Data Masters Podcast
A go-to place for data enthusiasts

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A Guide to Effective Data-Driven Collaboration with Joel Shapiro
Joel Shapiro
In the quest to become truly data-driven, organizations must bridge the communication gap between non-technical business leaders and technical data experts. Enter Professor Joel Shapiro, a renowned figure in the field working to foster collaboration between these two groups to effectively match business problems with data solutions to achieve shared goals.
Sounds easy? Not for the vast number of businesses overwhelmed by the sheer volume and complexity of data. For a data scientist, deciphering how to translate a business person’s needs, communicated in jargon-filled language, into an insightful model or actionable insights can be quite a challenge. And the big question is: how does all that jargon get converted into a set of data and analysis that makes sense?
Tune into this episode of the Data Masters Podcast with Joel Shapiro, Clinical Associate Professor of Data Analytics at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and Chief Analytics Officer at Varicent. Joel dedicates part of his time to executive education, working with MBA students and business leaders, helping them translate their business problems into actionable insights through data. Simultaneously, he guides technically-minded graduate students aspiring to become data scientists, equipping them with the skills to become valuable partners in their organizations. The common thread in Joel's work with these two groups is bridging the communication gap between the business and data teams, enabling them to collaborate effectively and achieve success through data-driven problem-solving.