI is a powerful tool that can help solve the world’s toughest problems – but only if workers everywhere have the skills to use it,” said Kate Behncken, corporate vice president, Microsoft Philanthropies. “Generative AI itself can be a powerful tool to help revolutionize skills training and address the digital and AI skills divide, which is exactly why we’re working with data.org and these organizations – to help support innovation in this area.”

The Generative AI Skills Challenge advances data.org’s commitment to train one million purpose-driven data practitioners by 2032. Each awardee has committed to sharing or open-sourcing their work so other organizations can replicate and scale their solutions.

THE AWARDEES:

Global Integrated Education Volunteers Association (GIEVA) – Nigeria

GIEVA will train and upskill women entrepreneurs in Northern Nigeria on the use of generative AI capabilities to create digital livelihoods. They will also build an AI-based platform for women-led businesses to create digital assets and increase sales including creating compelling online product profiles and sales assets optimized for sharing over WhatsApp. 

The Myna Mahila Foundation – India

The Myna Mahila Foundation will build on their successful training model for a network of 1,500 women, known as RANI workers. This project will train a portion of the network in generative AI to power a text-based AI platform designed to dispel misconceptions around women’s health. Given the sensitive nature of healthcare, this organization is careful to establish a feedback loop process that includes doctors and medical professionals to ensure that responses combating misconceptions are accurate.

The Tipping Point – Greece 

The Tipping Point will work with their partner, 100mentors, to provide in-depth training, thoughtfully curated prompt libraries, and GenAI-enhanced mentoring to 700-900 educators in remote settings. Thus, educators will gain the skills to effectively integrate GenAI into their teaching by using a GenAI based app, which will also be developed during the grant period.

Data Elevates – Chile

Data Elevates, along with their key partner, CDI Chile will expand on three years of success training Venezuelan migrant women in data skills to create Avanzando con la AI,” or “Moving Forward with AI,” a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on generative AI. Combining course facilitation with employment training and network events, Data Elevates and CDI Chile will increase economic opportunities for Venezuelan migrant women, while also providing sustainable impact through the MOOC designed for Spanish-speaking populations. 

Mississippi AI Collaborative – United States

Mississippi AI Collaborative is a multi-stakeholder project to develop an ecosystem leveraging AI in the state of Mississippi. The ecosystem intervention includes an intensive AI curriculum program for teachers, students, and businesses, a “Skill-AI-Thon” to develop AI capabilities, and an apprenticeship program, where Jackson State University students will work with small businesses and nonprofits to leverage AI tools.

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About data.org:

data.org is accelerating the power of data to solve some of our greatest global challenges. Launched in 2020 by the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth and The Rockefeller Foundation, data.org serves as a platform for partnerships to build the field of data for social impact by widening access to the tools, resources, and talent needed to make sustainable and equitable change.    

A global organization, data.org convenes and coordinates across sectors and is committed to supporting and amplifying visionary — but also practical — solutions to drive greater impact, through data.

Media Contact 

data.org: Emma Marty | emma@data.org

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data.org Partners with the World Health Organization on Global Health Response https://data.org/news/data-org-partners-with-the-world-health-organization-on-global-health-response/ Wed, 01 Nov 2023 12:55:00 +0000 https://data.org/?p=20028 Today, bolstered by a $2.5 million grant from The Rockefeller Foundation, data.org announces a partnership with the World Health Organization Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence (WHO Hub) to drive the development and deployment of digital public goods for pandemic and epidemic intelligence. 

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New York, NY | November 1, 2023 – Today, bolstered by a $2.5 million grant from The Rockefeller Foundation, data.org announces a partnership with the World Health Organization Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence (“WHO Pandemic Hub”) to drive the development and deployment of digital public goods for pandemic and epidemic intelligence. This collaboration builds on data.org’s Epiverse initiative—funded and supported by The Rockefeller Foundation, Wellcome, and IDRC—by bringing together a united global health intelligence community to foster greater adoption of accessible and powerful open-source tools to tackle global epidemic and pandemic threats.

“During the COVID-19 crisis, experts worldwide developed numerous software tools to enhance outbreak modeling and analytics. Yet, many of these solutions remain isolated, leading to duplicated effort, lack of interoperability, and poor documentation, support, and maintenance” said Dr. Danil Mikhailov, executive director of data.org. “The opportunity for global collaboration and resource-sharing remains largely unrealized. Through generous support from The Rockefeller Foundation, our partnership with the WHO Pandemic Hub reinforces our commitment to leveraging data for social good and brings us closer to our long-standing vision of a safer, healthier global community.”

“Climate change’s rising temperatures and extreme weather are fueling outbreaks of malaria, cholera, and other deadly diseases. Health leaders can outsmart infectious threats like these by combining climate and health information to predict where pathogens will spread – and digital tools can put that data at their fingertips,” said Dr. Naveen Rao, senior vice president of health, The Rockefeller Foundation. “We’re proud to support the sharing of world-class pandemic preparedness technology so people can stay healthy in a warmer world.”

