Caitlin Augustin (DataKind): Data for Social Good

We are living inside a data revolution that is transforming the way we understand and interact with each other and the world - and it has only just begun. Every field is now having its “data moment,” giving mission-driven organizations brand new opportunities to harness data to advance their work. In fact, the same algorithms that companies use to boost profits can help these organizations boost their impact. From poverty alleviation to healthcare access to improved education, machine learning has the potential to move the needle on seemingly insurmountable issues, but only if there is close collaboration between data scientists and subject matter experts. Since DataKind was founded in 2011, its volunteers have delivered over $25 million in pro bono services to social change organizations worldwide - helping organizations deliver vaccines more effectively to creating chatbots that connect people to critical services during a natural disaster to helping at risk students reach graduation, using satellite imagery to estimate poverty and identify crop diseases, and more. This talk will focus on the ways that DataKind engages with nonprofits across industries and economies, with particular emphasis on techniques, tools, and approaches that can provide guidance to ML in the developing world. We’ll dive in on the exciting potential of big data to tackle big social issues and how data scientists can apply their skills for the greater good.