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GovEx Data Points

A podcast about government and data. Telling stories from practitioners and academics about how data affects communities and the lives of residents.

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#114 - Data Science for Social Good: Training the Next Generation of Civic AI Leaders

--- How students, cities, and researchers are using data science and AI to tackle housing, blight, and other real-world government challenges through the Data Science for Social Good program. ---- In this episode, Oliver Wise speaks with Data Science for Social Good Fellows Rayid Ghani, Jaspreet Ranjit, and Alibi Shakputov about how students, researchers, and local governments are using data and…

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#113 - AI, Data Leadership, and Trust in Government with former San Francisco and California data chief Joy Bonaguro

--- How the role of city chief data officers is evolving, why generative AI is changing government work, and how data leaders can build capacity, trust, and better services. --- In this episode, Bonaguro reflects on her path from philosophy and mathematics to data leadership roles in San Francisco and California. She discusses how chief data officers can navigate bureaucracy, build trust across…

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#112 - Former NYC data chief Mike Flowers on AI, Trust, and the Future of City Data

--- Why cities need faster, smarter decision-making and why empathy, judgment, and trust still matter most in the age of AI. --- In this episode, Flowers reflects on his path from prosecutor to New York City’s first Chief Analytics Officer and explains how cities can use data to improve operations, break down silos, and better serve residents. He also discusses why governments are struggling to…

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#111 - D.C. CDO Matt Sokol on the AI-Driven Future of City Government

--- Matt Sokol discusses why better data is the foundation for successful AI, smarter services, and public trust. --- In this episode, Sokol shares how Washington, D.C. is breaking down data silos, improving data quality, and making open data more accessible through tools like DC Compass. He also reflects on lessons cities are learning from one another as they navigate modernization, transparency,…

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#110 - Beyond Dashboards: How Boston’s CDO is Rethinking City Services

--- Boston’s Chief Research and Data Officer, Shin-pei Tsay, shares how cities can shift from analytics to impact by focusing on user experience, transparency, and practical AI use. --- This episode explores how the chief data officer role is evolving as cities move from experimentation to real-world results. Tsay reflects on Boston’s approach to using data and AI to improve services, from…

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#109 – How AI Is Redefining the Chief Data Officer Role

--- Justin Elszasz, former Chief Data Officer for Baltimore and GovEx advisor and CDO-in-Residence, shares what it takes to lead data strategy, navigate complexity, and guide responsible AI use in cities. --- Part of our Meet the CDOs miniseries, this episode explores how the chief data officer role is evolving alongside the rise of AI, why data sharing and governance remain persistent challenges,…

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#108 - Meet the CDOs: Melisa Breda on Trust and Responsibility in the Age of AI

--- Melisa Breda, former Chief Data Officer for Buenos Aires, and GovEx advisor and CDO-in-Residence, shares a candid look at what it takes to make data and AI trusted tools of government. --- Part of our Meet the CDOs miniseries, this episode explores how the chief data officer role is evolving in the age of AI, why strong data governance remains the foundation of innovation, and how cities can…

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#107 - Trust Through Results: Data, Evidence, and the Future of Public Service

--- Results for America CEO Michele Jolin and GovEx's Oliver Wise discuss how governments can use evidence, data, and cross-sector partnerships to fund solutions that improve lives and rebuild public trust. --- In this episode of the Data Points Podcast, GovEx Executive Director Oliver Wise sits down with Michele Jolin, co-founder and CEO of Results for America, to discuss how governments at every…

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#106 - From Vision to Impact: Lessons from GovEx's First 10 Years

--- Beth Blauer and Oliver Wise reflect on the roots, risks, and real-world impact of building a data-first culture in government. --- What began as a bold new idea for equipping cities with better data has become a national model for how local government leads with evidence. In this special retrospective, GovEx founder Beth Blauer joins current Executive Director Oliver Wise to share the untold…

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#105 - From Potholes to Predictive Power: How One City Is Using AI to Stay Ahead

--- With support from the City Data Alliance AI Track, Luján de Cuyo embraced AI and shifted from reactive repairs to proactive service delivery. --- Matías Meric, Chief of Staff to the Mayor of Luján de Cuyo, Argentina, discusses his experience as one of the first eight city leaders to participate in the Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance AI Track and the city’s journey from fragmented…

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