The WHO Pandemic Hub fosters a collaborative environment for innovators, scientists, and experts from across a wide spectrum of disciplines, leveraging and sharing cutting-edge technology and anchoring our work in the needs of stakeholders around the world. Building on expertise across disciplines, sectors, and regions, the Hub leverages WHO’s convening power to foster global solutions built on an architecture of global collaboration and trust. By leveraging Epiverse’s existing collaborative network—including academic partners—data.org will support the WHO Pandemic Hub in crafting the “Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence (PEI) Collaboratory.” Tailored for pandemic intelligence professionals, the PEI Collaboratory will make digital public goods more accessible for WHO country members and partners engaging on the platform. There, they will find a space that fosters collaboration, the sharing of ideas and best practices, and joint problem-solving for better public health results. 

Across both the PEI Collaboratory and Epiverse networks, data.org also aims to increase the uptake of Epiverse digital public goods in low- to middle-income nations to streamline the global public health tech arena, granting open access to best-in-class epidemic intelligence resources for health institutions globally. This builds on data.org’s ongoing work with The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, The Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia, Universidad de los Andes, and Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, where locally-developed tools and human-centered design are leading to more effective, more equitable public health solutions. As part of this process, community-based champions will be identified and mobilized to build trust locally and lead change management efforts in a way that increases in-country adoption. Outreach to other existing communities of practice will likewise help identify a diverse group of stakeholders and bring them into the fold to use Epiverse tools and engage with the growing community.

“Collaborative efforts in the realm of global health data are not just strategic, but essential,” said Dr. Julia Fitzner, unit head of insights and analytics at the World Health Organization. “As we’ve witnessed, isolated solutions can only go so far. By uniting our expertise and resources with data.org through the PEI Collaboratory, we’re not just aiming to respond to global health threats but to anticipate them. Our shared vision is to empower nations, especially those most vulnerable, with the tools and insights they need for a healthier tomorrow.”


About data.org

data.org is accelerating the power of data to solve some of our greatest global challenges. Launched in 2020 by the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth and The Rockefeller Foundation, data.org serves as a platform for partnerships to build the field of data for social impact by widening access to the tools, resources, and talent needed to make sustainable and equitable change.    

A global organization, data.org convenes and coordinates across sectors and is committed to supporting and amplifying visionary — but also practical — solutions to drive greater impact, through data.

About WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence

The WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence is working towards a world where collaborative surveillance empowers countries and communities to minimise the impact of pandemic and epidemic threats. Collaborative surveillance, a key concept within WHO’s framework to strengthen the global architecture for health emergency prevention, preparedness, response and resilience (HEPR), facilitates the systematic strengthening of capacity and collaboration among diverse stakeholders globally, both within and beyond the health sector, to enhance public health intelligence and improve evidence for decision-making.

With the support of the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany, the WHO Pandemic Hub was established in September 2021 in Berlin, as part of the WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme. More info here.

About The Rockefeller Foundation

The Rockefeller Foundation is a pioneering philanthropy built on collaborative partnerships at the frontiers of science, technology, and innovation that enable individuals, families, and communities to flourish. We make big bets to promote the well-being of humanity and make opportunity universal and sustainable by advancing the global climate transition and ensuring everyone can participate in it. Our focus is on mobilizing collective action that transforms four systems that are essential to the well-being of people and planet: energy, agriculture, health, and finance systems. For more information, sign up for our newsletter at rockefellerfoundation.org and follow us on X @RockefellerFdn.


Media Contact 

data.org: Emma Marty | emma@data.org

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data.org and Microsoft Launch Generative AI Skills Grant Challenge https://data.org/news/data-org-and-microsoft-launch-generative-ai-skills-grant-challenge/ Wed, 28 Jun 2023 12:45:00 +0000 https://data.org/?p=18455 data.org, a platform for partnerships to advance data for social impact, with support from Microsoft Corp., today launched the Generative AI Skills Grant Challenge, a global grant to explore, develop, and implement ways for organizations to train, upskill, and reskill the workforce to use generative AI.

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New York, NY | June 28, 2023 – data.org, a platform for partnerships to advance data for social impact, with support from Microsoft Corp., today launched the Generative AI Skills Grant Challenge, a global grant to explore, develop, and implement ways for organizations to train, upskill, and reskill the workforce to use generative AI. This global grant will support organizations driving skilling and economic growth, especially those focusing on fair and community-led implementations of generative AI skills programs, with historically marginalized populations around the world.

“Generative AI has the potential to revolutionize how we tackle global challenges thanks to its unparalleled ability to scale — but only if applied with awareness of its limitations and a strong emphasis on community-led solutions informed by local context,” said Danil Mikhailov, Executive Director of data.org. “That’s why we are pleased to partner with Microsoft to help upskill and reskill the social impact workforce using generative AI effectively and responsibly. Together, we are taking a significant stride towards fulfilling data.org’s commitment to train one million purpose-driven data practitioners by 2032.”

As part of the company’s new AI Skills Initiative, Microsoft is providing funding for the Generative AI Skills Grant Challenge, with awards expected for five organizations. In addition to financial support, the awardees will receive access to cloud computing resources, technical guidance from Microsoft AI experts, and data training. Nonprofit organizations, social enterprises, and academic / research institutions strongly dedicated to creating upskilling opportunities in generative AI are encouraged to apply. Submissions are welcome from organizations with extensive technical experience, as well those with an emerging and locally unique idea for advancing the workforce and closing the digital divide through the use of generative AI. data.org and Microsoft will share with the broader community the rubrics and best practices used to judge the applications and select the eventual awardees.

