Follow the Data Podcast

144. A Home for Arts and Culture in Lower Manhattan Oct 04, 2024

Last year, the Perelman Performing Arts Center opened in New York City - the last major piece in the rebuilding of the World Trade Center site. Its opening marks a new chapter in the story of Lower Manhattan as a center of culture and creativity.

The space - dubbed PAC NYC for short - includes three theatres with movable walls and seats that expand and contort to create endless possibilities of layouts to stage a wide variety of shows. From a reimagination of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats to free programming on the lobby stage, PAC NYC’s inaugural year has hosted an impressive range of performances.

Over the past year, PAC has welcome around 200,000 guests into their building and hosted 238 separate free performances with artists from 24 different countries.

On this episode of Follow the Data, Katherine Oliver is joined by Khady Kamara Nunez, Executive Director of PAC NYC, and Bill Rauch, Artistic Director of PAC NYC, to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the PAC's opening. Together, they discuss what drew them to working at this brand-new venue and what's to come for the Perelman Performing Arts Center.

143. A New Frontier for Local Government: Generative AI Jul 22, 2024

Generative artificial intelligence has the potential to transform local government. That’s why city officials everywhere are working to harness its promise—from redesigning infrastructure to reimagining emergency response—alongside managing its pitfalls.

Still, it’s a new frontier for municipalities, one that’s especially difficult to confront without the help of peers. To bridge the gap, in October 2023, our Government Innovation program at Bloomberg Philanthropies together with the Bloomberg Center for Government Excellence (GovEx) at Johns Hopkins University launched City AI Connect: a global learning community and digital platform for cities to trial and advance the usage of generative artificial intelligence to improve public services—together.

Building on more than a decade of bolstering data capabilities in city halls, our City AI Connect team has spent the past 8 months in the artificial intelligence-trenches with local officials. Each day on the platform, more than 500 city leaders convene to experiment, strategy-share, and navigate the intricacies of putting this emerging technology to work for residents’ benefit.

On this episode of Follow the Data, Katherine Oliver sits down with Claudia Juech from our Bloomberg Philanthropies Government Innovation program team alongside Denise Riedl, Chief Innovation Officer of the City of South Bend, Indiana and Kyle Patterson, Chief Innovation Officer of the City of Boise, Idaho—two City AI Connect super users—to hear about the innerworkings of this new effort. They also discuss how their cities—and peers in other cities—are capitalizing on the generative artificial intelligence movement to bring their governments—and communities—into the future, for good.

142. Using Data to Tackle Air Pollution Jul 03, 2024

Air pollution is now the second leading risk of death worldwide, accounting for 8.1 million deaths globally in 2021.

As the world’s urban population grows, it is critical for policymakers and citizens to have access to data-driven scientific research that can empower communities and inform important environmental, air quality, and public health policy decisions.

The State of Global Air 2024 report by the Health Effects Institute provides a comprehensive analysis of data for air quality and health impacts for countries around the world. It serves as a key resource for governments and initiatives such as Breathe Cities, informing their work supporting cities to curb their air pollution and climate emissions.

On this episode, Katherine Oliver sits down with Antha Williams, who leads the Environment program at Bloomberg Philanthropies, Dr. Pallavi Pant, who leads the Global Health program at the Health Effects Institute, and Jaime Pumarejo, the first-ever Executive Director for the Breathe Cities initiative and the former Mayor of Barranquilla, Colombia, to discuss the state of global air pollution, how policymakers can use air quality data to inform their work towards climate progress, and why it’s important to tackle this issue at the local level to improve and save lives.

141. The Invisible Shield that Protects Us May 15, 2024

From vaccines to seat belts, public health measures have significantly impacted our lifespans and quality of life for decades.

And yet, the work itself is often underfunded, undervalued, and misunderstood.

The Invisible Shield, a new four-part documentary series on PBS – produced by RadicalMedia and made possible by Bloomberg Philanthropies, explores the hidden public health infrastructure that makes modern life possible. Featuring interviews and insights from public health leaders and global experts, the series examines the field’s major achievements and the dedication of the public health sector in times of crisis.

On this episode, Katherine Oliver sits down with two public health experts featured in The Invisible Shield, Dr. Sandro Galea, Dean of the Boston University School of Public Health, and Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, Vice Dean for Public Health Practice and Community Engagement at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, to discuss how they started their careers, the importance of data collection, and the biggest obstacles to implementing public health policies.

140. Tackling Air Pollution in Poland May 02, 2024

Poland has some of the most toxic air in all of Europe, with 23 of the 50 most polluted cities in the European Union located in the country.

Much of this air pollution comes from common household boilers that burn wood and coal. Emissions from cars and factories exacerbate poor air quality and lead to 40,000 deaths from pollution-related illnesses every year.

Launched in 2015, Polish Smog Alert is a campaign group comprised of more than 50 local clean air initiatives dedicated to improving air quality in Poland. By increasing public awareness of the health impacts of air pollution and introducing anti-smog regulations at both the local and national levels, this movement has helped secure policy change that has improved air quality and public health across the country.

In 2023, Polish Smog Alert was named an Earthshot Prize Finalist in the “Clean Our Air” category, and the group receives tailored support from the Prize's Global Alliance of partners to continue making a difference and driving urgent climate action. Our founder, Mike Bloomberg, serves as Global Advisor to the Winners of The Earthshot Prize, and Bloomberg Philanthropies – alongside Bloomberg LP – has supported The Earthshot Prize since its creation in 2020 as a Global Alliance Founding Partner.

