Category: Events

The Evolution of the Data for Social Impact Initiative

Origins and Overview In 2019, the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth and the Rockefeller Foundation launched a collaborative effort to support non-profit, civic, and government organizations in building capacity to use data science to address societal challenges and create a more just, equitable world. This is where the Data for Social (DSI) initiative at Washington […]

Strive USA Small Business Summit – St. Louis

How can data and technology be leveraged to benefit small businesses? Join Mayor Tishaura Jones and others at the Mastercard Strive Small Business Summit and be a part of the conversation!

St. Louis Social Sector Leaders Discuss Data Equity at STL DataFest 2024

What is the role of data in improving impact? And why is this a matter of equity? St. Louis social sector leaders addressed these questions in a panel discussion at STL DataFest 2024 titled Power in Numbers: How Data for Social Impact Cultivates Inclusive Growth on Friday, May 17. The panel was moderated by Simon Huang, Chief Technology Officer for […]

Data for Social Impact Initiative Launches Data Equity Learning Cohort

To build connection and capacity for social sector leaders in equitable, collaborative data practice, Data for Social Impact (DSI), an initiative of the Social Policy Institute at Washington University in St. Louis, launched a Data Equity learning cohort in January 2024 in collaboration with Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy (AISP) of the University of Pennsylvania. […]

Sharing Data, Building Trust: A St. Louis Case Study in Data Collaboration

Join us on November 9th at 1 p.m. for this free virtual event! Learn strategies for conducting collaborative research between academics and practitioners and explore some of the data challenges involved. How can partnerships between researchers and practitioners help schools serve students better? And what are the opportunities and challenges of this kind of work? […]

Looking Back, Looking Forward: What’s Next for the St. Louis Data Community

Join the growing St. Louis data community at 4 p.m. on September 7th in the Clark-Fox Forum at Hillman Hall as we celebrate the Regional Data Alliance’s 5th birthday & next phase of Data for Social Impact! Over the past five years, the St. Louis Regional Data Alliance has worked to build data infrastructure and […]

Work Smarter Not Harder: How Data Sharing and AI Can Improve Transportation

How can data collaboration and AI improve impact in the social sector? And how can these tools be used responsibly while minimizing harm? Join us and hear Dr. Yaw Adu-Gyamfi (University of Missouri) discuss the role of data sharing and AI in supporting intelligent transportation systems in the St. Louis region and beyond. Applications range […]

Data is for Everyone: A Data for Social Impact Summit

This event took place in person from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on November 15 at the Clark-Fox Forum in Hillman Hall at Washington University in St. Louis and online. About the event At the summit, social sector colleagues with diverse roles and levels of experience joined together to connect and learn new strategies for leveraging data […]

We Are All Data People: An Equity-Centered Approach to Increasing Impact

The launch of a series of free learning opportunities for increasing social sector impact, capacity and connection around data. About this event Social sector organizations can increase their impact and advance their missions by cultivating effective, ethical, and equitable data practices. Based on St. Louis social sector input, the Data for Social Impact initiative is […]

Inclusive Growth in St. Louis Events

Who benefits from economic growth in St. Louis? Despite promises of job creation, increasing home values, new businesses, and representative leadership in St. Louis, the benefits of economic growth have not been equally, nor equitably, distributed. As the economy rebuilds itself from COVID-19 devastation, now is the time to consider how St. Louis can become […]

Elevating Community Voice in Data Collaboration Practices

This event took place on Friday, Oct. 1, 2021. How can we meaningfully include community voices when working with data in the St. Louis social sector? Speakers started conversations about this question at the event hosted by the Social Policy Institute’s Data Science for Social Impact initiative. The event explored processes designed to center community […]

Activating Inclusive Growth in St. Louis

On Dec. 9, 2021, we learned how to influence policy and collaborate with like-minded people to activate change in our last Inclusive Growth in St. Louis event. After a year of events investigating why economic growth in St. Louis benefits some groups of people more than others and how we can change systems to support […]

Data for Social Impact Roundtable Series

The purpose of the Data for Social Impact (DSI) public roundtable discussions is to gather feedback on prospective resources, tools and trainings, facilitate dialogue about key topics, and build connection and community while identifying St. Louis social sector priorities and considerations. Roundtable discussions welcome participants with a wide range of data experience, incorporate equitable and […]

Resilience and Reinvention: Lessons from the Pandemic (Links to an external site)

This two-part forum will present exciting new research arising from ongoing international collaborations involving McDonnell Academy partner institutions. It will feature presentations by researchers from Washington University in St. Louis and their collaborators around the globe on the impacts and lessons of Covid-19.

Embracing Inclusive Leadership

Join us at 12:30 p.m. CT on Thursday, Sept. 23 for an event discussing strategies to create inclusive leadership.

Policy & practice: How to build long-term financial wellness

We know that liquid assets provide a safety net for short-term financial well-being, but how can we transition from short-term financial stability to longer-term financial health? Researchers, Jeremy Burke, Stephen Roll and Emily Gallagher shared their findings on the mitigation effect of liquid assets during a financial shock, the leading factors that contribute to long-term […]

Investing in Inclusive Neighborhoods

Join us virtually for Investing in Inclusive Neighborhoods, 12:30-2:00 p.m. (CT) on July 14 and 15, to explore strategies for community driven, place-based investments that support equitable housing valuations and small/minority-owned business growth that leads to long-term wealth.

