Podcast · News

GovEx Data Points

by GovEx Data Points · English · News

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

New episodes: Monthly
Typical length: 30 min
Latest: 23 Jul 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

23 Jul 2026 · 35 min

#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 AI to solve public challenges. From roof damage in Baltimore to urban blight in Baton Rouge, they share how real-world partnerships and open-source tools can help governments make more proactive…

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

16 Jul 2026 · 30 min
#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 departments, and create practical data programs that solve real problems. She also explains why generative AI is reshaping government technology and what public sector data leaders need to do to build…
28 May 2026 · 34 min
#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 keep pace with generative AI, what today’s chief data officers need to succeed, and why public trust depends on competence, transparency, and accountability. --- Learn more about GovEx --- Fill out…
14 May 2026 · 16 min
#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, and the growing demand for faster data-driven decision-making. --- Learn more about GovEx --- Learn more about the Civic Analytics Network --- Fill out our listener survey
30 Apr 2026 · 24 min
#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 rethinking permitting to expanding access through open data tools. She shares why aligning teams around impact matters, how bringing people along during the process builds trust, and what it takes to make…
15 Apr 2026 · 34 min
#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, and how cities can move from curiosity to practical application. Justin reflects on the realities of leading in city government, from breaking down silos to helping teams learn and adapt, and…
31 Mar 2026 · 28 min
#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 move from experimentation to real impact. Melisa also highlights the growing importance of trust, transparency, and human-centered change management as governments navigate uncertainty and public…
12 Mar 2026 · 22 min
#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 level can use data and evidence to invest in solutions that work. --- Michele shares how her experience in the Obama administration led to the creation of Results for America, an organization…
23 Feb 2026 · 58 min
#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 stories behind the launch of GovEx, lessons from ten years in the field, and what governments must prioritize now, from data governance to community trust, to drive real impact. --- Learn more about…
16 Feb 2026 · 30 min
#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 data systems to a proactive, AI-driven street maintenance strategy. The city launched a machine learning tool using cameras on garbage trucks to predict potholes, increasing detection precision and…
15 Jan 2026 · 37 min
#104 - What’s Your AI IQ? How Cities Are Measuring and Making Progress
--- The AI Capacity Quiz is helping cities reflect, compare, and take confident steps forward --- The GovEx team created the AI Capacity Quiz to help local governments understand where they stand with AI and where to go next. In this episode, Mai-Ling Garcia, Justin Elszasz, and Michael Montgomery joined the podcast to talk about how the tool came to life, what makes it different from traditional assessments, and why it’s designed to encourage cities on their AI journey. --- Check out the assessment here --- Learn more about GovEx! --- Fill out our listener survey
19 Dec 2025 · 22 min
#103 - AI City Showcase: How Guatemala City is using AI to Combat Climate Change
--- The city developed its AI prototype as part of the Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance AI Track --- As one of eight cities in the Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance AI Track, Guatemala City worked with GovEx coaches to develop an AI prototype to determine where and how to build tree cover to best mitigate the impact of growing urban heat islands. City officials Julia Galindo and Griselda Valdez joined the podcast to talk about how they did it, what they learned, and why Latin America cities may be more eager to embrace the possibilities of AI. --- Learn more about GovEx!…
1 Dec 2025 · 16 min
#102 - Rewriting a Narrative: How El Paso’s mayor is using data to highlight the city’s promise
--- Mayor Renard Johnson’s participation in the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative offers an example of the power of data storytelling. --- Today, Bloomberg Center for Government Excellence Executive Director Oliver Wise talks to Mayor Renard Johnson of El Paso, Texas, a participant in the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative. The city finds itself at the center of two national conversations: immigration and AI infrastructure. The mayor is using data to broaden prevailing narratives about El Paso and elevate the social and economic opportunity the metropolitan region has to…
21 Nov 2025 · 17 min
#101 - City Spotlight: Recife leads a wave of Latin American AI innovation
--- With Conecta Recife and “zero-click” service delivery, the Brazilian tech hub is creating scalable solutions to address resident needs. --- Our new “City Spotlights” highlights GovEx city partners doing great things with data and AI. In this episode, we talk to two public servants from Recife, Brazil: Rafael Cunha, Secretary of Digital Transformation, Science and Technology, and Rafael Toscano, Executive Secretary for Science, Technology, and Business. --- Recife, a city of 3.7 million people that was part of the third cohort of Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance cities,…
