Data for the People!

Every day, millions of Americans rely on federal data—often without realizing it. From checking the weather forecast to planning retirement, from tracking disease outbreaks to measuring economic growth, government datasets power decisions that shape our daily lives and drive billions in economic activity.

Data for the People! is a new podcast from the Data Foundation that shines a light on this essential but often overlooked infrastructure. Hosted by J.B. Wogan, each episode features conversations with leaders from the public and private sectors about the national datasets that belong to the American people and the policy changes in Washington that could enable—or limit—their use.

Podcasting since 2026 • 9 episodes

Data for the People!

Latest Episodes

Better Data, Stronger Communities: Using Data to Build Resilience in a Changing Climate

At the 2026 Data Summit, Leanne Spaulding, Resilience and Data Lead at the Environmental Policy Innovation Center, moderated a conversation on how better data can support resilience, environmental risk management, and growth. She was joined by ...

July 30, 2026 • Season 1 • Episode 9 • 35:58

Funding the Future of Public Data

This episode of Data for the People! shares highlights from the Data Foundation’s 2026 Data Summit, focusing on philanthropy’s role in supporting a stronger shared data ecosystem. Data Foundation President and CEO Nick Hart<...

July 09, 2026 • Season 1 • Episode 8 • 22:10

Taka Ariga on Using AI to Combat Waste, Fraud, and Abuse in Public Programs

In the latest episode of Data for the People!, Data Foundation Senior Fellow Taka Ariga discusses ...

May 19, 2026 • Season 1 • Episode 7 • 47:26

The Case for Standardizing the Way We Report Climate and Environmental Data

This episode of Data for the People! explores a problem with climate and environmental data that burdens public agencies and the private sector: Currently, federal and state regulators have a host of different reporting requirements fo...

April 20, 2026 • Season 1 • Episode 6 • 35:23

Brett Loper on Using Data Tools to Prevent Improper Payments

On the latest episode of Data for the People!, Brett Loper discusses policy options for using data tools to prevent improper payments in federal benefit programs. The options appear in a

April 01, 2026 • Season 1 • Episode 5 • 33:00

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