“AI offers great potential to empower workers around the world, but only if everyone, everywhere has the skills to use it,” said Kate Behncken, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Philanthropies. “By launching this grant challenge with data.org, we can help develop new ways organizations can deliver skilling opportunities and drive inclusive economic growth, especially in historically marginalized populations around the world.”

By engaging a diverse range of communities – and a particular focus on AI’s fair and community-led integration in low- and middle-income countries and contexts (LMICs) —  this Challenge will work to accelerate digital inclusion, socioeconomic mobility, and skills advancement and acquisition for workers from historically marginalized populations around the world.

The Generative AI Skills Grant Challenge is now accepting applications. The deadline for initial proposals to the Challenge will be August 15, 2023. To learn more and participate, visit data.org/challenge.

About data.org

data.org is accelerating the power of data to solve some of our greatest global challenges. Launched in 2020 by the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth and The Rockefeller Foundation, data.org serves as a platform for partnerships to build the field of data for social impact by widening access to the tools, resources, and talent needed to make sustainable and equitable change.    

A global organization, data.org convenes and coordinates across sectors and is committed to supporting and amplifying visionary — but also practical — solutions to drive greater impact, through data.


Media Contact 

data.org: Emma Marty | emma@data.org

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data.org Unveils Newest Workforce Training Network in India to Tackle Climate and Health https://data.org/news/data-org-unveils-newest-workforce-training-network-in-india-to-tackle-climate-and-health/ Mon, 15 May 2023 04:00:00 +0000 https://data.org/?p=17704 Today, with the generous funding of over ₹18.7 crores INR ($2.3 million USD) from Wellcome, data.org launched the India Data Capacity Accelerator and announced the selection of three premier universities in India.

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Delhi, India | May 15, 2023 – Today, with the generous funding of over ₹18.7 crores INR ($2.3 million USD) from Wellcome, data.org launched the India Data Capacity Accelerator and announced the selection of three premier universities in India. In partnership with these universities and the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) South Asia, the India Accelerator will support the ambitious work of equipping emerging professionals with the interdisciplinary data skills needed to address challenges at the intersection of climate and health. 

The India Data Capacity Accelerator is the third workforce partnership in data.org’s Capacity Accelerator Network (CAN). To date, data.org programs have engaged 16 academic partners around the world to help build data capacity and tools within the social impact sector. 

Selected by an open request-for-proposals process, Ashoka University, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani (BITS Pilani), and Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Delhi will support the design and rollout of curriculum, resources, and interdisciplinary and experiential learning programs to create and engage top data talent — a consistent challenge for the social impact sector.  

“A million brains are better than one, and the fact is, we need to accelerate training more data practitioners in the social sector to take advantage of the data revolution,” said Danil Mikhailov, executive director of data.org. “Our recent Workforce Wanted report identified an opportunity for 3.5 million jobs in the data for social impact field in developing countries alone over the next decade. The India Accelerator gets us one step closer to our commitment to training one million, purpose-driven data practitioners by 2032. We are thankful for the support from Wellcome and our partnership with J-PAL, and we look forward to collaborating with these three prestigious universities, who, together, will offer a comprehensive platform that combines academic excellence with practical application and classroom learning.”

The World Health Organization estimates that between 2030 and 2050, climate change is expected to cause approximately 250,000 additional deaths per year. This new capacity accelerator will train data practitioners on the front lines of the climate crisis to help advance solutions to climate-related health issues. 

“Practical, effective, and scalable solutions to the climate crisis in India and the world will remain elusive unless innovations have been rigorously tested for effectiveness,” said Tithee Mukhopadhyay, Deputy Executive Director, J-PAL South Asia. “The India Data Capacity Accelerator is the latest step in J-PAL South Asia’s continued efforts to unlock and leverage data and scientific evidence for making effective policies in collaboration with our university, social impact, and policy partners. The program’s innovative model of combining theoretical lessons and practical training on harnessing, analyzing, and applying data will prepare young professionals to become leaders in the social impact sector.”

The three universities chosen for this important work demonstrated not only experience and capabilities in data, climate, and health — but in social impact; intersectionality; and inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA). 

“Given the diversity of a country as large as India and the varied needs of a broad set of learners, we knew we needed a mix of public and private universities covering a wide geographic footprint and offering online, in-person, and hybrid learning opportunities,” said Priyank Hirani, associate director of CAN. “We are so pleased with our first set of academic partners in this network in India who each bring complementary expertise and cater to a specific segment of aspiring data talent.”

  • Ashoka University is India’s first liberal arts and sciences private university and a prominent player in the Indian social sector through its esteemed research centers. As part of the accelerator, it will offer an online postgraduate certificate targeted to young professionals in climate and health organizations.

    “We are excited to launch the executive development program for social sector practitioners with data.org’s support as part of their India Data Capacity Accelerator,” said Pramath Raj Sinha, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of Ashoka University. “Much like data.org, Ashoka emphasizes nurturing leaders committed to addressing systemic social challenges, interdisciplinary approaches to solving global problems in its curricula, and inclusion and diversity in its student body.”
  • One of the first six schools to be awarded the “Institute of Eminence” status in 2018 by the Government of India, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani (BITS Pilani) has four campuses across the country and will offer both an undergraduate minor to students in its Pilani, Goa, and Hyderabad campuses and a postgraduate degree through its work integrated learning platform for professionals who already have technology and data proficiency.

