Nominations and Applications are now open for 2020 Tableau Ambassadors, Introducing DataDev Ambassadors!

Each year we reach out to the incredible Tableau community and ask you to assist us in finding our next group of Tableau Ambassadors. You help us recognize data heroes that elevate others on social media, and the selfless leaders in the forums, brilliantly answering questions across all areas of expertise. You put a spotlight on talented storytellers on Tableau Public, committed User Group leaders from around the world, up and coming Academic influencers, and (new this year) we look forward to being introduced to amazing champions from the Tableau DataDev program.

Our mission is to recognize members of the community who connect, collaborate, and share with other people because they realize the value of helping people see and understand their data. The program started in 2015 with just nine Forum Ambassadors. In five years, it has grown to a class that included 118 community leaders from 16 countries representing five programs. That’s huge growth—but we’re just getting started.

From your nominees and applications, we select a group of leaders and ask them to serve a one-year term (with the option for more). During that time, Tableau Ambassadors will receive our support to amplify their impact and continue keeping the “pay it forward” spirit of the Tableau community alive. In return, we offer fun perks, a complimentary license to Tableau Software, access to teams across Tableau like development, eLearning and marketing, and exclusive swag just for ambassadors. Each program has even more unique perks. See the full descriptions below for details on each branch.

By nominating a fellow community member to become a Tableau Ambassador, you are not only recognizing your data heroes but you are also giving your say about who you want to lead the Tableau Community forward. The 2020 ambassadors will be empowered with resources and insider knowledge to help create, reimagine, or refine community programs and initiatives with the support of the Tableau team. We can’t wait to see this group collaborate, contribute, and engage with people to make the community a better place.

We are listening to the calls for action and change from our community and our team. We ask you to elevate diverse voices by nominating Black, Indigenous, and people of color to lead our community. We know that by amplifying diverse leaders in our community, we can help create better outcomes for all. We need to bring diversity into this community proactively, and this is a good place to start.

Do you know someone who should be a Tableau Ambassador? We want to hear from you! Nominate them now. If you are interested in being an ambassador, you can also apply directly! Check out more info at this link.

Supporting our ever-growing community, we are excited to share that we are aligning with our Tableau Developer Program this year and launching DataDev Ambassadors!

A DataDev uses the Tableau Developer Platform to integrate, customize, and extend the Tableau platform to fit the needs of their organization. This could be a Tableau Admin that wants to automate tedious tasks on Tableau Server to a Tableau partner with a Tableau integration into their third party tool, DataDevs work to amplify the platform with their brilliance.

The inaugural group of DataDev Ambassadors will be selected from nominees and applicants who are part of the Tableau Developer Program. New Ambassadors will be required to support our #DataDev Hackathon series, to help promote the Tableau Developer Program and share knowledge with others.

What does it take to become a Tableau Ambassador?

Tableau ambassadors represent the spirit and voice of the community. They keep us honest and push us to do more. They teach and share while fostering positive and supportive behavior within the community. They give credit where credit is due, and help nurture inclusivity. They shine the spotlight on new voices, innovative ideas, and allow us to reach more people to help them see and understand their data.

Ambassadors are selected and invited to serve a one-year term in one of six branches:

• Social Ambassadors: Social Ambassadors are inclusive social leaders who not only create and share engaging content on social media. They go above and beyond to drive thought-provoking conversations about data, champion others, welcome people to the community, support community members, and amplify key messages across all social channels.
• Tableau User Groups Ambassadors: Tableau User Group Leader Ambassadors are dedicated to helping communities, and community members thrive by leading their local or virtual User Group! They share best practices that they’ve learned and provided mentorship to new leaders. They are asked to help support with feedback on product testing for the Splash and Community Forums platforms and are invited to present on calls for all leads.
• Forum Ambassadors: Tableau Forum Ambassadors are the stewards of the Forums—helping maintain a healthy and engaging community forum by assisting users with quality responses, flagging inappropriate content for moderation or removal, and approving new users’ content.
• Tableau Public Ambassadors: Tableau Public Ambassadors show what Tableau can do creatively, driving a feedback loop and healthy space for connection, welcoming newcomers, and modeling engagement. We provide opportunities for collaboration with the Tableau Public Dev team and consult with them to build successful community programs like IronViz, VOTD, and ask for suggestions and support when selecting new featured authors.
• Student Ambassadors: Student Ambassadors are Tableau champions in higher education, empowering, and inspiring others to acquire fundamental skills to improve their employability. Student Ambassadors support Tableau’s Academic Programs through on-campus events and social media campaigns, which prepare students for success in today’s data-driven world.
• Data Dev Ambassadors (new this year and highlighted above): A DataDev uses the Tableau APIs. DataDevs are curious, innovative, and goal-driven. They like to tinker with new tools and apply them to fresh ideas. They are community-driven and want to share their technical knowledge with others.

We have made a notable change from previous years and are asking all current ambassadors interested in continuing in the Tableau Ambassador program to reapply. As we are changing expectations both in how we support Tableau Ambassadors and what we are asking of them, we felt it was necessary to ask all Ambassadors to reapply. We encourage you to nominate current ambassadors and share how their work has impacted you.

Requirements vary by program branch, but you can only nominate someone (or apply) to one specific group. We do not select Tableau Ambassadors based on the number of nominations received. While we do read and track all submissions, we also use internal metrics, employee recommendations, and the needs of our global community to determine the new group.
Nominations will be open from June 22, 2020, through July 15, 2020, at 5:00 pm PST.

Following the nomination and application period, the Tableau team will notify all candidates and review all submissions. This process may take up to three weeks. Personal invitations to join will be shared and must be accepted before the public announcement. The announcement of the 2020 Tableau Ambassadors will be in late July or early August.

We encourage you to learn more about all the ambassadors on our website and follow them on Twitter.