On this episode, Katherine Oliver sits down with Polish Smog Alert co-founders Anna Dworakowska and Andrzej Guła to discuss the group’s mission to clean the air, their experience with The Earthshot Prize, the successes they have had so far, and where they will go from here.

139. Driving Urban Innovation in Cities Around the World Jan 03, 2024

Solutions to many of the greatest challenges we face depend on the progress of cities.

Local leaders are uniquely positioned to bring about real change that has tangible impact for residents, but often, they don’t have the resources to do so. How can we support city governments in bridging this gap, so they have the capabilities they need to move communities forward?

The Government Innovation team at Bloomberg Philanthropies focuses on providing mayors and local government officials with the tools and support they need to tackle the pressing problems they face and improve people’s lives.

On this episode, James Anderson, who leads Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Government Innovation program, joins Nneka Sobers, the Assistant Director of Product Development at the Urban Tech Hub at Cornell Tech, to discuss how Bloomberg Philanthropies works with city halls around the world to strengthen their problem-solving capacity and increase their use of data, innovation, and cross-sector collaboration by providing leadership training, programs, and an infrastructure that allows for urban ideas to spread across cities worldwide.

This audio is adapted from their recent conversation at the Urban Tech Summit hosted at Cornell Tech, where academics, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and industry and public sector leaders gathered to discuss how cities can drive decarbonization around the world.

138. Tackling the Tobacco Industry Around the World Dec 14, 2023

Tobacco use is the world’s leading cause of preventable death.

Since the mid-20th century, the tobacco industry has used deliberate marketing tactics to confuse the public about tobacco’s harmful effects, causing billions of deaths globally from tobacco use and second-hand smoke. However, a growing number of countries and organizations around the world are standing up to the tobacco industry and taking strong action.

Since its launch in 1995, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids has tackled the tobacco industry head on. And since the launch of the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use in 2007, the arch of the fight against tobacco has changed drastically – in turn, saving millions of lives. Despite this progress, the data shows that there's still a lot of work to be done. While cigarette use declined exceptionally over the years, the tobacco industry has found ways to reinvent itself through social media ad campaigns and colorful, fun-flavored e-cigarettes tailor made for kids.

On this episode, our host Katherine Oliver, sits down with Matt Myers, outgoing President of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and Yolonda Richardson, the Campaign’s current President, to share more about the arduous battle against the ever-evolving tobacco industry and its deceptive marketing to kids and low-income communities around the world.

137. How Can We Reduce the Gaps in Racial Wealth Equity Data? Dec 07, 2023

Data plays a critical role in helping build a more equitable society. As leaders and organizations across the country grapple with how to strategically invest in Black communities, having access to relevant data about wealth equity in the U.S. is essential. Unfortunately, that data is often out-of-date, inaccessible, not disaggregated by race, and not available at the local level.

So, how can we work to reduce the gaps in racial wealth equity data?

Supported by the Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Greenwood Initiative, the Black Wealth Data Center works to remedy the problem of insufficient and inaccessible data on the topic of Black wealth. By making relevant data disaggregated by race available, the Black Wealth Data Center's Racial Wealth Equity Database empowers leaders to leverage the data necessary to develop and implement effective programs and policies to increase racial wealth equity.

To celebrate the Black Wealth Data Center’s recent one-year anniversary, Katherine Oliver sits down with Garnesha Ezediaro, who leads Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Greenwood Initiative, Darrick Hamilton, the Founding Director of the Institute for the Study of Race, Stratification and Political Economy at the New School, and Lamar Gardere, the Executive Director at The Data Center of Southeast Louisiana and national recipient of the Black Wealth Data Center and National Neighborhood Indicator’s Local Data and Engagement Grant Program, to discuss the importance of data in advancing racial wealth equity, the challenges faced by organizations that don’t have access to data, and how the Black Wealth Data Center is helping provide decision-makers with data collection and accessibility.

136. How Can We Support Student Success at All Stages? Nov 01, 2023

The future of our country depends on bold changes to education to ensure that all students are able to realize their full potential.

According to The National Center for Education Statistics, in 2022, average mathematics scores at fourth grade declined across the country. Furthermore, only a third of Americans have a bachelor’s degree or higher, while there continues to be major shortfalls of qualified candidates for “middle skills jobs."

How can we improve student achievement and provide them with viable pathways to jobs that lead to long-term economic mobility

Building on more than a decade of education reform work from Mike Bloomberg’s time as mayor, Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Education program works to ensure that all students have the skills and opportunities to succeed in the 21st century. From supporting the growth of charter schools to investing in programs that help young people get the specialized training they need, our Education program works alongside partners to implement initiatives that will make a significant difference for the children most in need of a great education and chart a path to a successful future.

On this episode, Katherine Oliver sits down with two colleagues from Bloomberg’s Education team – Eve Bois, who manages the Career and Technical Education portfolio, and Jasmine Jenkins, who co-manages the K-12 Education and Advocacy portfolio, to discuss the challenges facing public education in America, Bloomberg Philanthropies’ comprehensive education reform work, and how we are expanding post-secondary opportunities for students through school-based and work-based programs.

