Matt Schumwinger, the founder of Big Lake Data, contributed $250 to Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service’s campaign to purchase four cameras for community members to tell their stories and document their lives.

Schumwinger’s consultancy helps nonprofit and public sector clients make data-driven decisions and effectively communicate their data stories. Big Lake Data specializes in data visualization, web maps and custom analytic tools.

A longtime Milwaukee resident, Schumwinger grew up in Iowa and studied labor relations and economics at Cornell University. He devoted his early career to organizing low-wage workers across the U.S.

Schumwinger believes in the value of storytelling. “Stories matter,” he said. “They frame the context in which we live and work. They affect our decisions. I have come to know and love my city all the more because of NNS.”