By Lauren Woodman, CEO, DataKind
In June, I shared that DataKind was entering a new chapter – one centered on building scalable, product-first solutions designed specifically for the social sector. This is about ensuring that the work we do delivers broader and more lasting impact, while also recognizing and building on our roots in customized, bespoke projects.
Just a few months later, the future is taking shape. The launch of Edvise, our advising support platform for higher education institutions, and Ladder, our platform for harnessing community data, show what it means to put a product-first strategy into action. These platforms aren’t about one-off solutions – they’re about building tools that can grow, adapt, and scale so that institutions and nonprofits everywhere can benefit.
We’ve moved quickly from vision to delivery. Now, we’re accelerating toward even greater impact – and this is only the beginning.
Why Scale Matters
The potential of data for impact is clear, but many still face barriers that make it difficult to fully leverage it. Access is limited. Capacity is stretched. And trust – around privacy, quality, and bias – remains a real concern.
At DataKind, we know data on its own isn’t what matters. What matters are the insights and decisions it enables. That’s where our role comes in: developing analytics, tools, and approaches that transform data into actionable insights for the organizations driving social good.
This is also where synthetic data becomes critical. By filling in gaps or correcting errors in the underlying data, synthetic data opens up new possibilities for organizations that otherwise couldn’t access high-quality datasets. Done responsibly, it allows insights without compromising privacy and security.
Because of our community, our partnerships, and our track record, DataKind is uniquely positioned to bring these capabilities to scale.
Navigating Data Frontiers Responsibly
Questions about data use aren’t new. For more than 20 years, leaders have debated how to ensure data is usable, ethical, and representative. But today’s AI-driven landscape makes those questions newly urgent.
That’s why we were proud to contribute to the global conversation with the release of Synthetic Data: The New Data Frontier, published through the World Economic Forum Global Future Council on Data Frontiers. This briefing paper provides clarity and practical guidance at a moment when demand for responsible approaches is only growing.
As the Co-Chair of the Council, I’m encouraged to see these issues elevated on the global agenda. Responsible data use isn’t just a technical question – it’s a societal one.
Broader Responsible Data Leadership
Responsible data use requires more than new ideas – it requires practical tools that strengthen trust in data itself. That’s why we built the Data Observation Toolkit (DOT) – an open-source product that automates integrity checks and flags anomalies to improve data quality. Recognized in the Digital Public Good Registry, DOT helps social sector organizations strengthen the reliability of their data, a critical step in ensuring that innovations like synthetic data deliver meaningful impact.
And our commitment extends beyond products. We’re also engaging in global conversations on cybersecurity, AI governance, and responsible technology, underscoring the importance of including the social sector’s perspective in shaping solutions that affect us all.
The message is clear: we’re not just building tools. We’re helping shape a responsible data future that ensures organizations have the confidence and capacity to use these technologies for good.
Mission Steady, Impact Scaling
While our approach is evolving, our mission remains constant: to bring the very best of data science and AI to the organizations tackling the world’s toughest challenges.
Our community of partners, funders, and supporters remains at the heart of everything we do. That won’t change. What is changing is our ability to take what works – like Edvise and Ladder – and scale it so many more can benefit.
This is not a departure from who we are. It’s a deeper expression of our mission, carried further than ever before.
Shaping What Comes Next
The conversations at UNGA highlight just how interconnected these issues are. From equity in education to cybersecurity to responsible AI, the global community is searching for ways to solve challenges collectively.
At DataKind, we’re proud to contribute by providing the tools and guidance organizations need to succeed. I invite you to read the synthetic data primer, explore our new products, and join us in shaping the future of responsible, scalable data and AI for good.
Together, we can ensure that data and AI serve not just as technologies, but as tools for meaningful impact at scale.
Header image courtesy of iStock/Natalya Kosarevich.
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