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Joel Gurin    

President and Founder of Center for Open Data Enterprise, Author of "Open Data Now"

Joel Gurin is a leading international expert on open data –freely accessible public data that can drive entrepreneurship, business growth, scientific innovation, and programs for the public good. He is President and Founder of the Center for Open Data Enterprise, a new Washington-based nonprofit that promotes the use of open data for social and economic impact. His book Open Data Now (McGraw-Hill), written for a general audience, has helped define this emerging field.

Before launching the Center in January 2015 he was Senior Advisor at the Governance Lab (GovLab) at New York University, a multidisciplinary program to use technology to improve the way we govern. Joel conceptualized and led the development team for the GovLab’s Open Data 500 project, the first comprehensive study of companies that use open government data as a key business resource. He and his team then developed the Open Data Roundtables, which bring together federal agencies with their data customers to help make government data more relevant, accessible, and actionable. The Center for Open Data Enterprise now leads international programs to assess the use of open data and convene key stakeholders. Joel has been a featured speaker at open data conferences in London, Mexico City, Shanghai, Taipei, and cities across the U.S.

Joel Gurin’s background combines government, nonprofit leadership, journalism, and consumer issues. He served as Chair of the White House Task Force on Smart Disclosure, which studied how open government data can improve consumer markets, and as Chief of the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission. He was previously Editorial Director and then Executive Vice President of Consumer Reports, where he directed the launch and development of ConsumerReports.org, the world’s largest paid-subscription information-based website.

Speech Topics


Making Data-Driven Decision Making Work for Your Organization

"Data-driven decision making" is the new catchphrase for smart leadership in government, business, and nonprofit organizations. But what does it mean and how do you put it into practice? Drawing on a popular Harvard professional development course, this talk will describe the basics of data-driven decision making, including ways to choose the best data sources and analytic approaches; seven principles for effective data-driven decision making; and what the real drivers of "data-driven decision making" need to be.

The Future of Health-Care Data

New uses of big data, clinical data, and AI are revolutionizing medicine and healthcare. The applications include new strategies for research, advanced clinical decision-making, better disease prevention, and more equitable, efficient healthcare for all Americans. This talk will describe how data is revolutionizing healthcare and medicine, how challenges in data privacy and analytics can be managed ethically, how patients can be partners in data-driven healthcare, and case studies on innovative uses of data for COVID-19, Sickle Cell Disease, Lyme disease, and fighting the opioid crisis.

The Data Revolution for Social Justice

Data is a powerful tool for social justice: It can reveal historical and current inequities, track progress, and help chart a course for a better society. The Biden administration has issued several mandates that will drive new data-driven social justice initiatives across the country. This talk will show how data is the key to environmental and social justice, improved healthcare for underserved communities, police reform, and racial equity in housing and workforce opportunity - using examples ranging from ambitious Federal programs to local community initiatives.

  • The Business Value of Open Data
  • Open Data for Smarter Government
  • The Open Data Revolution in Healthcare
  • Harnessing the Next Great Wave of the Information Age

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