Executive Briefing: Creating a center for data science from scratch—Lessons from nonprofit research

Gayle Bieler explains how she built a thriving center for data science within a large, well-respected nonprofit research institute and shares some of its most impactful projects and best adventures to date, that have solved important national problems, improved local communities, and transformed research.

The mission of the center at RTI International—a team of 24 data scientists, statisticians, software developers, and visual designers—is to improve the human condition: “data science for social good.” You’ll learn what it’s like building and leading such an organization from scratch after 26 years as a statistician at RTI. Gayle also outlines several important considerations: choosing a leader, team composition, continuous recruitment and retention efforts, the necessity of technical as well as domain and soft skills, team versus group culture, and elements of the center’s philosophy—namely rapid prototyping, human-centered design, and an open source mindset—that drive success in collaborating with domain researchers across the company, fostering staff engagement, and creating a continuous learning environment in a fast-moving field.