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Denice Ross
U.S. Chief Data Scientist
Professional Background
Denice Ross is an optimistic and forward-thinking professional who specializes in leveraging open data to build trust, enhance governance, and engage communities. With a profound understanding of the transformative impact of data transparency, Denice has dedicated her career to tackling high-stakes challenges in various sectors, such as climate change, community resilience, and criminal justice. Through her innovative approach, she has cultivated partnerships and initiated programs that empower local communities and organizations to rethink complex issues and seize emerging opportunities for growth.
Throughout her impressive career, Denice co-founded the White House Police Data Initiative, a pivotal program designed to enable local police departments to utilize open data as a tool to foster community trust, especially in the wake of the events in Ferguson. This initiative has been instrumental in reshaping law enforcement practices across the nation, ensuring a more transparent relationship between police and the communities they serve. Denice's expertise in data transparency and innovation has not only helped local leaders devise strategies to lift communities out of crisis but has also provided invaluable insights in critical situations, including those experienced by Flint, Baton Rouge, Baltimore, and Detroit. Her work in these cities demonstrates her commitment to utilizing data as a catalyst for positive change.
As the pioneer of New Orleans’ open data initiative, Denice established one of the most successful open data programs in the United States. This program has become a model for municipalities seeking to harness data in a manner that promotes transparency and civic engagement. In addition to her work in New Orleans, she has been credited with creating the most comprehensive and trusted source of information about the city’s neighborhoods, particularly in relation to the ongoing recovery from Hurricane Katrina. Through data, Denice has empowered residents and provided insights that are vital to community development and recovery efforts.
Education and Achievements
Denice Ross has a robust educational background that underpins her practical work and achievements. She studied Energy at Johns Hopkins University through their Advanced Academic Programs, providing her with an in-depth understanding of the intersection between data and energy policy. Her education includes a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Arizona, which contributes to her well-rounded perspective on the complex challenges that communities face today.
Her professional trajectory is marked by several influential roles in various esteemed organizations, asserting her expertise within the field of data science and community advocacy. Notably, Denice served as the U.S. Chief Data Scientist at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, where she played a crucial role in shaping national data strategy and policy. Her contributions have garnered recognition within the fields of technology, governance, and digital innovation.
Denice has also been deeply involved in several initiatives and organizations, including:
- Commerce Agency Review Team during the Biden-Harris Transition, where she contributed her expertise in data strategies to support effective governance
- National Conference on Citizenship (NCoC) as a Senior Fellow, promoting civic engagement through data and innovation
- Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation, where she furthered her mission to ensure that data serves the public good
- New America, holding positions such as Data Strategy Lead and Public Interest Technology Fellow, enhancing public understanding of data’s role in solving societal challenges
- White House Office of Management and Budget, where she served as a Senior Advisor for Community Solutions, guiding local leaders in utilizing data for community empowerment
- White House Presidential Innovation Fellows, where she acted as a Presidential Innovation Fellow, working on data-centric solutions to improve governance
- City of New Orleans, where she held the position of Director of Enterprise Information, shaping how the city utilized data for civic governance
- Transition New Orleans, where she collaborated with Mayor Mitch Landrieu on tech transitions, promoting open data and community engagement initiatives
- Greater New Orleans Community Data Center, where she served as Deputy Director, analyzing community data to drive local decision-making.
Achievements
Denice Ross's career is punctuated by a series of significant achievements that reflect her dedication to empowering communities through data and innovative practices. Her work stands as a testament to the potential of open data initiatives to promote transparency and foster meaningful relationships between citizens and their governments. Denice’s role in the creation of the White House Police Data Initiative significantly contributed to a national conversation about police accountability and public trust. The initiative not only transformed police practices but also inspired other jurisdictions to adopt similar frameworks for transparency.
In addition to her groundbreaking work with police data, Denice's advisory roles during crises in places like Flint and Baltimore have established her as a trusted resource in navigating complex socio-political landscapes. In each city, she has helped local leaders understand the vital link between data transparency and effective governance.
Furthermore, her work on the New Orleans open data initiative was recognized as a model among cities looking to implement similar programs. This impactful leadership enabled citizens to access information about their community, resulting in enhanced civic engagement and informed decision-making among residents.
Through her comprehensive research and community engagement, Denice created a trusted source of information that continues to empower New Orleanians in their recovery efforts after Hurricane Katrina. This initiative showcases the significance of data in rebuilding lives and communities, ensuring that citizens have the necessary information to navigate challenges and opportunities alike.
Denice’s innovative spirit and commitment to community empowerment reflect a deep-seated belief in the power of data to enact positive societal change. Her thought leadership continues to inspire those within the fields of public policy, technology, and community development, as she works relentlessly to elevate the conversation around data utilization in service of the public good. As Denice Ross continues to champion open data practices, she remains a vital figure in reshaping how communities and governments interact, fostering trust, and building resilience against future challenges.
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Clay works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
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Clay offers tiered pricing options to suit different needs. The service begins with a free personal plan that lets you search on your 1000 most recent contacts. Clay offers a Pro Plan ($10 when billed annually) with unlimited contacts. Clay for Teams starts at $49/month/seat. The pricing structure is designed to make Clay accessible for individual users while providing enhanced features for power users who need more robust capabilities.
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Clay offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Clay is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Clay's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Clay has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Clay is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Clay beneficial.
Clay offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Clay offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Clay's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Clay offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Clay focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Clay also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Clay offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
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Clay's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Clay's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Clay has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
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