About us
Our vision
We want communities to have a powerful say in decisions about data so that it is used to create a just, equitable and sustainable world
Our mission
We campaign to put community at the centre of data narratives, practices and policies by advocating for collective and open data governance
What we're planning
Here is our strategic roadmap for 2022-23. We’ve made it public so you can see what we’re planning. We’d welcome comments and suggestions, but in particular love to hear of any opportunities you see to collaborate or complement your own work.
This document sets out our Theory of Change (ToC). This embodies our current working assumptions about how our activities will lead to the change we want to see in the world.
To put this ToC into practice we will develop various strategies, tactics and programmes to act on it, and test its assumptions.
How we work
We focus on impact
We work in the open
We collaborate and learn with others
We take care of each other and ourselves
Who we are
Jeni is an expert in all things data, from technology, to governance, strategy, and public policy. She is the founder of Connected by data, a Shuttleworth Foundation Fellow and an Affiliated Researcher at the Bennett Institute for Public Policy.
Jeni was CEO of the Open Data Institute, where she held leadership roles for nine years. There, she developed and directed the ODI’s approach to topics such as open data, data governance, data portability and data institutions, as well as leading research, development and advisory work in sectors ranging from health and climate to agriculture and engineering.
Jonathan has worked in campaigning and comms for quite a while now. Most recently he was Head of Campaigns at Shelter and before that the Fairtrade Foundation. He has also worked for Save the Children, Comic Relief and Christian Aid in his time.
Tim has spent the last 20 years working at the intersection of technology, participation and governance as both a researcher and practitioner. From piloting digital tools bringing youth voice into local decisions, to developing data standards the enable community scrutiny of billions of dollars of public spending, or writing about the political dynamics of open data initiatives, his work has explored how shared social challenges need participatory, collaborative and collective responses.
With a background in human rights law, youth work and community organising Adam co-founded The Bristol Cable; an internationally recognised 100% community-owned magazine redefining local media. He was the recipient of a British Journalism Award in 2019 and has worked on policy and practical solutions for the broken market of quality journalism in the UK and beyond.
Maria works at the intersection of law and technology, and has conducted research on a wide variety of topics such as privacy and data protection, internet access, platform regulation, as well as democratic theory and political participation.
Before joining Connected by data, she worked as a data protection researcher and consultant in Brazil in the private, public and third sectors.
Obioma has a background in mixed methods research across international development and higher education. She has previously interned at the Office for Students, Chatham House and the Overseas Development Institute whilst pursuing her undergraduate degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics with Social Data Science. She is currently interested in expanding her knowledge of contemporary debates in data ethics and exploring innovative approaches to collective data governance.
Board
Our directors
Associates
Freelancers we work with
How we are funded
Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust
The Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust is supporting our work influencing UK data policy with a grant of £42.5k.
The Mohn Westlake Foundation
The Mohn Westlake Foundation is funding us with a year-long unrestricted £100k grant.
Shuttleworth Funded
Jeni is a Shuttleworth Foundation Fellow, which funds her time and contributes $275k to Connected by Data.
With thanks...