    “India generates a lot of data that can be of immense use when addressing climate change or finding better healthcare solutions for the world’s population,” said Professor V. Ramgopal Rao, Vice Chancellor of BITS Pilani. He added, “BITS Pilani is committed to providing solutions to effectively utilize this data by increasing the trained manpower in data for social good through interdisciplinary programs for both first-degree level and working professionals.”
  • Created by an act of the Delhi legislature as a comprehensive research-led teaching institute, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology Delhi (IIIT-Delhi) will provide both technical and non-technical professionals with the hybrid program Post-Graduate Diploma in Data Science in Health and Climate Change for Social Impact.

“Data for social impact is a growing field in India, but until now, there have been limited academic courses, training, or leadership development programs available,” said Ranjan Bose, Director of IIIT-Delhi. “Building on our experience of running existing programs in computing, data science, and AI, we are excited to bring our expertise to this partnership as we work toward increasing capacity in India, and, ultimately, helping improve lives.”

The launch of this new accelerator was celebrated at a day-long convening of leaders across sectors hosted by data.org and the Working Group on Sustainable and Resilient Communities: Climate, Environment, and Net Zero Targets under Civil Society 20 during India’s G20 Presidency 2023. The convening took place at the University of Chicago Center in Delhi, where participants presented expert perspectives and discussed shared goals for impact through the creation of data capacity for climate and health. 

About data.org: 

data.org is accelerating the power of data to solve some of our greatest global challenges. Launched in 2020 by the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth and The Rockefeller Foundation, data.org serves as a platform for partnerships to build the field of data for social impact by widening access to the tools, resources, and talent needed to make sustainable and equitable change.    

A global organization, data.org convenes and coordinates across sectors and is committed to supporting and amplifying visionary — but also practical — solutions to drive greater impact, through data.

About Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) South Asia: 

The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) is a global research center working to reduce poverty by ensuring that policy is informed by scientific evidence. Anchored by a network of 294 affiliated professors at universities around the world, J-PAL conducts randomized impact evaluations to answer critical questions in the fight against poverty.

J-PAL was launched at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2003 and has 7 regional offices around the world. J-PAL South Asia, hosted by the Institute for Financial Management and Research (IFMR), Chennai, has built partnerships for the generation of new research and advancement of evidence-informed policymaking with 20 Indian state and central government ministries, as well as training partnerships with the governments of Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.

 For more information, visit povertyactionlab.org/south-asia

About Ashoka University

Ashoka University is India’s premier interdisciplinary research and teaching institution, providing higher education at par with the best in the world. A unique example of collective philanthropy, it is funded by close to 200 leaders, thinkers, academics and philanthropists from a range of fields. Its faculty body consists of eminent individuals who have studied and taught at the world’s finest institutions. Ashoka offers a diverse and inclusive space for its students to think deeply and critically. It envisions developing global leaders who understand disciplinary boundaries, express themselves creatively, and communicate with meaning to cause impact and change. With over 2600 students and 14 dedicated research centres today, the university offers programmes and research opportunities in the humanities, natural sciences and social sciences. In its next phase of growth, the university is building a second campus and making major investments in the Sciences, including original cutting-edge research in vital areas like biosciences and information technology. Ashoka’s 4000 alumni are making a significant impact in hundreds of leading organizations and dozens of leading universities across the globe. Ashoka is a non-profit university established under the Haryana Private Universities Act, 2006. It is located in Rajiv Gandhi Education City, Sonipat, Delhi NCR, India.

About Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani (BITS Pilani)

The Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani (BITS Pilani), is a deemed university recognized as an “Institution of Eminence” by the Ministry of Education, Government of India. BITS Pilani is a pioneer in Higher education in all the major disciplines of Engineering and Sciences, with Humanities, Social Sciences, Economics and Finance in its ambit. Its four modern, aesthetically beautiful and fully residential campuses at Pilani, Dubai, Goa and Hyderabad with state-of-the-art facilities for teaching and research provide a unique ambience for student and faculty interaction. BITS Pilani is establishing yet another campus in Mumbai to house the School of Management and School of Law. The primary aim of BITS Pilani is to advance knowledge and educate students in science, technology, and other areas of scholarship that will best serve the nation and the world in the 21st century. The Institute was established in 1964 by the late Shri G. D. Birla, an eminent industrialist, a participant in the Indian freedom struggle and a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi. Over the years, BITS Pilani has provided the highest quality technical education to students from all over India, admitted on the basis of merit. Its graduates can be found worldwide in eminent leadership positions in all areas of engineering, science and commerce. BITS Pilani is proud to have given 13 unicorns to the country and more than 7500 founders and co-founders. The Institute’s commitment to excellence, adherence to merit, transparency, innovation, and enterprise have characterized its steady march to eminence.

About Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology Delhi (IIIT-Delhi)

IIIT-Delhi is a comprehensive research-led teaching Institute where faculty, students, and alumni work together in a spirit of discovery and creativity to build a better world. The Institute, set up by an Act of Govt. of NCT of Delhi (GNCTD), awards B.Tech., M.Tech., and Doctoral degrees. It emphasizes quality education, curiosity-led research, and innovation leading to entrepreneurship. The teaching activities at the Institute derive strength from the cutting-edge research conducted by faculty, strong industry linkages, and international collaborations.

