Data creates highly efficient means for closing gaps between big, national problems and local solutions. Mark Meersman, founder of IPC, shares how leveraging data is initiating breakthroughs in healthcare, government, and manufacturing. Mark M. shares how Qlik’s data integration analytics platform helped the company to provide world-class Enterprise Intelligence solutions in commercial, state, local, and federal communities. Mark’s key point is that tools created by analyzing data allow people to communicate “good” stories, and leveraging technology provides breakthroughs. Mark M. explains why IPC chose Qlik as an analytics tool platform in combination with AWS, and how modernization in technology can be implemented by people with specific working values who listen to their customers very carefully. Mark M. says the core values at IPC are humility, professionalism, integrity, loyalty, and family. The biggest breakthrough data was produced during the COVID-19 pandemic and elections where Mark M. reduced fear by using all the national and local data to inform communities about pandemic breakouts, schools, and traveling. The availability of this information eased organizational decisions for lots of communities. He also shares his thoughts about attainable breakthroughs that can help students with their education and sports struggles. Mark M. strongly believes that transparency and accountability in leveraging technology can result in a magnitude of breakthroughs for government agencies and funding programs.

Data is essential for basketball players, and in this episode we reveal what businesses and leaders can learn from top notch athletes. Data unveils a team’s strengths and weaknesses very clearly, but the key to success is in the way leaders tailor their coaching based on the data, and that is the secret sauce Alan Stein Jr. is sharing with us today. As a former performance coach, Alan shares what he learned from the best basketball coaches and NBA stars like Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, and Kobe Bryant. Alan believes that every good leader is a coach, who strives to see only great scores on the board, but knows that reality can throw a brick or two. And when it comes down to it, people make great results happen, and that is why combining data with motivation, coaching, and understanding the human perspective is essential. Coaches should know what the Strength Zone of each player is, and finding that within employees, organizations and businesses makes all the difference. We talk about mistakes in leading, and what challenges new leaders will face on the way to being respected within their team. We discuss generational changes of the federal workforce, as well as reticence to change. Aiming for diversity across ages, demographics, as well as ideas and opinions is not easy, but there is a need to bring respect, understanding, and curiosity back to the table. Alan has an approach that highlights the importance of teaching, directing, and motivating in every team, no matter if it is a sports team, family, or business team. His hope for all federal agencies: be inclusive instead of divisive, and highlight the things that unite us.

The future of technology is going to be in the hands of girls and boys, and this special episode is filled with honesty and inspiration. We talk with 9-year-old Loyal Hastings who shares her views on technology, STEM education, adults, the future, and life.The reason we recorded this podcast, other than it's fun and refreshing, is because when a kid talks about the serious things we adults talk about, it gives us a different perspective and reminds us what is really important. Loyal explains why she loves to learn through the STEM system more than in regular school and what makes it so interesting. It might surprise you, but she loves listening to podcasts and gets into that positive rabbit hole podcasts are swirling us into. Learning analytics, scoring, engineering and history through games, podcasts, and educational systems is the way to build our future. Loyal thinks that the whole system based on followers and not real friends is sad, and adults sometimes forget what is really important, don’t we? Did we lose our childhood due to technology, just like Neil Postman wrote in his book “Amused Ourselves to Death”? It is very important to listen to our kids, not turn them into tech junkies, and don't let them lose that childhood innocence. They should enjoy this time of their lives and not worry about social media engagement. And yes, we shouldn’t be hooked on technology that much either, and Loyal has a few words on that subject too. This refreshing conversation with Courtney’s daughter, Loyal, reminded us what inspires us in our jobs and what the real deal in life i

In this episode, Courtney, Andrew, and Mark recap the first season of the Data Reveal podcast. The first ten episodes brought the culture of Qlik to the forefront, explored human connection, allowed our guests to share some incredible knowledge, and covered a variety of topics. We discussed engagement, data literacy, mental and physical health, human intuition, helping the disadvantaged, living with purpose, and so much more. The common factor in all of these subjects is how data changes and how data usage can improve lives in all environments. The first season showed us that we should not avoid taboo topics, but instead, we should rally around interesting people and issues to use podcasting to bridge the gap between humans and business. We only scratched the surface of the incredible intelligence among data personnel and what is possible if their organizations empower them. The key to everything in our personal lives and our businesses working well is to optimize the way we use systems and technology in our lives. The positive takeaway from this season’s episodes is the importance of inclusion and working together. Understanding varying opinions and expectations and respecting them all while using data in decision-making is the key to overcoming many challenges that lie ahead. :

