Editor’s note: Post From Community is the place for community announcements and event postings. If you have a community-oriented event you feel our readers would be interested in, please submit here.
By Dawn Hutchison-Weiss, Data You Can Use
How can Milwaukee use local data to understand our challenges better, identify opportunities and drive meaningful change?
That question takes center stage on October 7, when Data You Can Use hosts Data Day 2026: The Power of Local Data at Discovery World. The event brings together community organizations, nonprofit leaders, researchers, public officials, funders and other data users for a day focused on one increasingly important resource: reliable, locally grounded information that communities can use to make decisions and drive change.
The event comes as access to federally produced data is increasingly limited and uncertain—making investments in local data infrastructure more critical to understanding Milwaukee’s neighborhoods and responding to their needs.
And this year marks a milestone: Data You Can Use’s 10th anniversary.
“Local data helps communities see what is happening in their own neighborhoods, understand what residents are experiencing and make a stronger case for change,” said Dr. Victor Amaya, Executive Director of Data You Can Use. “Data Day is about bringing people together to build the skills and connections needed to turn that information into action.”
National leaders examine the power of local data
A highlight of the day will be a keynote panel featuring nationally recognized leaders who use community-level data to inform strategies, investments, and more equitable decision-making, offering perspectives from communities across the country.
The panel will be moderated by Kathryn L.S. Pettit, Co-Director of the National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership (NNIP) at the Urban Institute. Panelists include Kate Eikel, Data Integration Strategist with CTData Collaborative; Nikolai Elneser, Community Impact Officer with Neighborhood Nexus; Robert Gradeck, Project Director of the Western Pennsylvania Regional Data Center; and Dr. Midas Hampton, Founding Executive Director of Strategic Spartanburg, Inc.
Together, the panelists represent a range of experience connecting data with community initiatives, public policy, research, advocacy, and investment, offering a national perspective on how communities can turn information into action.
Connecting local data to community action
Data Day will showcase how Milwaukee organizations are already putting local data to work.
The morning offers practical, hands-on sessions on using data to strengthen grant proposals, communicate compelling data stories and find, map and use Milwaukee datasets through the Data You Can Use Hub. The DYCU Hub provides free public access to Milwaukee-focused datasets, tools, visualizations, and reports, making it easier for community organizations, researchers, journalists, residents, and others to find and use data about local issues.
The event also features a series of short “Ignite” presentations highlighting local applications of data—from understanding what Black boys are telling us about their communities, to tracking Milwaukee’s housing permit process, examining the connection between outdoor and indoor air quality, and using data to inform decisions at public institutions.
Four Milwaukee organizations will also compete as Data Dream finalists, showcasing ambitious ideas for turning data into community impact. Winners of the annual Data Dream Awards receive $10,000 in pro bono services to help them use data to improve programs. Final projects range from student persistence and economic mobility to neighborhood heat, community needs and long-term violence prevention.
The day will close with awards and a celebration of Data You Can Use’s first decade. Kristin Kappelman, Director of Research at Milwaukee Succeeds, will receive a Data Hero Award for her community-based, policy-relevant research, evaluation, and data projects.
Data Day 2026
Wednesday, October 7, 2026
Discovery World | Milwaukee
8:00 a.m. registration and breakfast
9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. program
Registration is open: Register for Data Day 2026.
Data Day is free, but guests must register by the September 18th deadline.
Data Day 2026 would not be possible without the generous support of our Community Advocate sponsors, Northwestern Mutual and Bader Philanthropies.
About Data You Can Use
For 10 years, Data You Can Use has worked to make reliable, localized data more accessible to Milwaukee communities. As a local data intermediary, the organization brings together data, community knowledge and lived experience to help organizations and communities better understand local conditions and make more informed decisions.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
