Helena Hollis (she/her)

Helena is a social researcher with a strong participatory focus, committed to building participatory approaches through her work at CONNECTED BY DATA as Field Building Associate.

She formerly worked at the Institute for Community Studies, which is part of the Young Foundation, on a range of social policy oriented projects putting people at the heart of research. This work included focusing on AI and Data Governance in ‘left-behind places’, making research and innovation funding more accessible to marginalised communities, and social infrastructure.

Previously, Helena coordinated a UCL and British Academy research project on AI and the Future of Work, within which she focused on the meaning of “good” work, and on the potential impacts of data-driven technologies such as AI on the most vulnerable, marginalised and disenfranchised groups in society.

Helena has a PhD in Information Studies from UCL, building on her background as a librarian and research methods lecturer. Her PhD research explored the ways in which reading fiction can influence how we think critically, and she remains interested in the role of narratives in shaping our views and approaches.