Presentations and discussion

Networking and connecting

Learning and workshops

Data Day is an annual event, hosted by Data You Can Use. In 2025, Data Day: The Wealth of Data will explore how data can be harnessed to expose and understand persistent racial disparities in wealth and prosperity. Through dynamic presentations, panels, and workshops, participants will examine how data-driven insights can inform equitable policies, practices, and systems change. Join researchers, practitioners, advocates, and community leaders as we unlock the power of data to drive more just and inclusive economic outcomes. 

Wednesday, October 15th, 2025

Countdown to Data Day!

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Apply for a Data Dream today! 

Have you ever wished your organization had more information or data about your work or the people you serve? A Data Dream is an opportunity for an organization to move beyond limitations created by a lack of information, limited capacity to interpret existing data, or a combination of both. Data You Can Use staff will work with you over the next 3-9 months to help bring your data dream to life! Applications are due July 18th. Questions? Email [email protected].

Do you want to support Data Day?

Sponsorships are now available on a first-come, first-served basis! Don’t miss your opportunity to support Data You Can Use and our mission of advancing community access to data.

Have a data project to share, but want to keep it short?

One of the most popular parts of Data Day are the Ignite Presentations: 5-minute, timed mini-talks that put you and your data work in the spotlight! Additionally, last year we introduced a “Data Walk” poster gallery, which will be returning in 2025! Click below to fill out an interest form. Submit your idea by July 18th.

When: Wednesday, October 25, 2025

Time: 8:30am – 4pm

Where: Discovery World – 500 N Harbor Dr, Milwaukee, WI 53202

Agenda:

8:30am     Registration

9:00am     Welcome

9:15am     DYCU Presentation

9:45am     Keynote Address – Lamar Gardere, Executive Director of the Data Center, New Orleans

11:15am    Data Dream Finalist Presentations

11:30am     Ignite Presentations

12:00pm    Lunch

1:00pm     Announcement of Data Dream Winners

1:30pm     Afternoon Breakout Sessions (TBA)

3:00pm     Closing and Happy Hour

Learn about past Data Days!

2024 - Measures and Movements: Using Data to Spark Change

Data Day 2024 marked the 10th Anniversary of Data Day!  On October 23rd, we welcomed over 400 attendees. The theme was “Measures and Movements: Using Data to Spark Change.” Our keynote speaker was Jesse Van Tol, the President and CEO of the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC). After the keynote address, Greg Wesley, President and CEO of the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, provided a response and moderated a Q & A session with Jesse. During the keynote, Jesse demostrated the online interactive data tool “Home Mortgage Disclosure Act Longitudial Dataset” which allows users to investigate the historical impacts of redlining and disinvestement through new geographical alignment across multiple decades of mortgage resporting over fourty years by census tract. 

Data Dreams were awarded to two finalists at the event – Clean Wisconsin and Sherman Phoenix. Clean Wisconsin’s data dream is to provide a comprehensive, evidence-based evaluation of the local impact of green infrastructure in Milwaukee’s northwest side, incorporating an analysis of what environmental determinants of health are driving health inequities among the community and in the state of Wisconsin. Sherman Phoenix’s data dream is to employ precise measurement and data collection methods to effectively track the impact of our initiatives and validate the critical role we play in providing essential support to Black and brown small businesses seeking funding and assistance. They aim to identify the key indicators to substantiate their mission and facilitate the continuous improvement of their programs.

Moderated by Andrés Gonzalez, Vice President of Community Engagement and Chief Diversity Officer at Froedtert ThedaCare Health, Inc., the afternoon panel focused on the ways that local organizations used data to advance community health. The panelists represented organizations from sectors along the spectrum of social determinants, such as housing, education, healthcare, community-based development, and the built environment. The panel was made up of Antonio Butts, Executive Director of Walnut Way Conservation Corps, Anne Christiansen, Executive Director of Milwaukee Healthcare Partnership, Stephanie Maney-Hartlaub, PhD, Executive Director of City Year Milwaukee, and Teig Whaley-Smith, Executive Director of the Community Development Alliance. Highlights from the conversation include how each organization was utilizing data to advance their mission. For example, the Community Development Alliance compiles data on the individuals going through homebuyer counseling, grouped by neighborhood and political districts. They recently used this data as an advocacy tool with the Milwaukee Common Council when the city was considering cutting the home loan assistance budget considerably. Other examples of how panelists were utilizing data included measuring individual student progress, creating awareness and planning among community members, and guiding strategies for coalition-building.

2023 - Journey to Justice: Using Data for Systems Change in Milwaukee

Data Day 2023 took place on October 18th at the Italian Community Center, with 300 attendees. The theme was “Journey to Justice: Using Data for System chance in Milwaukee.” Our two keynote speakers were Cashauna Hill and Dr. Tonya Howard Calhoun. Cashauna Hill is the Executive Director of the Redress Movement, and previously served as the Executive Director of the Louisiana Fair Housing Action Center. The Redress Movement is committed to leading a multi-racial movement that empowers communities to take director action to redress racial segregation. Dr. Tonya Howard Calhoun is the Director of the Environmental Defense Fund’s (EDF) Office of Community Collaboration & Engagement. EDF is a global nonprofit tackling climate change through bold, game-changing solutions which put people at the center.

Data Dreams were awarded to two finalists at the event – Milwaukee Community Land Trust and Milwaukee Food Council. The Milwaukee Community Land Trust’s data dream is to compare the wealth created for families in three different scenarios: rental / fair market / community land trust. Using Milwaukee housing historical data to create a ten year comparison of the different scenarios, they hope to to inform potential homebuyers’ decision-making and the general public’s understanding of the land trust model. The Milwaukee Food Council’s data dream is to create a social network map of the pre-existing programs, policies, organizations, and businesses within the complex food system of Milwaukee to determine if they are meeting public need. Through facilitating dialogue among organizations doing overlapping work, they seek to mitigate the historical and systemic barriers that inhibit individuals from accessing nutritious, healthy food by fostering an organizations of shared resources and collaboration.