135. Can the Arts Keep You Healthy? Sep 15, 2023

Everyone knows that an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but can singing in the shower also help? What about seeing a play or taking a painting class? For the past two years, Bloomberg Philanthropies has supported the EpiArts Lab, a National Endowment for the Arts Research Lab based at the University of Florida’s Center for Arts in Medicine in partnership with University College London. The EpiArts Lab has analyzed longitudinal datasets that follow thousands of U.S. residents from all demographics, over several decades to understand whether participating in the arts has long-term benefits for public health.

While we continue to grapple with the mental health fall out of the pandemic, crises caused by climate change, the polarized political landscape, and the marginalization of certain populations…..now more than ever, people are looking for relief.

The good news is, EpiArts Lab has produced over a dozen peer-reviewed papers uncovering the impacts of arts activities on health indicators in various populations, with compelling findings.

In this episode of Follow the Data, Katherine Oliver sits down with Jill Sonke, PhD, director of research initiatives in the Center for Arts in Medicine at the University of Florida, and Tracey Knuckles of our arts team to shed light on the ways that cultural activities can help keep you healthy and how the arts can be incorporated into healthcare systems.

134. Advancing Public Health Strategies to Reduce Overdose Deaths Aug 25, 2023

The overdose crisis is affecting US communities everywhere. A new survey by the Pew Research Center found nearly one in two people in the U.S. knows someone with a substance use disorder.

In 2018, the Bloomberg Overdose Prevention Initiative began its work supporting Michigan and Pennsylvania in using a data-driven approach to confront the overdose crisis, resulting in both states seeing lower increases in overdose deaths than the national average despite the setbacks brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, the Initiative began working in five other hard-hit states: Kentucky, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, and Wisconsin. Alongside partners, the Initiative draws upon learnings from the initial two states to implement new programs, and to advocate for federal policies to expand treatment access and harm reduction with a goal of accelerating progress in reducing overdose deaths.

On this episode, Katherine Oliver sits down with two of Bloomberg’s critical partners in this effort – Kat Humphries, a Program Manager for the Overdose Prevention Program at Vital Strategies, and Tahira Malik, the founder of Samad’s House in Milwaukee, Wisconsin – to discuss the common misconceptions people have about substance use disorder, harm reduction as an effective strategy for preventing overdose deaths, and policies that could implemented to support recovery in communities across the country.

133. Investing in Women's Economic Independence Aug 08, 2023

Women and girls make up a disproportionate amount of the 1.2 billion people who live in extreme poverty around the world. Our guests today are working in Rwanda and in cities around the world to create opportunities for women that lead to economic independence. Since 2007, Bloomberg Philanthropies' Women's Economic Development Initiative, led by Verna Eggleston, has focused on developing women's skills to help them master income-generating activities.

More than 724,000 women and their families have enrolled in training and education programs directly benefiting over 2.8 million of their children through access to health insurance, education beyond primary school, increased savings, and much, much more. This summer, an independent third party evaluation conducted and published by the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies showed how effective and replicable the program is. In this episode, Katherine Oliver sits down with Verna Eggleston, who leads Bloomberg Philanthropies' Women's Economic Development Initiative, Laurie Adams, the CEO of Women for Women International, and Christine Condo, the Executive Director of Sustainable Growers. They discuss how the program affects women, their communities, and their children and families, key findings of the Johns Hopkins report, and how listeners can get involved.

132. Combatting Pandemic Learning Loss Jul 26, 2023

Across the United States, millions of students are performing below grade level. Eighth grade reading scores are at their lowest level in two decades, and math scores are at a three-decade low, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

How can we help students combat pandemic learning loss?

A great education is critical to ensure America can continue leading the global economy - and Bloomberg Philanthropies is funding summer school in eight cities to help public charter school students catch up to where they need to be. Our Summer Boost initiative is just one of the ways we're working to ensure all students have the chance to get a high-quality education.

In this episode, Howard Wolfson, who leads Bloomberg Philanthropies' education program, joins political strategist and venture capitalist Bradley Tusk for a wide-ranging conversation about how Bloomberg Philanthropies is working to address the ongoing crisis in America's education system - from supporting career and vocational training programs, to expanding access to top colleges for talented students from low-income families. This audio is adapted from the Firewall podcast, where entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, strategists and journalists reveal what's really on their mind.

131. Making Single-Use Packaging Disappear Jun 08, 2023

Did you know that it could take up to 500 years for single-use plastic bottles to biodegrade in the ocean, according to estimates from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration?

What if the solution for more sustainable packaging also lies in the seas? Bloomberg Philanthropies is working to ensure the ocean, key marine ecosystems, and the billions who depend on them can survive and thrive through the Bloomberg Ocean Initiative.

Our guest today – Pierre Paslier – co-founded Notpla, short for "not plastic," a company on a mission to make packaging disappear. Based in London, the team creates alternative packaging made from seaweed and plants, ranging from a bubble that could replace plastic cups and bottles at sporting events, to single dose spheres of toothpaste and sustainable, biodegradable packaging for takeaway food. Since it started in 2019, Notpla has replaced almost 3 million units of single-use plastic from entering the environment.

Notpla is a winner of the 2022 Earthshot Prize, a prestigious global environment prize launched by His Royal Highness Prince William to incentivize change and help repair our planet with innovative solutions by 2030. Our founder, Mike Bloomberg, serves as Global Advisor to the Winners of the Earthshot Prize, including Notpla, and Bloomberg Philanthropies - alongside Bloomberg LP - has supported The Earthshot Prize since its creation in 2019, as a Global Alliance Founding Partner. In fact, Bloomberg LP uses Notpla's sustainable packaging at its European headquarters in London.

