82: What a Data Scientist Is & Does In The Social Sector w/ Nick Hamlin, GlobalGiving [Main T4C episode]

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Data Scientist Nick Hamlin uses statistics and programming, along with his own curious brain, to ask and answer intriguing questions in the non-profit or social sector at GlobalGiving. Under the slogan: “Donate to charity and see your impact with regular updates,” GlobalGiving has become the largest crowdfunding community in the world. Nick works on a diverse array of projects, including measuring the on-the-ground impact of the organizations his nonprofit supports through crowdfunded donations. On his own, Nick has developed GlobalGiving’s ETL system, which allows his colleagues to better manage the data most relevant to their work, on their own. Nick graduated from the University of Rochester with a dual degree in Mechanical Engineering and History and eventually went on to earn a graduate degree in Information and Data Science. After spending time in the private sector, Nick began working for GlobalGiving. In this ‘caffeinated conversation’ Nick tells us about his interesting life and career – from his experience in the data industry to his experience as a troubadour on the National Mall.  

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT IN THIS EPISODE:

• What exactly a data scientist does in the social sector
• What GlobalGiving does and how data analysts work to improve its impact
• What data storytelling really means
• What are the day to day job responsibilities of a data scientist at GlobalGiving
• How singing a cappella in college helped Nick succeed in data science
• What Nick believes to be the ‘best deal in higher education’ at the University of Rochester
• How Nick scored his first job out of college by playing the djembe (a west African drum)
• Why being a nerd, any kind of nerd, sets you up for professional success
• Nick’s twitter handle is:  @NicholasHamlin if you want to DM him with any Qs
• Check out the GlobalGiving Learn Library which has tons of information about topics in the social sector