How Can a Data-Informed Social Sector Amplify Impact in St. Louis?

This event is hosted by the Social Policy Institute at Washington University in St. Louis in partnership with the St. Louis Regional Data Alliance and data.org, with support from the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth.  Data is a powerful tool for increasing impact with unique opportunities and needs for the social sector. How can St. […]

Creating Inclusive Access to Education, Training & Technology

Watch recording from Feb. 10-11 event, Creating Inclusive Access to Education, Training & Technology, a discussion about the opportunities to create inclusive access to education, training & technology for under-represented populations in St. Louis.

STL 2030 Jobs Plan Panel Discussion

Washington University’s Social Policy Institute and Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor for Civic Affairs and Strategic Planning is pleased to partner with Greater St. Louis Inc. for a panel discussion about the STL2030 Jobs Plan: Driving a Decade of Inclusive Growth. During the discussion, you’ll learn about the draft jobs plan, have the chance to […]

Bold Responses to the Racial Wealth Gap

Please join us 1:00- 2:30 p.m. (CT) on Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021 for an event sponsored by the Center for Household Financial Stability at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and the Social Policy Institute at Washington University in St. Louis to explore some of these responses.

Evidence on School Discipline Impacts and Disparities – For Missouri and Beyond

On January 29th, SPI data analyst Jason Jabbari presented at a SLU PRiME Center webinar on his research “The Collateral Damages of Suspensions” which demonstrates that attending high-suspension schools is negatively linked to math achievement and college attendance. Panelists emphasized the need for rigorous research on alternatives to suspensions, such as restorative justice. The webinar guests included:  […]

The Challenge of Living Together: Can the Coronavirus Be an Opportunity?

This event has passed. Watch a recording. Michal Granstein-Weiss, director of SPI, and Avital Blonder, founder and CEO of Jindas Association for Urban Urban Renewal, presented at 12:30 p.m. (CT) on January 25, 2021, part of the Shared Israeliness and Social Solidarity lecture series presented by Beit Keinan and the Initiative for Shared Israeliness at the […]

Supporting Inclusive Households in Building Financial Security

Supporting Inclusive Households

Join us virtually for Supporting Inclusive Households in Building Financial Security, 12:30-2:00 p.m. (CT) on Dec. 10, 2020, for a discussion about the opportunities to equitably support the financial situations of households.

Challenges and Opportunities in Developing Child Savings Programs in Israel and Uganda: Oct. 15

From 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. (CT) on Oct. 15, join the Social Policy Institute (SPI), the International Center for Child Health and Development (ICHAD), and the Next Age Institute (NAI) for a discussion about asset building for long-term child development and CSA programs—with the particular focus on CSAs in Israel and Uganda, which differ greatly in their structure.

Building an Inclusive Economy: Oct. 7

This event has passed. Watch a recording or see below. Historically, as the St Louis economy grows, benefits are not equally, nor equitably, distributed. As we look to rebuilding our economy from COVID-19 devastation, now is the time to consider how St. Louis can change to become a model for a truly inclusive economy that […]

The Impact of COVID-19 on the Racial, Gender and Generational Wealth Gaps

On June 25, 2020, join the Social Policy Institute at Washington University in St. Louis and Center for Household Financial Stability at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis to better understand the likely impacts COVID-19 on family wealth, and some possible responses to those gaps.

Jump-Starting America: How Investing in Technology & Science Revives Economies

At 1 p.m. on June 4, 2020, join the Social Policy Institute at Washington University and the Center for Household Financial Stability at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis for a virtual conversation with Jonathan Gruber and Simon Johnson, authors of Jump-Starting America: How Breakthrough Science Can Revive Economic Growth and the American Dream.

Poverty and Race: The Other St. Louis, with Wes Moore

November 10, 2018: 10:15 AM-11:45 AM McKinley – Mezz Level (Marriott Wardman Park) Panel Chairs:  Nisha Patel, Robin HoodDiscussants:  Jeremie Greer, Prosperity Now and David Newville, Prosperity Now

Our Nonprofit Sector Is at Risk. Does it Matter?

Date: November 18, 2019 | 5:30 Reception | 6:00 Lecture Location: Clark-Fox Forum, Hillman Hall, Washington University in St. Louis Congress has slashed the budget for the IRS’s oversight of nonprofit organizations. In the wake of the cuts, Wall Street is increasingly finding ways to profit from nonprofits. What does this mean for the social sector […]

Social Policy Institute Launch Event

Washington University in St. Louis is launching the Social Policy Institute (SPI), a new university-wide initiative dedicated to addressing pressing social issues through empirical research, dissemination of evidence-informed policy, and training in social policy.

Measuring Impact of Employee Financial Wellness Programs

Employee financial wellness programs have garnered a great deal of attention, but what do we really know about their impact on employees? The Social Policy Institute at Washington University in St. Louis presents hot-off-the-presses research on financial wellness program outcomes and discusses best practices in measurement.

Distracted Employees? Financial Wellness Can Help

Low- and moderate-income employees’ financial lives can be complicated and the challenge of making ends meet may distract them at work. Employers can offer evidence-informed workplace financial products and services targeted towards LMI employees to improve stability and increase wealth.