Our Story

DataKind tackles the world’s toughest challenges with data science and AI to improve the capabilities, reach and scale of social impact organizations.

DataKind is a global organization based in the US. With a vibrant network of more than 30,000 supporters and volunteers around the world, DataKind is able to engage on a wide variety of issues, continually bringing the benefits of data science to new communities.

A decade ago, DataKind was founded as part of the first wave of the data-for-good movement. Then a new, innovative idea, the movement aimed to harness the power of data not just for marketing or to improve business efficiency, but for social change. In the years since, we’ve built a global network of more than 30,000 skilled technologists and data experts, and partnered with hundreds of nonprofit, government, and other social impact organizations all over the world to design, build, and implement AI-driven solutions to our world’s most intractable problems.

Jake Porway & Craig Barofsky tell the story of the founding of DataKind in 2012.

From hackathon-style events to years-long capacity-building engagements, DataKind builds new tools to address old and intractable problems, and brings emerging data scientists into the Data-for-Good movement by showing them how valuable their skills can be. With a vibrant network of supporters and volunteers around the world, DataKind is able to engage on a wide variety of issues, continually bringing the benefits of data science to new communities. Our projects range from increasing speed and efficiency of food aid distribution to building fairer systems to establish credit worthiness, DataKind works to close the gap between what data science can provide, and who has access to it.