On this episode, Katherine Oliver sits down with Pierre. They discuss how he created Notpla with his co-founder and former classmate, Rodrigo Garcia Gonzalez, how Notpla expanded from its first product to introduce packaging solutions for electronics, fashion, cosmetics and food, his experience with The Earthshot Prize, and how he’s planning on using his prize money to expand Notpla’s impact.

130. Reducing Tobacco Use in the Philippines May 26, 2023

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 8 million people are killed by tobacco each year.

Unfortunately, most tobacco-related deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, areas that are targets of intensive tobacco industry marketing. But the good news is that the scale of this human tragedy is preventable.

The Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use at Bloomberg Philanthropies works with national and local governments in more than 110 countries to help implement measures to protect people from harm, such as creating smoke-free public places, banning tobacco advertising, and increasing tax on tobacco products. This initiative builds on Mike Bloomberg's successful efforts in reducing smoking rates during his time as mayor of New York City. Since the launch of the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use in 2007, global smoking rates have fallen from 22.7% to 17.5%.

While we're making strides to save lives around the world, there's still work to be done in the face of new challenges, such as the rise in flavored tobacco products and e-cigarette use among teens in the U.S.

On this episode, Katherine Oliver sits down with Betsy Fuller, who is part of Bloomberg Philanthropies' team working to reduce tobacco use, to discuss our tobacco control work in the Philippines, how the country is working to combat youth vaping, and to share an update on global smoking rates around the world.

129. Telling Climate Stories Through Film & TV Apr 25, 2023

The climate crisis is one of the biggest stories of our time. And Hollywood is one of the most powerful storytellers in the world. Yet our film and TV screens aren't reflecting the reality of climate change.

Until now.

Enter Extrapolations, an eight-episode series that recently premiered on Apple TV+. Written by Scott Z. Burns - whose 2011 film Contagion became eerily real during the pandemic - the ambitious show explores how climate change could affect every aspect of our lives, from religion to politics to business and our social lives, over more than 30 years.

Environmental challenges pose unique challenges to screenwriters. Global warming is a long-term, high-stakes process - there are existential stakes, and the reality is that it's more often there is no single catastrophic event for characters to react to so much as a series of them.

The USC Norman Lear Center, in collaboration with Bloomberg Philanthropies partners Rare and Good Energy, will measure the impact of Extrapolations in the first quantitative study of a climate storyline in nearly two decades.

On this episode, Katherine Oliver sits down with Scott Z. Burns, the showrunner, director, writer and executive producer of Extrapolations, and Anna Jane Joyner, the founder & director of Good Energy, a nonprofit consulting firm that works with screenwriters like Scott to portray the climate crisis in film & tv scripts in entertaining and artful ways. They discuss keeping viewers engaged while telling stories about climate change, and what they hope viewers take away from Extrapolations.

128. Bringing Cities in Crisis Together to Tackle Housing Unaffordability Feb 17, 2023

Across the country and around the world, housing costs are soaring.

Rents rose by 6.2% annually in 2022, after growing by almost 15% in 2021, according to Yardi Matrix.

And the impacts of these rising costs are clear: research from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau shows that nearly one third of renters did not pay or were late with the rent at least once in 2022.

For several years, the Bloomberg Associates Sustainability team has worked closely with our client cities to address key housing affordability issues. This effort led to Bloomberg Associates and Bloomberg Philanthropies’ partnership with NYU’s Furman Center for Housing and Real Estate and Abt Associates to create the Bloomberg Peer Cities Housing Network, funded by the Bloomberg Philanthropies Government Innovation team, in Summer 2020.

The Network, a program that worked with a nationwide group of city leaders to address pressing housing-related needs, provided resources and guidance – and the opportunity to exchange learnings with cities facing similar challenges. This met a particularly urgent need during the pandemic as local governments challenged existing thinking and responded rapidly to convert hotels into housing, to provide residents with direct cash assistance, and more.

On this episode, Katherine Oliver sits down with Ingrid Gould Ellen, who serves as the Director of the Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy and is on the faculty of the NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service; Vero Soto, the former Director of the Neighborhood & Housing Services Department of the City of San Antonio, who now spearheads the U.S. Treasury Department’s Emergency Rental Assistance program; and Adam Freed, the Sustainability Principal of Bloomberg Associates. They discuss how cities responded to housing problems posed by COVID-19, and how the Bloomberg Peer Cities Housing Network helped to facilitate these initiatives.

127. Advancing Racial Equity in Climate Justice Feb 03, 2023

Black communities in the U.S. breathe dirtier air than communities that are predominantly White. According to research aggregated by the American Lung Association, Black people face higher exposure to air pollutants, and suffer greater risk of premature death from particle pollution.

This episode of Follow the Data is the second of a two-part series that includes panels from Bloomberg’s 2022 Power of Difference Summit, held in partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies' Greenwood Initiative, which convened speakers from Bloomberg Philanthropies and other critical organizations to discuss how we're tackling climate action in overburdened and underinvested Black communities. The Summit also highlighted The Black Wealth Data Center, conceived and funded by the Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Greenwood Initiative and incubated by Prosperity Now, a leading nonprofit based in Washington, D.C. focused on racial equity.

The Black Wealth Data Center's Racial Wealth Equity Database gives policymakers – and the public – access to data by race at the local, regional and national level to empower them to take action to address racial wealth inequities that exist today.