29 Oct 2025 · 21 min
#100 - The Chief Data Officer: An Essential and Evolving Role in the Age of Generative AI
--- Miami CDO Cheriene Floyd shares how Generative AI is shifting the way cities think about their data. --- A Chief Data Officer’s role in cities is to turn data into a strategic asset, enabling insights that can be leveraged for resident impact. How is this responsibility changing in the age of generative AI? --- We’re joined today by Cheriene Floyd to discuss the shift in how CDOs are making data work for their residents. Floyd discusses her path from serving as a strategic planning and performance manager in the City of Miami to becoming the city’s first Chief Data Officer. During her…
29 Sep 2025 · 33 min
#99 - Cities as Engines of Innovation: Insights from GovEx Executive Director Oliver Wise
--- Oliver Wise has been a data leader in local and federal government, as well as the private sector, and as GovEx’s new Executive Director, he’s betting on cities to lead the way to Gen AI-driven innovation. --- Learn more about GovEx --- Fill out our listener survey
1 Sep 2025 · 31 min
#98 - Making Visions Reality: The African Mayoral Leadership Initiative
--- The innovation program that helps African leaders leverage data tools to achieve legacy goals --- Today, we’re talking about the African Mayoral Leadership Initiative or AMALI, which helps African city leaders reach legacy goals and improve local governance. In particular, we’ll talk about the AMALI Data Program, which provides direct coaching and technical support city leaders focused on connecting data to goals, closing data gaps, and establishing performance management to monitor and evaluate programs. --- We are joined by Tiffany Davis, the founding director of the AMALI data program…
1 Aug 2025 · 22 min
#97 - Making Data Accessible: The BREATHE Center’s Lung Health Dashboard
--- How can data storytelling improve health outcomes and save lives? The Lung Health Dashboard offers one example. --- Today’s episode explores how effective data storytelling connects the public with life-saving research, using the Lung Health Dashboard as an example. This project a collaboration between GovEx and the Johns Hopkins BREATHE Center, which promotes the science and medicine of lung health by interfacing with the community. The dashboard seeks to overcome the challenges of data communication through dynamic, “scrollytelling” visuals to provide research findings to viewers in a…
1 Jul 2025 · 32 min
#96 - Equipping Staff to make Better Decisions: The JHU Travel Emissions Dashboard
--- According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, transportation accounts for 28% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. For short trips, flying is much more carbon-intensive than rail or bus travel. At Johns Hopkins, faculty members travel the most of all affiliate types, producing more than double the emissions of administrative employees and staff. --- The Johns Hopkins University Office of Climate and Sustainability, through its Campus as a Living Lab initiative - a program that supports sustainability innovation - partnered with GovEx to build a tool to help address this problem.…
2 Jun 2025 · 16 min
#95 - The GovExperts: The "Squishier" Side of Data Use in Cities with Vidushani Jayalal
--- The GovExperts is a Data Points mini-series spotlighting the brilliant minds at GovEx who are shaping the future of public sector data work. Today we’re talking to Vidushani Jayalal, who works with cities in the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative. She talks about the importance of thinking not just about how data works, but about how people work together and solve problems using data as a shared language. --- Learn more about GovEx --- Fill out our listener survey!
11 Apr 2025 · 24 min
#94 - The GovExperts: What Data-Driven Culture Means for Cities with Dr. Sara Bertran de Lis
--- The GovExperts is a Data Points mini-series spotlighting the brilliant minds at GovEx who are shaping the future of public sector data work. Today we’re talking to Dr. Bertran de Lis, GovEx’s Director of Research and Analytics, about her path from astrophysics to data science, what it means for cities to adopt a “Data-Driven Culture,” and her groundbreaking work on the Coronavirus Resource Center and the new City Data Explorer. --- Learn more about GovEx --- Fill out our listener survey!
28 Mar 2025 · 31 min
#93 - Communicating with Data: How Do Cities Measure Up?
--- How well do cities communicate with data? What opportunities are they missing? --- GovEx Senior Research Manager Dr. Jacquie Greiff and Senior Researcher Chance Carter address these questions and more in their recent analysis of 2023 State of the City speeches. Their key finding: While mayors often illustrate progress by referencing data, they rarely offer the kind of context and analysis most likely to resonate with residents. Jacquie and Chance review how mayors can move beyond reference statistics and use data to compare trends, illustrate their decision making and build public trust.…
17 Mar 2025 · 14 min
#92 - The GovExperts: The Power of Effective Instructional Design with Dr. Jessica Arends
