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The Ottawa Data for Good Chapter
Data For Good is a collective of do gooders, who want to use their powers for good, and not evil, to help make our communities better through data.
We help other not for profit, and non-governmental, organizations harness the power of their data to make more informed and better decisions in their quest to make their communities flourish.
How we can help
Find out more details on how we do that data analysis on our How the Process Works page.
If your data is sensitive check out our Data Confidentiality Policy.
How Can We Help You?
Our services are tailored to your specific requirement, which may range from an in-depth data analysis to follow up on a hunch you may have relating to a specific business question, to a wide-open data exploration just to ‘see what comes up’.
Every client engagement is assigned a ‘Data Ambassador, who is your main point of contact and available to guide you through the process every step of the way.
Engagements typically last between four and eight months, depending on the depth and complexity of the data question being asked and culminates with a written report containing significant findings, suggestions for further analysis and lots of pretty, yet informative, charts.
As the client, you determine to which extent you’d like to be involved. While collaboration ensures the best results, this can take many forms, from infrequent e-mail exchanges, all the way to you being an active content editor. Data for Good will also arrange for face to face ‘checkpoint’ meetings every few months to explain where the analysis is at, and if any course corrections should be made to ensure we’re delivering what is of the most value to you.
Find out more details on how we do that data analysis on our How the Process Works page.
If your data is sensitive check out our Data Confidentiality Policy.
Community
Community is at the heart of Data for Good, whether through in the people who create and manage not-for-profit and non-governmental organizations, in supporting the people that such organizations serve, or in our own team who simply want to do some good. Data for Good Ottawa is happy to share the knowledge throughout the community and host speaking events to discuss the value of data.
Data Work
You don’t need degrees or certifications to start working with data! With some patience and open-mindedness, anyone can pick up the tools to start collecting and dissecting the multitudes of different data that are so essential to day-to-day operations. For organizations that may be overwhelmed with the amount of data to sift through and don’t know where to start, Data for Good is here.
Chapter Leads
Tina Groves
Chair Emeritus
Alexander Campbell
Chair
Chapter Leads
Christopher Belanger
YOW Chapter Co-Lead
Chris is a data scientist, researcher, and policy expert whose work combines geospatial and natural-language analysis with qualitative investigations into patients’, consumers’, and workers’ experiences. Chris worked previously in data policy and strategy advisory roles with the Province of Ontario and the Government of Canada, is the resident data scientist with the Ottawa Neighbourhood Study, is the Principal Investigator on a uOttawa-based qualitative research study on public servants’ experiences with meaninglessness at work, Co-Chairs the Ottawa chapter of Data for Good, and recently completed an Affiliated Postdoctoral Fellowship with the University of Ottawa and the Institut du Savoir Montfort researching geospatial access to language-concordant primary care and digital health. Dr. Belanger holds a PhD in the Philosophy of Modern Physics (2015) and a BSc Hon. in Physics (2007), both from the University of Toronto, and an MBA from the University of Ottawa’s Telfer School of Management.
Kady Carr
YOW Chapter Co-Lead
Kady Carr is the manager of a data & research program housed at the University of Ottawa, co-founded and now serves as one of three directors on the board of a data science and visualization charitable organization, and Co-Chairs the Ottawa chapter of Data For Good. Kady has an MBA from the Telfer School of Management (where they specialized in management consulting and business analytics) and an undergraduate degree in the Social Sciences (Honours Psychology) from the University of Ottawa. Kady has a keen understanding of the intersection between data and business, and a passion for promoting data literacy and empowering individuals and organizations to effectively work with data. Their areas of expertise include data strategy, data visualization, advanced analytics, and quantitative research methods.
James Younker
YOW Partnership Lead
James Younker has worked in quantitative and financial analysis roles in a crown corporation for the past sixteen years. He holds an MSc in Mathematics, an MA in Economics and a BA in Mathematics and Economics.
Pascal
YOW Operations Lead
Pascal is a data analyst with a strong programming and technology background. With over a decade of experience as a lead programmer in electronic medical records management, he possesses a deep understanding of data management and analysis. Pascal contributes to the (Seras) organization as a consultant, actively applying artificial intelligence to identify the qualifications and skills required in the biopharmaceutical manufacturing sector to the benefit of the Quebec Ministry of Education. Currently pursuing a master’s degree in computer science, Pascal is dedicated to expanding his knowledge and skills. He actively seeks opportunities to apply his expertise to drive positive change within the community.
Gabrielle Forget
YOW Community Lead
Gabrielle Forget currently works at the Bank of Canada as a Product Line Lead in the Data and Analytic Solutions team. She started as a datasets analyst in 2017 after completing her Bsc. and Msc. in Biology at the University of Ottawa. Gabrielle is passionate about enabling and advancing end-to-end data and analytics capabilities at the bank, and loves a good dashboard. Outside of work, she enjoys cooking, crafts, games, D&D, and spending time in nature with her husband and two cats.
Upcoming Data for Good Events in Ottawa
Want to participate in a Data for Good event and hone your data gathering skills? Stay up to date with upcoming events and register to join!
Meetup: Data Stuff
Some of Our Work in Ottawa
Click the button below to get started on your journey as a Data For Good volunteer!
Want to learn more about the organizations that we’ve helped? Click here to see our case studies.
Want to be part of the fun? You don’t need to be a data scientist or a PHD, there’s lots of ways that you can get involved with Data for Good.
Interested in Volunteering to Help One of These Organizations?
We’ve worked with a cross section of not for profits and non-governmental organizations that have come in all shapes and sizes.
Our Community People
KODY ROGERS Community Lead
ARNAV JATUKARAN Data Viz Lead