On this episode, Garnesha Ezediaro, who leads the Greenwood Initiative, a national effort that aims to accelerate the pace of wealth accumulation for Black individuals and families and address systemic underinvestment in Black communities, is joined by two leading experts working to protect underserved communities from climate change and environmental injustice: Jacqueline Patterson, the Founder and Executive Director of The Chisholm Legacy Project: A Resource Hub for Black Frontline Climate Justice Leadership, and Mitchell J. Silver, the Principal of Urban Planning at McAdams - a land planning and design company.

Garnesha, Jacqueline and Mitchell discuss how historically marginalized populations are disproportionately impacted by the effects of climate change and environmental injustice. They also share examples of communities that are actively working to combat these challenges.

126. Addressing Racial Inequity in Climate Justice Through Art Jan 20, 2023

Communities of color face disproportionate risks from the effects of climate change. For example, according to New York Times Magazine, African-Americans are 75 percent more likely than other communities to live near facilities that produce hazardous waste. Data like this makes it clear that tackling climate change, improving public health, and fighting racial inequality all go together.

This episode of Follow the Data is the first in a two-part series that features live discussions from the Power of Difference Summit, held in partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies' Greenwood Initiative in October 2022, which focused on equitable climate approaches that improve the well-being of overburdened and underinvested Black communities.

Stephanie Dockery of the Bloomberg Philanthropies Arts team spoke with two artists who use their work to tackle these issues: Vedra Chandler, artist and project manager of the Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Public Art Challenge projects in Camden, NJ, partnered with the Mayor of Camden, Rutgers-Camden University, and the nonprofit Camden Community Partnership to reclaim public space by transforming highly visible illegal dumping lots into venues for public art.

She joined fellow panelist Erika Dickerson-Despenza, a New Orleans-based poet and award-winning playwright. Erika's plays primarily focus on the legacy of Black land and environmental racism.

Erika and Vedra are both addressing racial inequity in climate justice through the arts, actively working to eradicate systemic inequality, which is so aligned with Bloomberg Philanthropies’ mission to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people around the world.

125. Providing Critical Maternal Health Services in Tanzania Dec 30, 2022

Maternal mortality is a leading cause of death worldwide, causing nearly 300,000 deaths every year, but the majority of these deaths are entirely preventable.

In 2006, Tanzania ranked number 6 in the world in terms of maternal mortality, which led Bloomberg Philanthropies to partner with the Government of Tanzania to increase access to emergency obstetric and reproductive care in one state, the Kigoma Region.

The partnership lasted until 2019, when the government fully took over the program. New findings show that in the Kigoma Region from 2013 to 2018 the institutional maternal mortality rate dropped by 43%, the stillbirth rate dropped by 52%, and deliveries in a healthcare facility increased by 74%.

On this episode of Follow the Data, Becky Bavinger of our Public Health team is joined by Dr. Leonard Subi, the former Regional Medical Officer in the Kigoma Region and now the Executive Director of the Kibong'oto Specialized Infectious Diseases Hospital, and Dr. Sunday Dominico, the Clinical Director of Thamini Uhai. They discuss the obstacles women in the region faced to access quality maternal care, and how we used proven measures – like upgrading health facilities and training non-physician clinicians – to help prevent these deaths.

124. How Central America's Largest City Is Going Digital Oct 21, 2022

What happens when you put more than 500 city leaders, experts, innovators, and artists from representing cities around the world in one room?

We found out once again at Bloomberg CityLab 2022, the ninth meeting of the preeminent global cities summit organized by Bloomberg Philanthropies in partnership with the Aspen Institute – ideas, innovation, and scalable solutions.

Held in Amsterdam in October, in CityLab’s first in-person convening since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, global mayors, prominent city innovators, business leaders, urban experts, artists, and activists tackled how to solve some of the pressing issues facing cities around the world – from leading their communities through pandemic recovery to welcoming refugees from global conflicts to combatting climate change.

Around the world, cities are leading the way. Sessions explored the challenges cities are facing – and successfully addressing – across climate, infrastructure, technology, migration, mental health, and more. One of the most powerful conversations was between James Anderson, who leads the Government Innovation program at Bloomberg Philanthropies, and Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, of Mexico City.

On this episode, listen in with us, as they discuss how city leaders can lead digital transformations in their municipalities to make sure that everyone has access to the rights that they deserve as citizens, through digital services, connectivity, and direct access to information or governmental services.

Providing Greater Access to Racial Wealth Equity Data Sep 15, 2022

On average, Black families in America have one-eighth the wealth of White families. Bloomberg Philanthropies is working to change that with data. The new Black Wealth Data Center (BWDC)will provide greater access to racial wealth equity data, making it easier for policymakers, economists, philanthropists, and journalists to find and analyze a variety of factors correlated to economic well-being and progress by race. On the BWDC's Racial Wealth Equity Database, visitors can interact with data points such as homeownership, business ownership, and employment compared with race, sex, education attainment and geographic location. The effort is created to be a source for leaders and organizations working to uncover and scale opportunities to increase Black wealth. The Black Wealth Data Center is incubated by Prosperity Now, a leading nonprofit based in Washington, D.C. focused on advancing racial and ethnic economic justice, , and is part of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Greenwood Initiative - a national effort aimed at accelerating the pace of wealth accumulation for Black individuals and families and addressing systemic underinvestment in Black communities. On this episode of Follow the Data, Garnesha Ezediaro, who leads Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Greenwood Initiative, is joined by Natalie Evans Harris, the Executive Director of the Black Wealth Data Center, who brings nearly 20 years of experience advancing the public sector’s strategic use of data, and Gary Cunningham, President and CEO of Prosperity Now. They discuss how the Black Wealth Data Center will give leaders access to tools and data they need to speed up progress towards increasing Black wealth, what types of data people will be able to access on site, the importance of data in the fight for racial wealth equity, and more.

