Leading Equitable Data Practices
Frequently asked questions
Let us know if we missed anything!
How do the workshops work?
Prior to each week’s session, participants are asked to read and watch a curated selection of articles and videos related to the topic. During each workshop session, we will discuss the latest research and case studies, conduct group exercises to apply emerging frameworks to our projects, and discuss broader implications for our work.
Each week’s time commitment is 1.5 hours of pre-work and a one hour session, for an overall time commitment of 7.5 hours over 3 weeks.
Our only requirement is that each participant come with a data project so that you can directly apply the principles learned to real world practice.
Is technical knowledge required?
No. You don’t have to know how to write code, and what we teach is applicable to any data platforms or tools.
Who are your workshops for?
This program is designed for the full spectrum of people who work with data:
Data analysts, data scientists, and database administrators who want to create a positive impact
Data stewards, those involved in data governance, and people without a technical background who collect or manage data for organizations
Leaders who rely on data to inform decision-making
Anyone who collects, manages, or analyzes information and data about people, even if you don’t have “data” in your job title
Do I have to live in Los Angeles?
Absolutely not! We’re thrilled that half of our workshop participants come from outside of Southern California. You’ll meet and collaborate with colleagues from across the country.
Who attends your workshops?
Our past participants joined us from 30 different organizations across industries: tech, finance, education, public sector, entertainment, consulting, nonprofit, freelance, startups, and more. Their titles include: data scientist, deputy chief data officer, data solutions architect, technical project manager, data integrations engineer, data analyst, and director of data infrastructure and analytics.
What do people say about these workshops?
“Today I finished “Leading Equitable Data Practices” workshop with LA Tech4Good. It’s a great workshop with amazing facilitators that provide resources on data equity and time to have discussion with fellow cohort members from different industries on how to implement data equity.
With AI becoming part of all spheres of our life, workshops like this will help us stop and think about the blind spots, importance of documentation, educate ourselves with tools that we can implement in our own work spaces. Highly recommend for individuals and companies that collect data or use public data sets.”
Align
Your organization has stated DEI goals, but your data practices aren’t aligned with those goals
You want to prevent data from being misused or causing harm
You want to understand the key considerations of any algorithm getting built based on the data your organization currently uses, including the risk of amplifying existing issues and biases
How do I know if this is a fit for me?
Our workshops are designed to stand on three legs of alignment, understanding and implementation. They are for you if:
Understand
You might not know how to identify whether these issues affect your work specifically
You’ve learned data skills through online courses, degree programs, or self-guided resources that didn’t cover issues of equity and ethics in data
You’re not sure if the data you’re collecting, using, or analyzing might be ignoring or marginalizing people
Implement
Even if you know there are some existing issues with your data, it’s tough to find helpful resources and figure out what steps to take
It’s challenging to find practical tools to help get stakeholders at your organization aligned on actually implementing better data practices
What will I get out of it?
By joining this workshop, you will be able to:
Align
Align your data practices with your organization’s DEI goals, and show tangible action toward those goals
Create real, positive change in your work, team, and organization through data
Understand
Understand how data equity/ethics issues impact your specific context, and how to identify the best opportunities to make changes
Build your skills in this emerging professional standard of data equity
Implement
Help prevent misuse of your data, and promote validity and fairness, through clear strategies for documentation and presentation
Prepare your organization to thoughtfully and intentionally evaluate machine learning or AI products
Design a step-by-step roadmap for implementing better practices in your team and organization
How is this different from other courses out there?
Our material is designed for data practitioners across industries and roles and technical skill levels
Our cohort model prioritizes relationships and building a community movement around making better data practices standard
The curriculum guides you through implementing better data practices directly into your data project, so you walk away with a tangible, customized plan for your work
You are required to bring your own project and apply frameworks we teach in class / discuss with coaches + cohort members to brainstorm how to improve your work.
Will the sessions be recorded?
No – so we hope to see you there live! The majority of each weekly session of the workshop is spent in small breakout groups doing hands-on activities to apply the concepts from the week's topic directly to your work. We believe the most valuable learning in each session comes from the act of implementing these ideas, from peer learning in small groups, and from facilitated discussion led by your data equity coaches, which all require active participation. All of the resources, curriculum, and worksheets will be provided to you ahead of time, so even if you can't make it to a session, you'll still have all the content you need to work on implementing the concepts on your own time. Your registration also includes a 1:1 session with your data equity coach, which you can use to help catch you up on any learnings if you miss a session.