The 16th annual Baltimore Data Day is scheduled for Friday, July 18, 2025 from 8:30am to 4:15pm at the University of Baltimore. Baltimore Data Day, a free event hosted by the Baltimore Neighborhood Indicators Alliance, is where residents community leaders, government representatives, and others learn how to move from data to stories to action.
Baltimore Data Day brings advocates, agencies, and analysts together to champion a shared goal: using data to transform our city and communities. This goal carries new significance in 2025 as each week brings changes to the federal data ecosystem and the tools we have long championed to measure the health of our neighborhoods. In the wake of these shifts, it falls on Baltimore’s data users, visualizers, leaders, policy makers, and neighborhood change agents to strategize and build linkages that allow us to continue our work.
Presentations and workshops at this event help communities expand their capacity to use data and technology. During Baltimore Data Day, presenters from across the city share their knowledge about data availability, accessibility, and how data can be actionable for communities.
Baltimore Data Day brings advocates, agencies, and analysts together to champion a shared goal: using data to transform our city and communities. This goal carries new significance in 2025 as each week brings changes to the federal data ecosystem and the tools we have long championed to measure the health of our neighborhoods. In the wake of these shifts, it falls on Baltimore’s data users, visualizers, leaders, policy makers, and neighborhood change agents to strategize and build linkages that allow us to continue our work.
Baltimore Data Day is open to the public and there is no cost to attend. Space will be limited and registration is required.
Data Day 2025 Agenda
Each panel will feature a presentation and discussions from representatives from Baltimore City agencies, State agencies, and community organizations. These panels will explore current data needs, gaps, and alternative collection methods. Panelists will also discuss how to continue momentum in the face of losses in funding, building and maintaining community trust, rebuilding capacity, and progress on the horizon.
The day will conclude with facilitated discussions that move the panel discussions from a place of knowledge to one of action and strategy. Expect discussions on storytelling, organizing, open data, and capacity building.
A full agenda for the event will be released closer to the day of the event. A schedule of activities is provided below. Times are subject to change as we get closer to the event:
Thursday, July 17th
- State of Our Neighborhoods Presentation – Online
- Join BNIA-JFI for the virtual State of Our Neighborhoods presentation. During this hour-long presentation, we will highlight trends and key findings from the Vital Signs 23 report. Recording Viewable Here
- Data on Tap, Conversation with BNIA and The Baltimore Banner – Peabody Heights Brewery
- To kick off the 16th Annual Baltimore Data Day, the Baltimore Neighborhood Indicators Alliance (BNIA-JFI) presents Data on Tap, an engaging conversation with reporters from The Baltimore Banner. At this special event, attendees will meet the data journalism team and learn how the Banner identifies and prioritizes stories, develops analytical approaches to understanding complex topics, and will get a special preview of stories on the horizon. Join us to learn how data-driven journalism comes to life in Baltimore! Register Here!
Friday, July 18th
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Check-In and Coffee (Pastries and Coffee) (8:30am – 9:00am)
- Browse resource tables, the Job Board, and catch up over coffee and pastries.
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Welcoming Remarks and Keynote Panel (9:00am – 10:20am)
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- The Future of Civic Data Systems – Civic data systems, and the data collection efforts that maintain those systems, are often envisioned as neutral or value-free. In recent years, public-facing organizations and agencies recognized that in order for data to be meaningful, communities must be involved in the design, collection, and analysis of data. As federal decisions and budgetary cuts threaten the continuity and trustworthiness of established administrative data systems, these efforts to make local data useful face renewed focus. In the keynote panel for the 15th annual Baltimore Data Day, panelist will discuss efforts to build data systems that are representative of community experiences, that measure the effectiveness of public investments, and that aim to ensure that no one is left behind.
- Moderator: Amanda Phillips de Lucas, Director, BNIA-JFI
Bridget Blount, Deputy, Chief Executive Officer, Baltimore’s Promise
Shamiah Kerney, Deputy City Administrator, Baltimore City
Natalie Evans Harris, Chief Data Officer for the State of Maryland
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Morning Panels
(10:30am-11:45am)
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- Collaboration of Community Data and Lived Experience – Organizing neighborhoods to end Baltimore’s vacant housing crisis requires intentional coordination and collaboration. The efforts of faith leaders, neighbors, state and local officials, and many others have driven recent and unprecedented investment dedicated to advancing development without displacement. In this panel, participants will discuss how coordination and collaboration across multiple groups and agencies resulted in the historic commitments by the state, the city, and financial institutions to solve this problem once and for all. Panelists will discuss the progress made, how community data and lived experiences shaped organizing efforts, barriers to collaboration, and strategies for continuing to build momentum in the coming years.