122. Secrets of the Retail Food Environment Jul 27, 2022

Think of the last impulse purchase you made when you were in the checkout aisle at the grocery store. Was it a bottle of soda? A bag of chips?

As it turns out, food and beverage manufacturers pay retailers millions of dollars to dictate where their products are placed in the store -- influencing the way shoppers interact with food offerings in the busiest aisles. These practices are incredibly effective at getting shoppers to make impulse buys, which tend to be unhealthy.

As rates of obesity and diet-related disease continue to rise around the world, Bloomberg Philanthropies is supporting policy efforts that encourage healthier diets including efforts to raise public awareness of unhealthy food and beverage marketing. One example was the city of Berkeley, California's ban on the sale of junk food and candy in checkout aisles - a first of its kind policy in the U.S.

In this episode, Kristine Momanyi of the Bloomberg Philanthropies public health team sits down with Sara John, the Senior Policy Director at CSPI - the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Ingrid de Santiago, the Program Coordinator at Bay Area Community Resources, and Anjelika Khadka, a youth advocate taking a stand for healthier food environments in her community. They discuss the deceptive marketing practices food and beverage manufacturers employ to sway shoppers' decisions in grocery stores and CSPI's request to the Federal Trade Commission to bring these practices to light. Ingrid and Anjelika also tell us more about the Bay Area's initial reception to the healthy checkout ordinance and learnings from advocating for local healthy food policies.

121. How Does Climate Change Affect the Cultural Sector? Jul 08, 2022

As global leaders aim toward limiting the planet's warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, scientists warn extreme rainfalls, stronger storms, and hurricanes intensifying at faster rates will become more frequent.

A warming world and extreme weather events will have implications for all industries and geographies — and the arts industry in Puerto Rico experienced this firsthand when Hurricane Maria devastated the island in 2017.Following Hurricane Maria, many artists and arts organizations like museums, theaters, arts education programs, and music venues were at risk of cutting back services or closing because of lost revenue and other challenges.

In Fall 2020, Bloomberg Philanthropies teamed up with the Flamboyan Arts Fund, a partnership between Flamboyan Foundation, composer Lin-Manuel Miranda, his family, and the Broadway musical Hamilton to preserve, sustain, and amplify the arts in Puerto Rico, to launch the Arts Innovation and Management Puerto Rico program. The program brings together national and local experts to provide bilingual arts management training and tailored consulting services for fundraising, strategic planning, and digital marketing. It also includes resilience training for responding to climate change and natural disasters, including future hurricanes, with cultural institutions in Puerto Rico sharing key strategies and insights from their direct experiences.

In this episode, Ethan Joseph of the Bloomberg Philanthropies Arts team sits down with María Ángela López Vilella, Executive Director of Museo de las Américas, a museum dedicated to the history and culture of the Americas, particularly Puerto Rico, and, one of the ten organizations currently participating in the AIM Puerto Rico program. They discuss the unique challenges that climate change presents to the cultural sector and steps that arts organizations may consider taking to help prepare for and respond to climate change-driven hazards. They also discuss specific strategies that cultural organizations in Puerto Rico have adopted to build climate resilience in the five years since Hurricane Maria and further support their communities by becoming spaces for healing and education.

120. Building Partnerships, Making a Difference: A Conversation with Mike Bloomberg and Patti Harris May 31, 2022

This is a very special episode. To celebrate the release of the 2021 Annual Report, our yearly review of Bloomberg Philanthropies' efforts to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people, our founder, Mike Bloomberg, and CEO, Patti Harris, joined the podcast.

Mike Bloomberg has committed the vast majority of profits from Bloomberg LP, the global financial technology, data, and media company that he founded, to support the work of Bloomberg Philanthropies. He has given $12.7 billion to philanthropic causes over his lifetime, and $1.66 billion in 2021 alone.

Patti Harris oversees Bloomberg Philanthropies' work, spanning our core focus areas: the arts, education, environment, government innovation, and public health, as well as the Greenwood Initiative, which aims to accelerate the pace of Black wealth accumulation, and special Founder's Projects. This work also encompasses all of Mike Bloomberg's corporate and personal philanthropy, and Bloomberg Associates, a pro bono consultancy that works in cities around the world.

Mike and Patti sat down with me to discuss Bloomberg Philanthropies' progress in responding to the pandemic without losing sight of other challenges, Bloomberg LP's efforts to support organizations working in Ukraine, and their outlook on the challenges tackled and opportunities ahead.

Read the 2021 Annual Report here.