IIIT-Delhi has six academic departments – Computer Science and Engineering, Electronics and Communications Engineering, Computational Biology, Human-Centered Design, Mathematics, and Social Sciences & Humanities. Its research centers include the Infosys Centre for Artificial Intelligence, Centre for Design and New Media, Centre of Technology in Policing, Centre of Excellence on Sustainable Mobility, Centre of Excellence in Healthcare, Centre of Excellence on Light Fidelity, Datakart Centre of Excellence, Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Human-Centered Computing, and ​​​Center for Quantum Technologies.

The IIITD-Incubation Centre on campus is instrumental in driving the growth of entrepreneurial activities. IIIT-Delhi has also set up a Technology Innovation Hub called iHub Anubhuti under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems. There is also an Electropreneur Park focused on electronics startups.

More details can be found at iiitd.ac.in.


Media Contact 

data.org: Emma Martyemma@data.org

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data.org and Microsoft Philanthropies to Strengthen Data Maturity of Social Impact Organizations https://data.org/news/microsoft-philanthropies-data-maturity-social-impact-organizations/ Wed, 25 Jan 2023 14:00:00 +0000 https://data.org/?p=14721 data.org and Microsoft Philanthropies are partnering to narrow the digital divide between the private sector and social impact organizations (SIOs) by building an efficient, data-driven social sector that can apply new insights to solve some of the world’s most challenging problems.

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New York, NY | January 25, 2023 — data.org and Microsoft Philanthropies are partnering to narrow the digital divide between the private sector and social impact organizations (SIOs) by building an efficient, data-driven social sector that can apply new insights to solve some of the world’s most challenging problems.

On their digital platform, data.org provides a free Data Maturity Assessment (DMA) to give SIOs the ability to assess their current data implementation strategies, identify opportunities for growth, and apply positive change through curated resources and guides from their Resource Library. This suite of self-service tools helps organizations become “data-led” to better meet their missions. The DMA is a key tool supporting the Capacity Accelerator Network (CAN), a data.org initiative dedicated to developing one million purpose-driven data professionals across the globe over the next decade, and empowering organizations with the analytical skills needed to thrive in a data-driven landscape.

“Social impact organizations have historically lacked the resources, tools, and capability to harness the power of data,” said Danil Mikhailov, executive director at data.org. “Our Data Maturity Assessment helps organizations chart a path forward in their data journey and prepares them for the kind of transformative growth that drives lasting impact.”

Microsoft Philanthropies’ two-year partnership includes:

  • the next phase of the DMA tool with an expanded assessment and improved analytics. Microsoft’s robust network of SIOs will engage with the DMA to assess their organizational data maturity and connect to resources.
  • a cohort program for a subset of SIOs to focus on data maturity transformation over a 12-month period with additional in-kind resources from Microsoft such as computing and engineering support, access to Microsoft products, and related technical assistance. Insights from this cohort will help identify approaches and resources to support the social impact sector at scale.

This investment will help generate a collection of key learnings and case studies, as well as a playbook to identify transformational models that could enable organizational change, contributing to the CAN initiative’s suite of open-source resources for the wider DSI sector.

“data.org continues to leverage its comprehensive platform to bring together the experience of social impact organizations, the strength and capabilities of Microsoft Philanthropies, and the power of data to derive insights and inform future digital resources,” said Mikhailov. “These insights will allow data.org to continue building a community of data-led organizations and unlock potential solutions to address some of the world’s most complex challenges including health, climate, and financial inclusion.”

“Microsoft is committed to empowering organizations with the tools, skills, and resources needed to succeed in the digital world,” said Kate Behncken, Vice President Microsoft Philanthropies. “We’re proud to work with data.org to strengthen the power of data to drive social good.”

About data.org: 

data.org is committed to democratizing data, for good. Founded by The Rockefeller Foundation and the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, data.org is a platform for partnerships, and works with organizations all over the world to increase the use of data science to tackle society’s most pressing challenges and improve the lives of millions of people. For more information, visit data.org and follow us on Twitter @datadotorg.

Media contacts: 

data.org: Emma Marty | emma@data.org  

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data.org: It’s Time to Act Boldly to Drive Data for Good https://data.org/news/its-time-act-boldly-to-drive-data-for-good/ Wed, 18 Jan 2023 07:25:00 +0000 https://data.org/?p=15198 data.org today released Accelerate Aspirations: Moving Together to Achieve Systems Change, a comprehensive report on the key trends and tensions in the emerging field of data for social impact (DSI).

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Davos, Switzerland | January 18, 2023 – data.org today released Accelerate Aspirations: Moving Together to Achieve Systems Change, a comprehensive report on the key trends and tensions in the emerging field of data for social impact (DSI).

Data has the potential to create high-impact interventions that are affordable and that drive resilience to combat rising inequality, public health crises, widespread threats to democracy, and climate change. The Accelerate report recognizes this incredible potential and raises urgent questions about the purpose and practice of this nascent field and the people it will require to keep it all moving.