--- The GovExperts is a Data Points mini-series spotlighting the brilliant minds at GovEx who are shaping the future of public sector data work. Today we’re chatting with Dr. Jessica Arenda, GovEx’s Instructional Designer. She helps us understand what makes adult learning experiences engaging and effective, how to connect with city leaders, and how COVID re-shaped the world of instructional design. --- Click to learn more about us and our work! --- Fill out our listener survey!
21 Feb 2025 · 19 min
#91 - 2024: The Year Cities Learned to Stop Worrying and Love AI
--- Outgoing GovEx Executive Director Amy Edwards Holmes reflects on a momentous year for cities and data --- While the characters in Dr. Strangelove, referenced in the title of this episode, grappled with the invention of the atomic bomb, cities in recent years have only tentatively explored the potential of artificial intelligence to benefit residents. As outgoing GovEx Executive Director Amy Edwards Holmes discusses in this episode, many cities pivoted in 2024 - with GovEx support - to develop thoughtful use cases for AI, based on solid data and comprehensive data strategies. As Holmes…
6 Nov 2024 · 36 min
#90 - Strengthening Community Food Systems: Resilience Strategies in Adams County, Colorado
--- In this episode of Data Points, GovEx’s Meg Burke sits down with Tessa Cushman, the Food Access and Systems Coordinator in Adams County, Colorado and a Bloomberg American Health Initiative Fellow, to discuss Cushman’s experience putting the Food System Resilience Planning Guide, which GovEx created in partnership with the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future in 2022, into action. --- Burke and Cushman review the importance of authentic engagement with local communities and the need to leverage existing resources, like local food policy councils, to enhance food resilience efforts.…
16 Oct 2024 · 47 min
#89 - Co-creating Solutions for Economic Mobility: The Opportunity Accelerator
--- In partnership with Results for America, GovEx helps empower communities to solve problems. --- In the latest episode of Data Points, we get an overview of the Opportunity Accelerator, a recently completed program in support of place-based initiatives focused on economic mobility with the goal of specific, population-level outcomes. Place-based initiatives aim to improve quality of life and access to opportunity, particularly for people of color and families with low incomes who live in neighborhoods, cities, and rural communities experiencing disinvestment. The program was administered…
25 Sep 2024 · 20 min
#88 - The GovExperts: Potential of public sector AI with Andrew Nicklin
--- The GovExperts is the new mini-series from GovEx Data Points spotlighting some of the top minds in public sector data. In our inaugural episode we discuss what generative AI is good at, how cities are interacting with it, and what it means for the workforce. --- We’re chatting with Andrew Nicklin, Senior Research Data Manager at GovEx. Andrew takes us from his early days at the NYC parks department to his pivotal role in launching the NYC Open Data platform, and how this experience led him to GovEx at the invitation of founder Beth Blauer. Discover how cities are already using AI to…
16 Aug 2024 · 34 min
#87 - Increasing Access while Reducing Emissions: Iowa City’s Fare Free Pilot Program
Iowa City and GovEx collaborate to solve a problem: How do you gather ridership data without fares? --- In the latest episode of the Data Points podcast, GovEx and Iowa City staff about collaborative efforts to track bus ridership for a free-fare program aimed at reducing carbon emissions. Iowa City is a participant of the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative Data Track, a program aimed at connecting cities with coaches and data practitioners to build data skills and techniques to tackle complex challenges and improve residents’ quality of life. ---Iowa City bus ridership dropped…
16 May 2024 · 50 min
#86 - Celebrating 10 Years: Reflections on the DATA Act and the future of open data
--- GovEx Executive Director Amy Holmes introduces highlights from the organization’s recent event marking the DATA Act’s 10th anniversary --- In the latest episode of GovEx Data Points from the Bloomberg Center for Government Excellence, GovEx Executive Director Amy Holmes, a key figure in the passage and implementation of the 2014 DATA Act, reflects on the organization’s recent event marking the law’s 10th anniversary at the new Hopkins Bloomberg Center in Washington, DC. The DATA Act, the nation’s first open data law, standardized data for more than $6 trillion in annual spending and…
15 Apr 2024 · 43 min
#85 - Teaching Mayors to Tap Data’s “Sneaky Super Power”: Bringing People Together
--- The Data Track at Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative helps leaders to the see the people behind city-level data. --- Today, we’re throwing a spotlight on the Data track of the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative, a collaboration between Bloomberg Philanthropies, Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard Business School, and GovEx. Launched in 2017, the Initiative has worked with 539 mayors and 2500+ senior city officials in 560 cities worldwide, and has also advanced research and developed new curriculum and teaching tools to help city leaders solve real-world problems. Latricia…

About 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.

GovEx Data Points is a English news podcast from GovEx Data Points. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: GovEx Data Points
Language: English
Category: News
New episodes: Monthly
Typical length: 30 min
Latest episode: 23 Jul 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1114127175

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