Energetic Ian Mitchell is a global fraud and financial crimes executive, a singer-songwriter, and the Founder and Board Chair of The Knoble. He has been fighting fraud and financial crime for over 20 years across over 30 countries, in leadership positions in the financial services industry. Ian’s breadth of fraud experience covers consumer and commercial banking products and channels, merchant fraud, and several insurance products. Today our conversation focuses on the human element of financial intelligence and financial crimes. In 2019, Ian founded The Knoble, a non-profit with a mission to unite the financial crimes industry to protect vulnerable populations: victims of human trafficking, child exploitation, and elder abuse. Ian shares what made him come back from his short retirement, how he is living a life with a purpose, and how his company is trying to wake up, train, and equip all financial crime fighters and law enforcement agencies with a network for fighting human crimes. We discuss a need for efficient and safe data sharing and faster insights to remove or reduce these kinds of crimes. There is an essential need for creating a trusting mentality across corporate culture that focuses on sharing data first. At the end of the show, Ian performs two songs that he has written, about living a life with purpose and encouraging all those in the heat of the battle not to give up.

Jere L Simpson is a serial entrepreneur, philanthropist, VC, and founder and CEO of KiteWire. Kitewire is the developer of an innovative Mobile Device Management solution that allows companies to protect their proprietary data while still allowing their employees to use mobile devices that aren’t hampered by security software. This episode talks about capitalism and activism - making money or making a difference and how data can help create the ground truth needed for the correct decision-making. Jere is incredibly passionate about helping veterans who have served our country in extended wartimes. He shares his thoughts on the ethical rightness of properly caring for those who have put their lives on the line for our country. He shares the trauma he experienced due to 9/11 and the help he sought and discusses the evolving awareness that mental health issues need to be addressed and support should be offered through therapy. We discuss culture, activism, and ethicality in the mission to help veterans with the care they need, especially with FDA-controlled treatment that gives impressive results. Not being led by fear is crucial. We must cut the loopholes and let data be effective, truthful, and updated quickly to make the right decisions in the decision rooms. Unfortunately, we’re still not using data to navigate our way to the end goal, which needs to change.

Jim McHugh is the Vice President of BigBear.ai and an IT leader with over 30 years of professional experience applying technology solutions to business challenges and federal data management. Jim has vast data modeling, data governance, business intelligence, predictive analytics, and data science expertise. Today, we discuss building and deploying technologies for everyday government use, leading by example, and issues and opportunities for optimization in the supply chain industry. Jim emphasizes the need for AI and ML, especially in the DOD, and the need to democratize data science and look at the opportunities that crowdsourcing allows. Finally, we dive deeper into intuition as a human asset and discuss the need for multigenerational intuition. It, how new generations will play a role in the future of data and how to draw them into the federal workforce.

Our guest, Monica Breidenbach, is a human capital strategist for the Office of Personnel Management and a self-described disruptor of the status quo working to improve organizational effectiveness. Monica boasts many years of experience in the federal workforce, and today we discuss HR and workforce planning using data and the vision for the next generation’s digital workforce. People considered Gen Z are digital natives, and they can unlock a lot of organizational effectiveness needed in government workforce planning. Still, there are some challenges to overcome in the future. Monica shares her thoughts on trustworthy decision-making and the need for and journey of modernization in government, especially pertaining to data. Monica strongly advocates for data democratization, structuring policies and technologies for the future, and living a purpose-filled life.

On this episode of Data Reveal, we spoke with Femi Ayanbadejo--a former NFL player and the founder of HealthReel, AI-powered body composition and health assessment app. Femi shares his data-driven story about how HealthReel views customers holistically and interconnects the relationship between mental, emotional, and physical health. A blend of NASA algorithm and data allows HealthReel to generate personalized health information for each user within minutes via any smart device. With support from the app and a journey with Femi and his team of professionals, users can find the root cause of various health issues. Most NFL players do not find themselves in the data space but Femi wants to leave a legacy of helping people become the best versions of themselves. He uses tech, data, and all of the knowledge he has gathered from his experiences to aid people in finding the answers to questions they have struggled to answer through the use of HealthReel. Femi is breaking the mold with his holistic approach to humans and the use of data in a unique and exciting way.

In today's episode of Data Reveal, we speak with Monica McEwen, a Managing Director of Deloitte Global Public Sector Analytics and Cognitive practice. Monica is a thought leader with more than 20 years of experience in aiding government agencies in enhancing the effectiveness of their digital transformation and data strategy. She is an expert in her field, working with clients across the Civilian, Federal, Health, and Defense sectors to tie together business strategy and technology. We dive into how data can be used wisely, effectively, and inclusively to make decisions and the challenges that are presenting themselves. As we move more into the use of automation, AI, and the cloud, those sharing data will see it used in ways that they can't control or may not understand. Monica shares more about the general misconception of people concerning the usage of AI, and we discuss the challenge of culture and the importance of building trust to see change.