“We have the power to build—and fund—a data-driven social impact sector that drives affordable and innovative ways of addressing the multitude of challenges we face,” said Dr. Danil Mikhailov, executive director of data.org. “But we must do the hard work to change how we as individuals, organizations, funders, and ecosystems operate. At the heart of this report is a focus on collaboration. Together, we must be willing to take risks, align incentives, and partner differently to drive sustainable and systemic change.”

The Accelerate report surveys the current state of data for social impact through interviews, quantitative findings from a data maturity assessment, and a comprehensive literature review, and culminates in critical next steps to advance the field.

The field of data for social impact stands at a crossroads. According to data.org’s Data Maturity Assessment results, 90 percent of respondents report that their organization is committed to investing in data tools, training, and staff. However, most organizations lack the infrastructure, capacity, and sustained support from funders to meet their aspirations. So, we face a choice. Business as usual can continue through funding and implementing under-resourced and siloed data projects that deliver incremental progress. Or we can think and act boldly.

The Accelerate report urgently calls for:

  1. Improving data strategies through common governance and tools, data sharing, aligned incentives, and most importantly, cross-sector coordination. 
  2. Building a more diverse and interdisciplinary workforce of purpose-driven data practitioners who can locally drive change. 
  3. Creating stronger funding models with longer time horizons, more flexible structures, and better coordination to build sustainable and interoperable solutions.

The Accelerate report builds on data.org’s 2022 Workforce Wanted: Data Talent for Social Impact report, which identified an opportunity for 3.5 million jobs in the data for social impact field in developing countries alone over the next decade. In response, data.org is working to train one million purpose-driven data practitioners in the next 10 years through their Capacity Accelerator Network of knowledge hubs around the world, from the United States, to India, and sub-Saharan Africa.

“A more diverse, global workforce with interdisciplinary perspectives can provide a foundation for data for social impact work that is both effective and just,” added Dr. Uyi Stewart, chief data and technology officer at data.org. “Because as cross-sector work gains traction, we need data practitioners that not only understand and can translate, but actually come from marginalized communities and geographies inclusive of low- and middle-income countries to develop these critical data ecosystems.”

Since the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth and The Rockefeller Foundation launched data.org three years ago at the World Economic Forum, it has quickly become a connector and coordinator—a platform for partnerships delivering capacity-building programs and widening access to tools, resources, and knowledge for social impact organizations around the world.

About data.org:

data.org is committed to democratizing data, for good. Founded by The Rockefeller Foundation and the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, data.org is a platform for partnerships, and works with organizations all over the world to increase the use of data science to tackle society’s most pressing challenges and improve the lives of millions of people.

Media contact: 

data.org: Emma Marty emma@data.org

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Wellcome Awards $6.8 Million to Build Data Workforce for Climate and Health https://data.org/news/wellcome-climate-and-health-data-workforce/ Wed, 21 Sep 2022 12:51:30 +0000 https://data.org/?p=13785 Today, data.org, the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data, and J-PAL South Asia, announced $6.8 million USD in joint funding from Wellcome in support of the data.org-led Capacity Accelerator Network (CAN), to foster global data talent for climate and health impact.  

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New York, NY | September 21, 2022 — Today, data.org, the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data, and the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) South Asia, announced $6.8 million USD in funding from Wellcome in support of the data.org-led Capacity Accelerator Network (CAN). The funding will be split amongst the three partners and aims to foster global data talent for climate and health impact.  

With this grant, data.org will work with the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data and J-PAL South Asia to establish new accelerators in Sub-Saharan Africa and India. The accelerators will equip emerging data professionals with the interdisciplinary skills needed to work at the intersection of climate and health to tackle society’s greatest challenges and improve lives across the world. 

“Data is crucial for helping us understand and tackle the health effects of climate change. But right now, the field lacks people with the necessary skills and expertise, particularly within the communities that live on the frontlines of the climate crisis. We must train a new generation of data practitioners to address the health impacts of climate change where it matters most. That’s why we’re pleased to support data.org with the accelerators in India and Sub-Saharan Africa — to help bridge gaps in the field and create meaningful solutions that improve lives,” said Tariq Khokhar, head of data for science and health at Wellcome. 

Wellcome’s transformative grant will advance data.org’s ambitious mission to train one million purpose-driven data practitioners over the next decade, as it leads global efforts to strengthen data talent in the social impact sector. This initiative builds on data.org’s recent partnership with the University of Chicago’s Financial Inclusion Accelerator, made possible by funding from the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth.  

The announcement comes during the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and will reinforce efforts to create an enabling environment for equitable, inclusive, and timely policymaking and service delivery in India and Sub-Saharan Africa. Underlining the importance of investing in data systems, new Dalberg research—commissioned by the United Nations, The World Bank, and the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data—shows that for every $1 USD invested in data systems and skills, there is $32 USD  worth of benefit.   

“At data.org, we believe in democratizing data, for good. Creating a network of capacity accelerators around the world puts that concept into action, informing, training, and mobilizing the next generation of data professionals,” said Danil Mikhailov, executive director of data.org. “Against a backdrop of the climate crisis, pandemics, and rising inequality, the world faces enormous, systemic challenges. Data science and other data-driven technologies can offer part of the solution through their tremendous ability to scale, but only if we ensure these data professionals are equipped with the interdisciplinary skills to ask the right questions and build trust with the communities they serve.” 

