Joel Gurin

I came to Open Data, the subject of my book and my current work, with a background in government, nonprofits, journalism, and consumer issues. I think of Open Data as accessible public data that people, companies, and organizations can use to launch new ventures, analyze patterns and trends, make data-driven decisions, and solve complex problems. Open Data can come from sources as diverse as federal agencies and Twitter, and can be used to build billion-dollar companies, accelerate scientific innovation, or help citizens shape city budgets, among many other uses.

I've explored this new territory in my book, Open Data Now, and cover it on my website, OpenDataNow.com. Open Data is a fast-moving phenomenon that has as much potential for social and business benefits as anything I've seen in my career. As senior advisor at the GovLab at NYU, I'm working with my colleagues to explore how Open Data, among other approaches, can make government more effective and improve people's lives.

My career began with an undergrad degree in biochemistry, which led to years of enjoyable work as a science and medical journalist, which led, in turn, to an offer to join Consumer Reports. I spent over a decade at Consumer Reports as editorial director and as executive VP. I became committed to the idea that usable, relevant data and information - whether it's about cars, health care, or economic trends - can help both consumers and businesses and improve society in the process.

After I left Consumer Reports I became chief of the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau at the Federal Communications Commission. Beginning with a deceptively simple question - how could we help consumers choose the best cell-phone plans? - my colleagues and I began a quest to figure out how data of all kinds can help people make important choices in finance, health, education, and other areas. I was invited to become chair of the White House Task Force on Smart Disclosure, the term we used for giving consumers useful data for decision-making; our report was published in mid-2013.

That work, in turn, led to the work I'm doing today and to my book, Open Data Now. I'm happy to be able to document the Open Data revolution and be part of it at the same time.