Data Con LA D4G (Data for Good) Initiative

Ever since Data Con LA was started several years ago (via different iterations fka Big Data Day La fka Big Data Camp LA), we believed there was something more that this group could achieve. Over the last several years, we have become a forum for learning, discourse, sharing of ideas, networking and increasing our understanding of data in today’s world but this is not enough. We can do more. We can become more. Over the last several months, we have been formulating a plan to do exactly this. We waited for Data Con LA 2019 to finish before we announced our  thoughts. In it's simplistic form, the plan is to start an initiative wherein we can help LA become better by understanding its data better, help it to share data within the city and outside the city. In the next several years, LA will be host to several national and international sporting events that will shine a light upon the city -

• 2 ? years (2022) - Super Bowl LVI
• 3 ? years (2023) - BCS Championship
• 7 years (2026) - World Cup Soccer
• 9 years (2028) - Olympics

LA is no stranger to big events, hosting both the Olympics and Super Bowl several times in the past but this is LA’s time to shine again and we believe Data Con LA is in a position to help LA achieve this.

As part of this initiative, we would be working to start a public private collaboration to discuss ideas and bring forth thought processes on some achievable results in the next 2 ?, 3 ? , 7 and 9 years.

Part of the focus is to work on challenging problems which are, but not limited to and in no particular order-

• Transportation
• Housing/ Homelessness
• Environment/ Global Warming
• Learning/ Job Training/ Workplace Diversity
• Economy/ Recession
• Health/ Mental Health
• Food
• Power/ Electricity

Now please understand that these issues are truly challenging and we would be remiss to say that we have solutions to all of this but we do want us  to start thinking about how we can be become more of a neighbor to our brethren. Part of this is to have discussions on these difficult topics within public and private domains and bring those discussions to the foreground. Part of this is also gathering the data from various sources and making that data available to all in a meaningful and shareable way.

If you are interested in joining, please contact me.

[email protected]