The first capacity accelerator will be based in Sub-Saharan Africa in collaboration with the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data (GPSDD), followed by the launch of a second accelerator in India in collaboration with Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) South Asia. Both delivery partners have proven experience and deep networks, particularly with local stakeholders in their respective geographies, enabling them to create scalable and sustainable global impact. As a platform for partnerships, data.org has consistently demonstrated its ability to connect partners across the world and foster collaboration that drives collective change. These programs will do the same, resulting in a set of open-source resources, including modular curricula, made available to social impact professionals worldwide. 

“To achieve better outcomes for people and the planet, we as the international data community need to collaborate to make technical skills and knowledge more accessible to all. The Global Partnership is working to help governments address information gaps in climate, health, and vital statistics. Partnering with data.org, J-PAL South Asia, and a constellation of education providers will help collectively leverage our networks to strengthen local data talent, which in turn will help unlock solutions to the world’s most pressing environmental and social challenges” said Claire Melamed, chief executive officer at the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data. 

Each accelerator will produce a cohort of data practitioners with interdisciplinary subject-matter expertise in health and climate data. In surrounding communities, dozens of social impact and public sector organizations will reap the benefits, hosting paid data fellows who graduate from the program. 

“The fight against poverty and climate change is more data-driven than ever before, and scalable, rigorous technical training is needed to build capacity to use data for evidence-informed decision-making. The accelerator represents a unique opportunity to build talent and impact the future of data use for research and policy, in India and worldwide, through this collaborative partnership between data.org and J-PAL South Asia,” said Iqbal Dhaliwal, global executive director at J-PAL. 

Accelerators will partner with universities and other social impact and public sector organizations that will support the research and roll out of curriculum, resources, and experiential learning programs, in an effort to engage top talent in social impact—a consistent challenge for the sector. A recent report from data.org and the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, “Workforce Wanted: Data Talent for Social Impact,” found that there is an opportunity to develop 3.5 million data professionals focused on social impact in low- and middle-income countries over the next 10 years. 

“No one can do this work alone, but together, we can build a diverse workforce of purpose-driven data practitioners, advancing social impact. We invite funders, social impact organizations, academia, and government to join us,” added Mikhailov. 

About Wellcome 

Wellcome supports science to solve the urgent health challenges facing everyone. We support discovery research into life, health and wellbeing, and we’re taking on three worldwide health challenges: mental health, global heating and infectious diseases. 

About Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL): 

The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) is a global research center working to reduce poverty by ensuring that policy is informed by scientific evidence. Anchored by a network of 262 affiliated professors at universities around the world, J-PAL conducts randomized impact evaluations to answer critical questions in the fight against poverty. 

About The Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data (GPSDD): 

The Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data is a fast-growing, dynamic international partnership bringing together over 650 different organizations including governments, UN agencies, private companies, civil society organizations, and many others. The Global Partnership convenes, connects, and catalyzes action to address the problems of poor data use, access, quality, and production, and to work with stakeholders to fully harness the new opportunities of the data revolution in the service of sustainable development. The Global Partnership aims to link and align action, capacities, and resources across geographies, sectors, and data communities. 

About data.org: 

data.org is committed to democratizing data, for good. Founded by The Rockefeller Foundation and the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, data.org is a platform for partnerships, and works with organizations all over the world to increase the use of data science to tackle society’s most pressing challenges and improve the lives of millions of people. For more information, visit data.org and follow us on Twitter @datadotorg. 

Media contacts: 

data.org:
Emma Marty | emma@data.org 

Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data:
Jennifer Oldfield | joldfield@data4sdgs.org  

J-PAL:
Evan Williams | ewilliams@povertyactionlab.org 

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data.org welcomes Uyi Stewart as Chief Data and Technology Officer https://data.org/news/uyi-stewart-chief-data-and-technology-officer/ Tue, 12 Jul 2022 12:55:00 +0000 https://data.org/?p=12754 Today data.org announced that Uyi Stewart will join on August 15, 2022, as Chief Data and Technology Officer. In this newly-created position, Uyi will provide senior technical leadership in all aspects of data.org’s work, with a particular focus on our programmatic initiatives which today include the Inclusive Growth and Recovery Challenge, the Capacity Accelerator Network, and Epiverse.

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Today data.org announced that Dr. Uyi Stewart will join on August 15, 2022, as Chief Data and Technology Officer. In this newly-created position, Uyi will provide senior technical leadership in all aspects of data.org’s work, with a particular focus on our programmatic initiatives which today include the Inclusive Growth and Recovery Challenge, the Capacity Accelerator Network, and Epiverse. Uyi will play a critical role in designing and building new initiatives, leveraging his global network to drive inclusive co-creation and strengthen outcomes. He will also be responsible for data.org’s overall data strategy, leading the design, development, and implementation of advanced analytics to glean insights from data.org’s own data generated through its initiatives, and data from the wider social impact sector.

“Our rapid growth in scope and scale of our global initiatives have heightened our need for technical depth to conceive and evaluate programs, and to make use of the increasing volume of data informing our overall work today” said Danil Mikhailov, executive director at data.org. “We are delighted to be working with an esteemed data and technology leader to bring oversight and insight to our efforts, and to deepen our networks globally, particularly in Africa.”

