Whose Story Are We Telling?

In the closing keynote of SSIR‘s February 2016 Data on Purpose conference, which was themed around “Telling Great Stories With Data,” Andrew Means looks at the importance of using storytelling to raise funds and motivate teams—but also the risks of telling the wrong stories. He argues that in a world increasingly reliant on data, we need to be able to accurately quantify organizations’ impact, and be careful about when and how we turn to dramatic, unrepresentative stories.

Andrew Means is the cofounder of The Impact Lab, a data science shop that works with nonprofits, foundations, and government agencies solving social problems. He has previously held leadership positions at the University of Chicago’s Center for Data Science and Public Policy, Groupon, and the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago.

If desired, you can follow along with the slideshow for Means’ presentation here.