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- Moderator: Rev. George Hopkins, BUILD
Kari Snyder, Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development
Jenny Guillaume, ReBUILD Metro
Edith Gilliard, Franklin Square Association
Regina Hammond, ReBUILD Johnston Square
Alicia Corson from Bon Secours
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- Decoding Baltimore’s Commercial Districs – Baltimore Development Corporation (BDC) is working with community organizations across the city on the Commercial District Assessment Initiative, a data-driven effort to measure the health of commercial districts. The process involves using data collected through on-the-ground surveys via Esri’s Survey123 in each district and from third-party sources to create a profile reflecting the areas strengths, weakness and needs. The profiles will be used by our partner organizations and stakeholders to advocate for improved services, funding, and investment to meet the needs of each district, as well as to gain a better understanding of the factors and characteristics that help create vibrant, healthy, active commercial districts.
- Moderator: Gabrielle Linder, Senior GIS Analyst, Baltimore Development Corporation
Ira Kowler, Managing Director, Neighborhood Development and Capital Projects, Baltimore Kristin Speaker, Executive Director, Charles Street Development
Patrick Terranova, Vice President of Economic Development, Downtown Partnership of Baltimore
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- Digital Access – The pandemic and the shift to virtual learning, working, and health care spaces became a rallying point to improve access to high-speed broadband internet and digital literacy skills. In the years since, significant progress has been made. Internet access in households is improving in many neighborhoods, Baltimore City continues expanding broadband to public recreation centers and pools, and grassroots organizers are implementing trainings to enhance digital literacy for all residents. Yet, sustaining this progress is fragile as programs supporting subsidized high-speed internet have sunsetted, and federal funding cuts threaten initiatives. Panelists will discuss current projects enhancing digital access, missing data that could improve efforts, and emerging strategies for building collaborative partnerships.
- Moderator: Gretchen LeGrand, Senior Program Manager, Robert W. Deutch Foundation Lo Smith, Executive Director, Baltimore Digital Equity Coalition (BDEC)
William Honablew, Digital Equity Coordinator, Baltimore City
Dani Dipietro, Director of Policy Research, Office of the Comptroller of Maryland
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- Mobility and Accessibility – How we move around and through Baltimore impacts nearly every facet of our day-to-day lives. Developing accessible routes ensures we have safer and more efficient ways to commute, travel, and explore our city. In this panel, participants will discuss efforts to gather and analyze data to improve mobility and accessibility for all: pedestrians, public transit users, bikers, and mobility devices users alike. Learn how the city is using geospatial analysis to identify ADA compatibility improvements on city sidewalks, how Bikemore is gathering local and qualitative data about experiencing biking in the city, and how MTA is using rider, census, and operations performance data to inform the visionary network outlined in the BMORE Bus Plan.
- Moderator: Greg Morton, The Baltimore Banner
Jed Weeks, Executive Director, Bikemore
Vera Choo, CitiStat Analyst, Baltimore City Office of Performance and Innovation
Holly Arnold, Administrator, Maryland Transit Authority
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Lunch and Hands-On Technical Workshops (separate registration required, 12:00pm -1:00pm)
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- Intro to R, led by Ava Hoffman – Data Scientist and Ecologist, Johns Hopkins University
- Have you heard of “R”? It is a free, open-source programming language and suite of statistical packages used for all things data: data management, data cleaning, data augmentation, statistical analyses, spatial- and temporal-data analyses, data visualization, and much, much more. The purpose of this workshop is to introduce you to the basics of R and how to work with BNIA data. Participants can expect to leave feeling acquainted with some of the key concepts of how R works, with a knowledge of few basic commands, and with a reproducible pipeline for retrieving, analyzing, and visualizing data. Register Here!
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- Geospatial Analysis in R, led by Ryan Little – Data Editor, The Baltimore Banner
- Learn how to use geospatial functions in R. We’ll explore tools for mapping, spatial joins, buffering and calculating distance — all using a single package. We’ll center a story published by The Baltimore Banner on gun violence around schools to showcase an application of these functions and demonstrate best practices for basic geospatial analysis. Register Here!
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Afternoon Panels (1:00pm – 2:15pm)
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- Energy Transitions – Maryland’s Climate Pollution Reduction Plan calls for a statewide reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 60% by 2031. Residential, commercial, and municipal electrification, combined with transitions to cleaner energy sources, offers one of the necessary paths to achieving this goal. Given Baltimore’s aging infrastructure and housing stock, this transition will require engagement across all Baltimore’s residents, homeowners, renters, and business owners alike. This panel will showcase the programs and initiatives driving energy transitions in Baltimore City and the State of Maryland. Panelists will discuss programs to aid residential electrification, municipal and commercial transitions at the city level, and state-wide initiatives like community solar and other programs.
