Follow the Data Podcast

Solutions to many of the greatest challenges we face depend on the progress of cities. Local leaders are uniquely positioned to bring about real change that has tangible impact for residents, but often, they don’t have the resources to do so. How can we support city governments in bridging this gap, so they have the capabilities they need to move communities forward? The Government Innovation team at Bloomberg Philanthropies focuses on providing mayors and local government officials with the tools and support they need to tackle the pressing problems they face and improve people’s lives. On this episode, James Anderson, who leads Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Government Innovation program, joins Nneka Sobers, the Assistant Director of Product Development at the Urban Tech Hub at Cornell Tech, to discuss how Bloomberg Philanthropies works with city halls around the world to strengthen their problem-solving capacity and increase their use of data, innovation, and cross-sector collaboration by providing leadership training, programs, and an infrastructure that allows for urban ideas to spread across cities worldwide. This audio is adapted from their recent conversation at the Urban Tech Summit hosted at Cornell Tech, where academics, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and industry and public sector leaders gathered to discuss how cities can drive decarbonization around the world.

Tobacco use is the world’s leading cause of preventable death. Since the mid-20th century, the tobacco industry has used deliberate marketing tactics to confuse the public about tobacco’s harmful effects, causing billions of deaths globally from tobacco use and second-hand smoke. However, a growing number of countries and organizations around the world are standing up to the tobacco industry and taking strong action. Since its launch in 1995, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids has tackled the tobacco industry head on. And since the launch of the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use in 2007, the arch of the fight against tobacco has changed drastically – in turn, saving millions of lives. Despite this progress, the data shows that there's still a lot of work to be done. While cigarette use declined exceptionally over the years, the tobacco industry has found ways to reinvent itself through social media ad campaigns and colorful, fun-flavored e-cigarettes tailor made for kids. On this episode, our host Katherine Oliver, sits down with Matt Myers, outgoing President of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and Yolonda Richardson, the Campaign’s current President, to share more about the arduous battle against the ever-evolving tobacco industry and its deceptive marketing to kids and low-income communities around the world.

Data plays a critical role in helping build a more equitable society. As leaders and organizations across the country grapple with how to strategically invest in Black communities, having access to relevant data about wealth equity in the U.S. is essential. Unfortunately, that data is often out-of-date, inaccessible, not disaggregated by race, and not available at the local level. So, how can we work to reduce the gaps in racial wealth equity data? Supported by the Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Greenwood Initiative, the Black Wealth Data Center works to remedy the problem of insufficient and inaccessible data on the topic of Black wealth. By making relevant data disaggregated by race available, the Black Wealth Data Center's Racial Wealth Equity Database empowers leaders to leverage the data necessary to develop and implement effective programs and policies to increase racial wealth equity. To celebrate the Black Wealth Data Center’s recent one-year anniversary, Katherine Oliver sits down with Garnesha Ezediaro, who leads Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Greenwood Initiative, Darrick Hamilton, the Founding Director of the Institute for the Study of Race, Stratification and Political Economy at the New School, and Lamar Gardere, the Executive Director at The Data Center of Southeast Louisiana and national recipient of the Black Wealth Data Center and National Neighborhood Indicator’s Local Data and Engagement Grant Program, to discuss the importance of data in advancing racial wealth equity, the challenges faced by organizations that don’t have access to data, and how the Black Wealth Data Center is helping provide decision-makers with data collection and accessibility.

The future of our country depends on bold changes to education to ensure that all students are able to realize their full potential. According to The National Center for Education Statistics, in 2022, average mathematics scores at fourth grade declined across the country. Furthermore, only a third of Americans have a bachelor’s degree or higher, while there continues to be major shortfalls of qualified candidates for “middle skills jobs." How can we improve student achievement and provide them with viable pathways to jobs that lead to long-term economic mobility Building on more than a decade of education reform work from Mike Bloomberg’s time as mayor, Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Education program works to ensure that all students have the skills and opportunities to succeed in the 21st century. From supporting the growth of charter schools to investing in programs that help young people get the specialized training they need, our Education program works alongside partners to implement initiatives that will make a significant difference for the children most in need of a great education and chart a path to a successful future. On this episode, Katherine Oliver sits down with two colleagues from Bloomberg’s Education team – Eve Bois, who manages the Career and Technical Education portfolio, and Jasmine Jenkins, who co-manages the K-12 Education and Advocacy portfolio, to discuss the challenges facing public education in America, Bloomberg Philanthropies’ comprehensive education reform work, and how we are expanding post-secondary opportunities for students through school-based and work-based programs.

Everyone knows that an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but can singing in the shower also help? What about seeing a play or taking a painting class? For the past two years, Bloomberg Philanthropies has supported the EpiArts Lab, a National Endowment for the Arts Research Lab based at the University of Florida’s Center for Arts in Medicine in partnership with University College London. The EpiArts Lab has analyzed longitudinal datasets that follow thousands of U.S. residents from all demographics, over several decades to understand whether participating in the arts has long-term benefits for public health. While we continue to grapple with the mental health fall out of the pandemic, crises caused by climate change, the polarized political landscape, and the marginalization of certain populations…..now more than ever, people are looking for relief. The good news is, EpiArts Lab has produced over a dozen peer-reviewed papers uncovering the impacts of arts activities on health indicators in various populations, with compelling findings. In this episode of Follow the Data, Katherine Oliver sits down with Jill Sonke, PhD, director of research initiatives in the Center for Arts in Medicine at the University of Florida, and Tracey Knuckles of our arts team to shed light on the ways that cultural activities can help keep you healthy and how the arts can be incorporated into healthcare systems.