GOOD24
Open Data Innovations
Nathan Childs
Open Data Lead
Niagara Region
Bob Lytle
CIO
Rel8ed Analytics
Bob Lytle is a technology executive and former CIO of Canada's TransUnion Credit Bureau. His St. Catharines-based venture, Rel8ed Analytics, works with public data to create a unique picture of commercial customers for banks, insurers, and researchers who need to understand their market and grow profits through Big Data and predictive analytics. Bob considers himself a "Citizen Data Scientist" and promotes the broad use of analytics in daily work life through his company's ethical use of Open and Public Data.
Rel8ed was acquired by French Trade Insurance company COFACE in 2023, bringing Rel8ed’s Canada, US and Africa teams onto the global stage for Open Data processing.
Jean-Noé Landry
Lead, Climate Data Hub
Concordia University
Based in Montreal, Jean-Noé leads the Climate Data Hub for Greater Montreal, a regional initiative designed by Concordia University's Data Studio, in collaboration with Open North, that fosters transdisciplinary and inter-sectoral data sharing and analysis for collective climate action. With a background in political campaigns and movement building, peace and conflict studies, and open data and technology, as the Former Executive Director of Open North, Jean-Noé has over 20 years of experience strengthening democratic systems and processes in Canada and around the world in repressive and post-revolutionary contexts.
As an Obama Scholar 2021-2022 at Columbia University's Climate School, Jean-Noé volunteered with We Act For Environmental Justice in Harlem, deepened his understanding of negotiation techniques, and explored inter-sectoral collaboration to bridge climate knowledge, action, and justice. Upon returning to Canada, he co-founded the Transition Bridges Project, a national initiative centered on the skills and competencies of systemic mediation in the polycrises, while prototyping machine learning of storytelling approaches with a large local climate action alliance.
Sameer Vasta, Moderator
Lead, Employee Experience
Ontario Government
Sameer Vasta is a public policy and public affairs professional with an academic background in cultural anthropology. He has worked on various projects in the areas of public sector transformation, digital government, open data, energy conservation, healthcare transformation, international development, and organizational change.
He is a founding member of the Ontario Digital Service and currently works in the public service in the area of people and talent.
He passes his time reading his never-ending stack of library books, writing letters to penpals, and exploring the urban landscape on foot.