- Moderator: Beth Harber, Senior Program Officer, The Abell Foundation
William Dexter Lacovara, Loans and Energy Specialist, Health Neighborhoods Inc.
Jenn Gallicchio, Assistant Director of Energy Programs, Maryland Energy Administration
Julia Kalloz, Energy Division Chief – Department of General Services, Baltimore City
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- Eyes on the Street – Neighborhood Data in Baybrook – How do neighborhoods and grassroots organizations use data to inform strategy and action? Action Baybrook, an organization committed to improving the safety and well-being of Baybrook residents by reducing vacant and problem properties, tackling blight, and expanding economic activity, takes a data driven approach to their community work. This panel will showcase the data driven approach that Action Baybrook uses to prioritize their work, make sense of community level trends, and propel strategies to improve the quality of life in the neighborhood. Panelists will discuss the organization’s work, how they compile and collect local data in a way that is understandable and actionable, and identify data gaps and municipal process improvements that could enhance their work.
- Moderator: Amanda Phillips de Lucas, Director, BNIA-JFI
Cecilia Gonzales, Executive Director, Action Baybrook
Jan Eveland, Property Development Manager and Legal Counsel, Action Baybrook
Molly Finch, Property Database Developer, Action Baybrook
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- – aren’t the target of predatory lending schemes or practices. For neighborhoods, this means having housing stock that is safe and habitable. In this panel, discussants will describe new and emerging efforts to ensure that all of Baltimore’s residents – homeowners and renters alike – can reside in a stable environment. Panelists will discuss data gaps, in particular, the glaring lack of data about and for renters; resources such as property tax credits, utility assistance; home repair programs that keep people in their houses; and innovative approaches like using aerial imagery and AI to identify vacant buildings – part of ongoing DHCD work on vacant property reduction that directly supports broader housing stability efforts.
- Moderator: John Kern, The SOS Fund
Nneka Nnamdi, The SOS Fund
Matt Hill, Public Justice Center
Henry Waldron, Baltimore City Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD)
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Coffee Break & Data Dash Presentations (2:15pm-3:00pm)
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From Data to Action Sessions (3:00pm-4:15pm)
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- From Data to Action – Organizing – To effectively use and interpret data, it is essential to understand its origins. At the root of every data point is a person – a person who has experienced something, a place where someone lives, a person who compiled and assembled that data. Building intentional relationships with others is one approach that we can use to ground our understanding of data within a community context while also building the foundation for collaboration and action. In this guided activity, Frank McMillian, Lead Organizer for BUILD, will introduce participants to the fundamentals of power and organizing, starting with the foundation of relationship building. Participants will walk away participating in four brief relational meetings and a call to action to schedule more in the future.
- Leader: Frank McMillan, Lead Organizer, BUILD
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- Data to Action with the Craft of Storytelling – All data starts somewhere. Data can describe an event such as a home purchase or a block party. It may capture a condition like the annual income of a household or a person’s employment status. Data might describe where and when a city service was requested or how requests for service have changed over time. All these data points are the seeds of stories that tell us more about the people and places that make up Baltimore. In this guided activity, Chief Storyteller for the City of Baltimore, Alanah Davis, and Abell Professor of Baltimore Journalism at the University of Maryland, Rob Wells, will introduce participants to the craft of using data to tell a compelling story. Participants will walk away with an understanding of how to use data to find patterns, describe change, and humanize lived experiences through storytelling.
- Leaders: Alanah Davis, Chief Storyteller, Baltimore City; Rob Wells, Abell Professor of Baltimore Journalism, Merrill College of Journalism, University of Maryland
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- Community Data Asset Mapping – Asset mapping is a process of identifying, documenting, and visualizing the strengths and resources within a community. This interactive session is designed to empower residents, community leaders, and organizations to identify and build upon local assets—from people and places to institutions, informal networks, and resources. Whether you’re working on a community project, planning local initiatives, or just want to better understand the potential around you, this workshop will provide practical tools and collaborative activities to help you turn knowledge into action.
- Leaders: James Sadler, Senior Director of Actionable Data, Baltimore’s Promise; Cheryl Knott, Assistant Director, Baltimore Neighborhood Indicators Alliance – Jacob France Institute
Archive of Past Data Day Presentations
Sponsorship Opportunities
Sponsorship opportunities are available to organizations or individuals who would like to support Baltimore Data Day. Event sponsorship supports the mission of BNIA‐JFI, guarantees the conference remains free and open to the public, and ensures that requests by community development corporations and other community‐based organizations will continue to be serviced free of charge. Visit our Donation page or email us at [email protected] for more information about sponsoring this event.
Baltimore Data Day 2025 was made possible by our sponsors:
Registration for Baltimore Data Day 2025 is Now Open! 