Previously, Uyi served as an executive director of data science, Technical Operations, at  Seagen Inc., where he focused on the digitalization of biologics data to accelerate the development of transformative cancer drugs. Prior to that, he was the executive director at AI Commons, a non-profit focused on democratizing access to AI in emerging markets. Uyi was a director of global development’s strategy, data and analytics at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, centralizing the use of data to fight disease, poverty, and inequity.

Uyi was also a Distinguished Engineer, co-founder and Chief Scientist, at IBM Research — Africa, where he pioneered the use of big data to combat the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, and other ML/AI solutions to address societal challenges across the African continent. He continues to serve as Chair of Data Science Nigeria’s board of directors.

Uyi holds a Ph.D. in Linguistics from McGill University. He has 15 patents, has authored 65 publications, and has been involved in the implementation of hundreds of innovative digital solutions across Africa, Asia, and the USA.

“Spending the past year on the Epiverse Advisory Board gave me an early look at data.org, its innovative initiatives, and commitment to providing a bellwether platform for partnerships to build the field of data science for social impact,” said Uyi. “I am thrilled to be joining this team, and look forward to leading the data strategy propelling our initiatives and our organization forward — and maximizing our social impact to make a purposeful difference in people’s lives.”

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New Report Identifies Critical Need to Develop 3.5M Data Professionals to Address Global Challenges by 2032 https://data.org/news/new-report-identifies-critical-need-to-develop-3-5m-data-professionals-to-address-global-challenges-by-2032/ Wed, 15 Jun 2022 06:15:51 +0000 https://data.org/?p=12140 Today, data.org and the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation announce the release of Workforce Wanted: Data Talent for Social Impact, a first-of-its-kind report on global data talent in the social sector.

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New York, NY | June 15, 2022 – Today, data.org and the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation announce the release of Workforce Wanted: Data Talent for Social Impact, a first-of-its-kind report on global data talent in the social sector. This report delivers a definitive talent and training landscape for purpose-driven data professionals, confronting the realities of persistent data skills shortages and ongoing barriers that exclude women and historically marginalized communities from the field.

Workforce Wanted clarifies what is needed to identify, cultivate, support, and retain a diverse workforce of data professionals to solve the world’s most pressing challenges, such as climate change, healthcare disparities, food insecurity, and lack of financial inclusion. The report explores four potential pathways — new talent, existing talent, transitional talent, and leadership — to develop a robust workforce of data professionals. 

“Data-driven nonprofits face a critical resource gap: experienced data professionals with lived experience of communities around the world,” said Claudia Juech, Vice President of Data and Society at the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation. “Building a diverse and deep talent pool will equip social change organizations to reduce bias within data, unearth better insights, and enable improved decision-making on serious issues facing humanity.”

Through a review of nearly 200 data talent initiatives, a literature review of approximately 90 articles and reports, expert interviews with 30+ leaders across the globe, and extensive desk research, this report surveys the current state of data training and talent initiatives and culminates in this landscape analysis of the sector’s challenges.

Together, PJMF and data.org tapped the research capabilities and global network of Dalberg to produce this sector-defining report, and to explore what is needed to shape an inclusive, diverse, equitable, and accessible (IDEA) talent base of data professionals driving social impact. “The Workforce Wanted report provides an important foundation for understanding how building a diverse generation of data professionals is essential for advancing socioeconomic goals. Across low and middle-income countries, our conservative estimate is that there is potential to create a cohort of 3.5 million data professionals focused on social impact.” said Robin Miller, regional director for Africa, and global digital & data practice lead at Dalberg.

“In advancing the purpose-driven data talent workforce, we must act boldly to ensure better and more access to training and upskilling opportunities for women, people of color, and people from different economic backgrounds and conditions. This mission calls for partnerships across sectors—social impact organizations, government, philanthropy, academia, and tech—to develop, foster, and unlock data talent. This report illuminates the opportunity to align on shared goals and create a plan which is both achievable and ambitious. Together we can build and empower a workforce and a social sector that can harness the power of data to benefit everyone, everywhere.” said Ginger Zielinskie, senior advisor at data.org.

About data.org:

data.org is committed to democratizing data, for good. Founded by The Rockefeller Foundation and the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, data.org is a platform for partnerships, and works with organizations all over the world to increase the use of data science to tackle society’s most pressing challenges and improve the lives of millions of people. For more information, visit data.org and follow us on Twitter @datadotorg.

About The Patrick J. McGovern Foundation:

The Patrick J. McGovern Foundation is a global 21st century philanthropy bridging the frontiers of artificial intelligence, data science, and social impact to create a thriving, equitable and sustainable future for all. The Foundation’s work focuses on bringing together academia, practitioners, and civil society to pursue the potential of AI and data science to address some of the world’s most urgent challenges.

About Dalberg:

Dalberg is an impact advisory group that brings together strategy consulting, design thinking, big data analytics, and research to address complex social and environmental challenges. We work collaboratively with communities, institutions, governments, and corporations to develop solutions that create impact at scale. With more than 29 locations worldwide and a diverse footprint, Dalberg is driven by a mission to build a world where all people, everywhere, can reach their full potential. For more information, visit www.dalberg.com.

Media contact :

George Mastoras
george.mastoras@mcgovern.org
(914) 489-5282

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