Follow Mike on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Follow Patti on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

119. Growing Diverse and Resilient Corals Apr 22, 2022

Coral reefs are a critical ecosystem for our environment - and source of food, livelihoods, and cultural heritage for 500 million people. They're also likely to disappear by 2050 if the goals of the Paris Agreement are not met. That's why Bloomberg Philanthropies is promoting coral reef conservation through our Vibrant Oceans Initiative, which works with coastal communities, nonprofit organizations, local and national governments, policymakers, and academic groups to create more sustainable ocean ecosystems. Our guest today – Sam Teicher – co-founded Coral Vita, an organization dedicated to regenerating dying reefs. Based in Grand Bahama, the team creates high-tech coral farms that grow coral up to 50x faster while boosting resiliency against global warming and acidifying oceans. Healthy corals are then transported and transplanted back into degraded reefs, bringing them back to life. Coral Vita also prioritizes coastal economies by working with local communities, public officials, and private companies to improve education and create new jobs. Most recently, Coral Vita received the inaugural Earthshot Prize, a prestigious global environment prize designed launched by Prince William to incentivize change and help repair our planet with innovative solutions over the next ten years. Our founder, Mike Bloomberg, serves as Global Advisor to the Winners of the Earthshot Prize, including Coral Vita. Bloomberg the company along with Bloomberg Philanthropies has supported The Earthshot Prize since its creation in 2019, and is a Global Alliance Founding Partner. On this episode, Jemma Read, the Global Head of Corporate Philanthropy at Bloomberg LP, sits down with Sam Teicher. They discuss how he created Coral Vita with his co-founder, Gator Halpern, what makes Coral Vita's reef restoration technique unique, his experience with the Earthshot Prize, and how he's planning on using his prize money to expand Coral Vita's impact.

118. Celebrating the History of Filmmaking Mar 25, 2022

Movies can have such an immense impact in our lives. They can inspire discourse, connection, joy, and discovery. And their impact on and reflection of our society – though not always positive – is a critical part of our culture. To capture the legacy and history of movie making and to engage future generations, a new cultural institution has opened in the heart of Los Angeles: The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. The museum opened its doors in September 2021 with a focus on the history and impacts of the motion picture industry. It’s the largest museum in the United States devoted to the arts, sciences, and artists of moviemaking. This year’s Academy Awards will mark the 94th ceremony since its inception in 1929. Ahead of the ceremony, our show's host Katherine Oliver sits down with the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures Director and President Bill Kramer and its Chief Artistic and Programming Officer Jacqueline Stewart. They share some insight on their global approach to curating the museum, how they are experimenting with digital technologies with support from Bloomberg Philanthropies, and their exhibits that show just how movies go from, as Jacqueline says, “the page to the screen.”

117. A Conversation with Bloomberg Philanthropies CEO Patti Harris Mar 11, 2022

The pandemic has exacerbated some of the biggest challenges facing the world, from climate change to public health, and government leadership to education. Over the past few years, Bloomberg Philanthropies has doubled down on existing commitments, expanded our partnerships, and formed new ones to make the biggest impact possible. That work wouldn't be possible without the leadership of Patti Harris - our Chief Executive Officer, who oversees all of Mike Bloomberg's giving, including his philanthropic, corporate, and personal giving, as well as Bloomberg Associates, a pro bono consultancy that works with mayors in cities around the world. In this episode, Bloomberg Philanthropies CEO Patti Harris sits down with Hank Paulson, the 74th US Treasury Secretary, and a member of the Bloomberg Philanthropies Board of Directors, to discuss her experience in public service, the importance of hiring a great team, rallying the private sector to support the clean energy transition, and more. Their conversation was adopted from Straight Talk, a podcast by the Paulson Institute.

116. Memorializing Loss, Injustice, and History, Part Three Feb 25, 2022

In Newark, New Jersey, Mayor Ras Baraka recently commissioned a monument honoring abolitionist Harriet Tubman - who escaped slavery and helped many others do the same as a "conductor" of the Underground Railroad, which passed through many sites in New Jersey and specifically in Newark.

Designed by New Jersey-based artist and architect Nina Cooke John, the new monument will be built on the former site of a Christopher Columbus statue that was removed from a downtown park in the summer of 2020 following calls for racial justice.

In Fall 2020, the City of Newark engaged the Arts & Culture Team at Bloomberg Associates, the pro bono consulting arm of Bloomberg Philanthropies, to develop a commissioning process for this major new piece of public art, and provide ongoing guidance as the project develops.

In this episode - which is part of a series about how memorials, monuments, and temporary public art pieces can be more reflective of our society -David Andersson of the Bloomberg Associates Culture team sits down with Fayemi Shakur, the Arts and Cultural Affairs Director of the City of Newark. They discuss the process of selecting Cooke John's design, how the artist team is working with the community, and what it means for cities to construct new monuments today.

115. The Enduring Pandemic: The Future of American Public Health and COVID-19 Feb 18, 2022

We're almost two years into the pandemic, which has posed challenges to a range of public health issues, from the overdose crisis to mental health.

This week's podcast episode was adapted from a Bloomberg Philanthropies virtual conversation which took place on February 10, 2022 about the future of American public health, featuring WHO Global Ambassador for Noncommunicable Diseases and Injuries Mike Bloomberg along with Dr. Vivek Murthy, the U.S. Surgeon General, and Dr. Kelly Henning, who leads Bloomberg Philanthropies' public health program.

They discuss how to address health misinformation, how the pandemic has exacerbated the opioid and mental health crises, and what's keeping the Surgeon General optimistic about the future of public health.

114. Creating Pathways to Middle Skill Jobs Jan 07, 2022

At a time when high school students need access to high-quality job training opportunities more than ever, and businesses are eagerly looking to hire qualified talent in a range of middle skill jobs that require more than a high school diploma, but less than a four-year college degree — Bloomberg Philanthropies has committed an additional $25 million to support career and technical education programs in nine U.S. cities and across two states.

