Purpose Statement

 

The Data-Informed Governance conference is a policy and technology-themed event bringing together public, private, and civic sector peers to exchange innovative, but actionable approaches to solving governing challenges with data assets and related tools. As data has become central for commercial enterprise and scientific discovery, state and local governments seek to apply this resource to critical problem-solving as well as optimization.

 

Participants will represent a wide spectrum of organizations and geographies. From local non-profits to national research institutes, small cities to regional governing bodies, the convening of diverse backgrounds aims to demonstrate the potential for structured peer-to-peer learning on this subject. This cross-section of attendee profiles will encourage the advancement of data-centric solutions for public policy that are accessible, scalable, and pragmatic.

Organizers

  • Zachary C. Steinert-Threlkeld

    EVENT CO-CHAIR

    is an Assistant Professor of Public Policy at the Luskin School of Public Affairs. His research develops theories about the dynamics of contentious politics and tests them with computational methodologies. He has studied protest waves in the Middle East and North Africa, Ukraine, Venezuela, the United States, and Uganda.

  • Alexander Kapur

    EVENT CO-CHAIR

    is a founder and leader with a proven track record of building and scaling data-centric solutions for complex issues in regulation, governing, and policy-making. He is a multi-purpose player with deep experience in business development, product growth, and product management. At UCLA, he teaches "Digital Government" - one of the first courses in the nation to instruct the intersection of technology, data, and governing.

  • Sophia Maxson

    EVENT LEAD

    is an undergraduate student at UCLA pursuing a major in Public Affairs with a minor in Statistics, and plans to combine these two passions into a career conducting data-informed policy research. She is also currently the Secretary of the Luskin Undergraduate Student Association and a Policy Analyst with the Roosevelt Institute at UCLA, a student-led public policy research organization.