In this week’s episode of Chief Influencer, we’re featuring Jennifer Bell Elwanger, President and CEO of the Data Quality Campaign. She discusses her career journey from a kindergarten teacher in the Bronx to leading a nonprofit organization dedicated to making data accessible and useful for educational and career decisions. 

Jennifer emphasizes the importance of data in making informed choices and highlights her organization's efforts to provide timely and actionable data from early learning through workforce development. She shares insights on her roles in New York City's education system, Baltimore City Public Schools, and the U.S. Department of Education, where she focused on integrating data to support student success. Jennifer also talks about the challenges and triumphs of being a woman in data, the significance of storytelling in data communication, and the influence of mentors in her career.

Takeaways:

• Data for Informed Decision-Making: Ensure data is accessible to all stakeholders for evidence-based decision-making.
• Start with Questions: Define clear objectives and goals to guide purposeful and relevant data collection and analysis.
• Clear Communication: Foster clear and simple communication, making complex data understandable to all audiences.
• Challenge Preconceived Notions: Address biases and preconceived notions to build trust and competency within teams.
• Mentorship and Accessibility: Build relationships through regular one-on-one meetings, fostering trust and support.
• Trust and Collaboration: Create a culture of trust and collaboration, where team members feel secure sharing ideas and feedback.
• Humanize Data: Remember the human element behind the data, creating relatable and actionable narratives for meaningful change.

Quote of the Show:

• “Behind every data point is a person, a student, and a heartbeat.” 

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-bell-ellwanger/ 
• Website: https://dataqualitycampaign.org/ 

Shout Outs:

• Mayor Michael Bloomberg: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikebloomberg/ 
• Dr. Andres Alonso: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andres-a-alonso-783aa897/ 
• New York City Department of Education: https://www.schools.nyc.gov/ 
• Baltimore City Public Schools: https://www.baltimorecityschools.org/ 
• The U.S. Department of Education: https://www.ed.gov/ 
• David Coleman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-coleman-7854309a/ 
• President Obama
• Secretary Duncan 
• Secretary King 
• No Child Left Behind Campaign