Introducing the Tableau Community Equity Task Force
In selecting the twelve members of the inaugural Tableau Community Equity Task Force, we aimed to be deliberately inclusive of currently under-represented groups across several factors including gender, race, and geographic location. This group will drive the Tableau Community’s commitment to justice, equality, and being a place where all are welcome to explore data together as a #datafam.
“Together, we are extraordinary.” This is the guiding principle of the Tableau Community. What makes our community so special is its diverse members, and the rich and varied perspectives they contribute. The Tableau Community is a place where passionate data people of all backgrounds can come together and learn from each other. Data visualization is a process of discovery, and a powerful tool for understanding different perspectives and communicating across contexts, geographies, and experiences. We are committed to ensuring that our community reflects, prioritizes, and elevates the diversity of its members.
Recently, Tableau CEO Adam Selipsky introduced the Racial Justice Data Initiative: A Tableau-wide effort to empower changemakers to use data to directly address the prejudice, violence, and structural inequities Black communities face across the country. As part of this initiative, Tableau is also looking inward: We will be making changes to ensure our company is a place where diverse people and perspectives are not just welcome and elevated, but are also openly heard and considered. That applies to the Tableau Community as well.
As part of the Racial Justice Data Initiative, we are committing to improving diversity and inclusion across our global community, which includes our Ambassador and Zen Master program, User Groups, and how we show up as a community in all we do. Our goal is to improve representation for all diverse groups across our community, and ensure that in doing so, we’re creating a safe and inclusive space for all to participate. To hold Tableau and our passionate community accountable to this commitment, we have established a Community Equity Task Force that will meet monthly to discuss progress and strategies for improving representation and inclusion.
In selecting the twelve members of the inaugural Tableau Community Equity Task Force, we aimed to be deliberately inclusive of currently under-represented groups across several factors including gender, race, and geographic location. This group of people, whom you will meet below, will drive the Tableau Community’s commitment to justice, equality, and being a place where all are welcome to explore data together as a #datafam.
Sedale McCall
Washington, D.C. (United States)
Sedale is a digital insights analyst with a passion for telling impactful data stories. His work looks at digital conversations to uncover perceptions of client’s brands and issues. When not working with Tableau and hanging out with the #datafam on social media, Sedale is passionate about discussing social justice issues, both personally via Twitter (@SedaleM) and as a communications volunteer for the Fairfax County NAACP.
Abisola Oni
Lagos, Nigeria
Abisola is an analytics professional with over six years experience in driving growth for technology-based businesses. Her interests lie in the intersection of technology, business, social impact and community. She is also Africa’s first Tableau Zen Master.
Siroros Roongdonsai
Bangkok, Thailand
Siroros is currently a Senior BI at Food Panda and has been working as data analyst and data scientist in the Financial Industry for 8 years. She has been a part of the Tableau community for 3 years and currently serves as a Tableau Public Ambassador and Thailand Tableau User Group Leader since 2018. Besides Data..she loves gardening and doing crafts.
Sekou Tyler
Nashville, Tennessee (United States)
Sekou Tyler is a self-proclaimed “data geek”: a computer aficionado who combines the scientific elements of data analysis with the narrative properties of data visualization. His degrees and extensive certifications have allowed him to use his version of data storytelling in multiple industries. Sekou is fascinated by the learning process; he actively seeks out ways to improve his skill set and utilizes different tools to display actionable data to ultimately empower people to make better data-driven decisions. Aside from all things data, Sekou enjoys speaking, mentoring, and reading. He is a Tennessee Titans and LA Lakers fan, but most of all he’s happiest spending time with his wife and hanging out with friends and family.
Josh Smith
Columbus, Ohio (United States)
Josh thrives on combining the creative and the analytical, the qualitative and the quantitative. With a background in the humanities (folklore, creative writing) and the sciences (decision science, biostatistics), Josh loves to apply a humanistic and narrative lens to data analysis and storytelling. He journeys as an amateur folklorist, amateur forester, amateur artist and amateur writer. As a professional, he works in healthcare analytics.
Chantilly Jaggernauth
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (United States)
Chantilly Jaggernauth's mission is to empower corporations and individuals through the use of data visualizations and data analytics. She is a two year Tableau Zen Master who specializes in data visualization, data analytics, design, and training.
