Welcome to Locally Optimistic – a community for current and aspiring data analytics leaders. Started in NYC in early 2018 as an outgrowth of a slack channel / extremely informal meetup group, we hope to share our thoughts / opinions / experiences / trials / tribulations with others in the community.
If you have content that you would like to contribute (or if you just want to chat about data stuff), please reach out.
Quick note: The views and opinions expressed on this blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of their employers
Principal contributors & editors
Scott Breitenother
Scott is an investor and advisor who specializes in building data driven organizations. He currently leads Brooklyn Data Co., a consultancy offering full-stack data and analytics team as a service. He was employee #16 at direct-to-consumer mattress startup Casper and founded the company’s data and analytics team. When he’s not blogging about analytics trends, you can find him walking around Brooklyn with his wife and children.
Michael Kaminsky
Michael is the co-founder of Recast a marketing optimization platform and the co-founder of Analytics Engineers Club a training course for data analysts looking to improve their engineering skills. He has experience applying econometric research methods to fields including environmental economics, child welfare policy, and medical treatment efficacy. Michael is passionate about helping organizations “make better decisions faster.” In his spare time, Michael studies Spanish, reads, and pets dogs around Mexico City.
Sam Swift
Sam is the Head of Data at Bowery Farming, where “seed funding” refers to budget allocations between kale and arugula. He hails from an academic background in behavioral economics, but has led data science teams in national intelligence and fintech before landing in agriculture. He enjoys building communities and hearing about the details of other people’s projects, so don’t be shy in the comments.
Ilan Man
Ilan is VP of Data & Analytics at Brooklyn Data Co., leading the Healthcare and Life Science Practice. He loves thinking about numbers, musing philosophically and mapping optimal bike routes around the city. When he isn’t over-analyzing, he’s running around Prospect Park with his boys.
Caitlin Moorman
Caitlin is the VP of Data at Trove Recommerce, where she helps brands create circular retail models at scale – buying back and reselling their products to extend their useful life. She previously led data teams in crowdfunding and self-publishing. When she’s not optimizing single-item pricing or operations, she’s usually drinking a cup of tea and watching her chickens peck around the back yard.