You are not alone dealing with systems with this (bonkers) level of confused and ill-fitting categorization, I think your tactic of emphasizing the “inaccurate” nature of this can be super effective when the “disrespectful” concern falls on deaf ears.
Hi Jane! Glad to see you here.
so excited to join this resource - thank you, Heather and We All Count!
- Joanna Dueweke-Perez
- Detroit, MI
- Community Economic Development
- ProsperUs Detroit: ProsperUs is a community economic development initiative that supports entrepreneurs and small business development in neighborhoods throughout Detroit, Hamtramck, and Highland Park. We are on a mission to advance economic equity in under-resourced communities by supporting entrepreneurs with opportunities and capital needed to build businesses, generational wealth, and vibrant neighborhoods.
- I’m very grateful to connect with others who are approaching data with a focus on equity. I’m looking forward to learning more from this community!
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Yay Joanna! Great to see you here!
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Really thrilled to be here!
So excited about this new space! I’m Amanda Sutter, currently based in Connecticut (on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Mohegan, Mashantucket Pequot, Eastern Pequot, Schaghticoke, Golden Hill Paugussett, Nipmuc, and Lenape Peoples). I’m attending University of Connecticut focused on methodologies in educational evaluation. Equitable methods is going to be a main focus of my research so I look forward to learning from all of you!
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Hi Joanna! I was born in Detroit and raised in the metro region-- good to see a fellow Michigander (though I’m in Connecticut now!).
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Hi, I’m Debbie Gowensmith (she/her/hers), VP of Groundswell Services, a small consulting firm located in Denver, CO. We support equity-building movements through community-based research and evaluation. We are sector-neutral, but my background is grassroots-led community development. I also facilitate an Equity Evaluation Practice and Reflection Group that meets monthly via Zoom to share challenges, lessons learned, resources, and strategies related to the practice of building equity into our evaluation work. The group is comprised mainly of CO evaluators, but we also have folks from the broader mountain region.
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Hi! I’m Margaret Gillis, located in Brooklyn, NY, USA. I am a principal education researcher with SRI International, and my work focuses on early intervention, early childhood special education, and early childhood systems. I am particularly interested in issues around intersectionality in data equity. In the disability space, we often get small cell sizes when we start looking at intersections of disability/race/and other demographics, so I am really interested in discussing how to handle small cell sizes and understand the intersectional identities without “othering.”
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Hi everyone, I’m Min, Founder + Principal of MXM Research Group based in Boston, MA. I’m a part of a small research & evaluation consulting team that partners with social sector agencies in measuring and learning from their change efforts. We work on a range of issues, but I’m most committed to forced migration (eg refugee issues, human trafficking) and, sustainable livelihoods, and community health.
It’s been a while since I’ve taken the Foundations training but I’ve applied it in so many ways and am looking forward to exchanging experiences/lessons with you all!
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@amandallsutter so great to see you here! I’m always extra excited to have current students join the convo since the research you’re doing will be so vital to moving the needle. Keep us posted!
@DebbieGS another person from Colorado! @Bruno and @Rachel a whole data equity party happening in CO. As soon as we start travelling, we really hope to come out there.
@margaretgillis yes! absolutely the small cell size without “othering” is a very big deal. Please definitely post questions and ideas as you come across them and I promise we’ll talk about them.
@min I’m so excited you’re here. I think you were at one of our very first workshops!
Hello! My name is Rachel Vaca-Lubischer and I’m in Omaha, Nebraska. I work in research and evaluation for a local foundation - Nebraska Children and Families Foundation. I’m loving learning more about accessible, equity-focused data visualization and implementing these practices in my work. Great to be here.
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Hey all,
I’m Fausto, and I’m from Brazil, currently working in Vancouver, BC (local government).
I’m trying to embed Equity in all things work! Currently working in the department’s Research and Data team, I feel I can support the organization a lot in furthering Equity efforts 
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Oi Fausto! I was born in Brazil and am in USA now. Welcome!
Hi Rachel, I am also in CO (though also working from here). Welcome!!!
Hi Debbie, I am also working in CO. Welcome!!!
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Hi all! I’m Sarah and I’m the data manager for a small adult education nonprofit in Seattle, WA (Literacy Source) The Foundations training was instrumental in helping guide me in making some big changes to the way we are collecting data and how/why we ask questions to our students, volunteers, & Board members. We do our best to make all decisions through and equity lens and I’ve learned so much through this community! Excited to keep learning and growing with everyone here!
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Hi, I’m Sarah Ferrency and I live in Sitka, Alaska. I am currently working as a consultant, mostly in education but some in local politics too. I work for the Sitka Tribe of Alaska, a sovereign Tribal government, providing education program development and management support, and I do freelance grant writing, program planning, technical assistance and evaluation. Prior to this, I spent 20 years teaching and leading in the public schools, with most of that work in the alternative high school, which largely serves marginalized students and families. My interest in data equity comes from this work- I became a teacher to change the world, and social justice continues to motivate all the work that I do. I am especially interested right now in indigenizing program evaluation.
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Howdy, I’m Shenan Owens, from Austin, TX. I work as the Program Data Specialist at Community First! Village (CF!V), which is a community that provides affordable, permanent housing and a supportive community for individuals who have formerly experienced chronic homeless in Central Texas. My goal is to create a more equitable space and voice for those at CF!V, as well as those applying to live at CF!V.
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Hi everyone!
My name is Colin Hill and I work on postsecondary education policy research at MDRC - you can read more about MDRC and what I’m working on here! I am based in Brooklyn, NY and love riding my bike around the city to try its many incredible foods
I attended the Foundations training a while back and it has given me a helpful framework for helping my team think about how seemingly innocuous data collection/analysis practices have serious equity implications. In particular, I’m interested in reimagining how we collect gender identity data in a way that dignifies those outside the binary while being mindful about possible constraints (e.g. funder demands, data reporting needs, etc.)
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