Currently, she is the Vice President of Data Visualization and Training at Lovelytics based in Arlington, VA. In addition to her day job, Chantilly is the founder and CEO of the non-profit organization Millennials and Data (#MAD). Through #MAD, she works to bridge the data literacy and analytical skills gap by training, mentoring, and preparing millennials to enter a data- driven global environment.
Swagat Kumar Jena
East Singapore, Singapore
Swagat Kumar Jena works as a Data Visualization Consultant in Singapore. He is also a Tableau Public Ambassador who participates in various community programs like Makeover Monday and Viz For Social Good. He takes time out of his day to help people who reach out to him for Tableau related queries. He always believes that there is so much we can do for this society through our acts of kindness and righteousness.
Eugenia Kis
Amsterdam, Netherlands
The best way to describe Eugenia, is to say that she is a life-long learner in a constant search for improvement. With a background in statistics and strong leadership experience in the hospitality industry she can easily navigate the messy world of data to satisfy clients’ needs and challenges. Having a passion for problem solving through analytics and working with people, Eugenia naturally inspires and supports others on their data driven journey, which is very easy to do with Tableau.
Candra McRae
Columbus, Georgia (United States)
Candra McRae is a noted analytics strategist, conference speaker, and Tableau evangelist with over 10 years of experience. She is the founder of Lumodis, an analytics services firm focused on data strategy, data visualization, data literacy, and digital experience optimization. She also serves as a 2020 Tableau Public Ambassador, previous #TC18 speaker, and is very active in the online Tableau community. When she is not showing others how to understand their data or how to tell data stories that inspire action, she enjoys moving the conversation forward related to diversity in tech and data ethics. Outside of her day job, she is a proud wife and mother of one, experimental baker, music lover, and (pre-Covid-19) avid traveler.
Allen Hillery
New York, New York (United States)
Allen Hillery serves as part time faculty at Columbia University’s Applied Analytics program. He has extensive experience in developing and executing data analysis and integrating results into marketing programs and executive presentations. Allen is very passionate about data literacy and visualization and curates an article series that focuses on the importance of creating data narratives and spotlighting notable figures on how their use of storytelling made major impacts on society.
Sarah Bartlett
London, United Kingdom
Sarah is a BI & Analytics Consultant at Slalom in London. She was introduced to Tableau in late 2014 whilst working as an analyst and soon discovered her passion for data visualisation through participating in various community initiatives including #MakeoverMonday and #VizForSocialGood. In 2018, Sarah became the first woman to compete on stage at Iron Viz Europe and the experience prompted her to launch #IronQuest; a community data visualisation initiative designed to prepare individuals for the Iron Viz feeder competitions. Sarah is currently a Tableau Zen Master and Social Ambassador and is passionate about welcoming newcomers from diverse backgrounds to the Tableau Community.
Lakshmi Narayana
Hyderabad, India
Lakshmi is a Senior BI Consultant with a passion for sharing with other data and Tableau users. He is currently leading Server Admin Tableau User Group in APAC. He has also spoken at several Tableau User group meetups, along with other Tableau community led events. He is also a loving father and husband.
The Community Equity Task Force will serve a one-year term and will begin meeting on a monthly basis to help define the overall charter of the group and set out expectations for what they hope to achieve in the next 12 months. They will use the power of data and the passion of the Tableau Community to guide how Tableau will make a positive difference and impact on these racial issues facing us today, beginning with increasing BIPOC representation within our Zen Master and Ambassador programs by 50% by 2022.
We look forward to sharing with you the progress and upcoming efforts of this group. Please be on the lookout for opportunities for all Community members to take part in our Racial Justice Data Initiative.
Join our Data+Diversity Series
We will also be launching a new initiative called Data + Diversity. We hope the series will provide the Tableau community with a platform to discuss the challenges and solutions to diversity in data, fostering conversations around diversity, inclusion, allyship, and actions we can take to create positive change. Join us for the first event on September 10, 2020, where Tableau Zen Master and Community Equity Task force member Chantilly Jaggernauth will host a fireside chat with guest speaker, Kimberly Bryant, founder and CEO, Black Girls Code. The chat will be followed by a panel discussion with Chantilly and more members of the Tableau community: Sekou Tyler and Jasent Walker. If you aren’t able to join us for the first event, you can keep a pulse on future activities here.
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