“Isn’t this a pivotal moment?” 

I kicked off our Fifth Annual Coleridge Convening in Washington, D.C. with this question, acknowledging the changing landscape in our nation’s capital and its implications for our work. Our nearly 250 Convening participants, who gathered in Arlington, VA, March 26-28, recognized the unique challenges of our current environment, with many noting that delivering on our Coleridge mission – to empower leaders, policymakers, and government agencies to create value through data literacy to inform better policies for the public good – is more critical than ever. 

Across the main stage and breakout room discussions, there was an unwavering confidence in data-driven decision making – the belief that the real potential for transformative change in government is in secure, accessible, and what I like to call “elegant” data. By elegant, I mean dynamic, nimble, and versatile data that addresses the needs of the moment while preparing us for the future.

This isn't theoretical. We had three new states join us this year from New York, Kansas, and West Virginia and one of the driving factors in their attendance was the real application of data collaboration in the Administrative Data Research Facility (ADRF) shared at the Convening. For example, with help from KYStats we launched the Multi-State Postsecondary Report, which allows partner states to track how their residents move across state lines for postsecondary education and into the workforce, offering insights that no single state could capture on its own. Building on that momentum, our Democratizing Data Challenge program helped launch the Eastern States Longitudinal Data Collaborative, which brought together New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Virginia to expand the model regionally. These are a few of the cases where traditional systems have faced hurdles and Coleridge Initiative’s collaborative approach launched them over those obstacles. And we stand ready to do so again.

Five critical opportunities emerged from our discussions that will shape our work in this pivotal moment:

Data Integrity

As Mark Zandi, Chief Economist at Moody's and Coleridge Initiative board member, emphasized in his keynote, “we have seen the quality of the data eroding, and it is increasingly difficult to trust traditional sources.” Changes at the federal level have magnified these issues. With federal data infrastructure under pressure, Coleridge's commitment to the highest standards of privacy and security has never been more essential. Our rigorous standards ensure policymakers can trust the evidence guiding their decisions.

Pioneering Collaborative Governance Models 

The "sandbox" we've created with the ADRF – where agencies can safely test innovative approaches to data sharing – continues to evolve. At this year's Convening, we unveiled Coleridge PASS (Privacy, Access, Safety, and Security), a groundbreaking layer that streamlines collaboration across agencies, datasets, agreements, and research projects. This framework maintains trust while accelerating insights. 

Bottom-Up Data Ecosystem 

While federal agencies navigate transition, an extraordinary opportunity emerges for states to lead. Coleridge Initiative has partnered with almost all 50 states in its five years and through the ADRF, we're witnessing the power of a bottom-up approach to data infrastructure. Each new agency, partner, and dataset creates a network effect that strengthens the entire ecosystem.

Enhanced Compliance through Responsible AI 

While secure data sharing will always require human oversight, we're strategically deploying AI to strengthen – not replace – critical safeguards. Our models build additional fail-safes into disclosure review and export processes. We’ve specifically enabled the use of AI as a data “export assistant,” allowing AI triage to surface potential data exposure issues for human review. This hybrid approach significantly reduces the risk of sensitive data transfer while maintaining rigorous oversight. 

Translating Data into Action through Impact Storytelling 

Marty Johnson, Director State Labor Information, Illinois Department of Employment Security, reminded us: “Data, when used in the right way, can tell the story that sits with people more deeply.” The growing Multi-state Data Collaborative demonstrates how sharing outcomes across boundaries amplifies impact and secures crucial investment. With dozens of projects currently underway across multiple government agencies, we're committed to helping you translate technical achievements into compelling narratives that resonate with policymakers and funders.

The time is now to champion administrative data and prove once and for all that collaborative, data-driven approaches generate meaningful societal impact, even in uncertain times. We’re not just ready for the moment. We were built for it.