This commitment highlights our founder Mike Bloomberg’s belief that it's critical for states, cities, local businesses, and schools to grow career programs and pathways for students not heading to four-year college in order to gain greater economic mobility. More than 15,000 high school students have benefited from Bloomberg Philanthropies' support of career and technical education programs since 2016. This new investment brings our support of these programs to $90 million.

On this episode, Jenny Sharfstein Kane of our education team sits down with Julia Baez, CEO of Baltimore’s Promise, a city-wide collaborative which supports the health and education of Baltimore City youth from cradle to career. Julia tells us more about the organization's Grads2Careers initiative, which focuses on helping Baltimore City Public Schools graduates who aren't immediately bound for college or careers enter the workforce by offering occupational skills training in fields like tech, health care, logistics, and transportation.

Jenny also sits down with the Mayor of Birmingham, Alabama, Randall Woodfin, to discuss how internships and apprenticeships will help shape the employment landscape in his city and the challenges entry-level workers are facing as a result of the pandemic.

113. Memorializing Loss, Injustice, and History, Part Two Dec 20, 2021

2021 marked the 100 year anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre - one of the ugliest events in American history, where a white mob destroyed the affluent Black neighborhood of Greenwood, dubbed “Black Wall Street,” for its thriving economic power. Hundreds were killed in the attack. More than 10,000 people were left homeless overnight, and the neighborhood was razed. This massacre led to years of silence and shame, suppressing the history for the following decades. The residents of Greenwood rebuilt their community, but it was ultimately destroyed due to disinvestment and urban renewal efforts -- which placed the I-22 highway in the middle of Greenwood.

To commemorate this history and honor Greenwood, the City of Tulsa and the Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Commission applied for the Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge. Their winning concept, “The Greenwood Art Project,” features dozens of temporary public art works celebrating and commemorating this community’s history, present, and future.

The Public Art Challenge is a Bloomberg Philanthropies initiative encouraging cities to work with artists to create temporary public art projects that celebrate creativity, enhance urban identity, encourage public-private collaborations, and address significant civic issues.

The MacArthur Award-winning artist, Rick Lowe worked with local artists to showcase the legacy and resilience of Greenwood. Lowe previously founded Project Row Houses, a community platform that engages residents, artists, and businesses in Houston's Historic Third Ward, one of the city's oldest Black neighborhoods through community initiatives, art programs, and neighborhood development activities.

In this episode - which is part of a series about how memorials, monuments, and temporary pieces can be more reflective of our society - Stephanie Dockery from the Bloomberg Philanthropies Arts team sits down with Rick Lowe for a conversation around community-centered public art projects. They discuss the importance of creating community through public art, what they've learned from working with the City of Tulsa on the Greenwood Art Project, and how cities can implement art as a catalyst for community healing.

112. Criminal Expungement in Detroit Leads to New Beginnings Dec 03, 2021

The City of Detroit estimates that 215,000 residents have criminal records — and that about 75% of those residents are eligible for criminal record expungement – a proceeding that removes a person’s criminal record or conviction.

Last year, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan advocated for new state legislation that was signed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer significantly expanding eligibility for expungement in Michigan. As you will learn, research and data has shown that expungement translates to better opportunities for employment, education, and housing for those who qualify.

Yet many residents don’t seek expungement because they don’t know they’re eligible, the process is complex, they may not be able to afford attorney fees, or they have had negative experiences with the criminal justice system.

In this episode, we turn our attention to Project Clean Slate, a program launched by Mayor Duggan to help people clear their criminal records and be a part of the city's comeback story – at no cost. The program recently filed its 1,000th expungement application.

On this episode, Rose Gill of the Bloomberg Associates Municipal Integrity team sits down with Carrie Jones, who leads Project Clean Slate, and Stephani Labelle, the program's lead attorney to discuss how the program has grown since it was launched in 2016 and how it supports residents throughout the expungement process. Mr. Bell, a Detroit resident who was previously a client of Project Clean Slate, and Mayor Duggan also join the podcast to discuss the importance of prioritizing expungement and what it means for Detroit residents.

111. Memorializing Loss, Injustice and History Nov 19, 2021

Memorials, monuments, and art installations can challenge viewers to confront the history of the places where we live and work. They also offer a place to honor those lost, to reckon with racial and social justice movements, and to engage with communities in new and inclusive ways.

This is the first episode in a series about the new ways that artists and city leaders are thinking about the creation of memorials, monuments, and temporary public art.

The 9/11 Memorial in downtown Manhattan is one of the most recognized memorials around the world. It's a beacon of hope, a tribute to those lost, and a place of learning to ensure future generations never forget. It's also become a leader in offering consulting to other cities and countries grappling with the challenge of commemorating loss to mass tragedy, and in working with communities around the world afflicted by terrorism and violence.

Bloomberg Philanthropies' founder, Mike Bloomberg, was elected mayor of New York City just weeks after September 11, 2001, and currently serves as Chairman of the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. During his administration, Mike Bloomberg, Governor George Pataki, and the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation co-created an international competition for a memorial to remember and honor those lost on September 11th and in the attack on the World Trade Center on February 26, 1993.

This episode features Anita Contini, from the Bloomberg Philanthropies Arts team, who developed the process and implementation plan for selecting the winning design for the future 9/11 Memorial, including the jury process for choosing its architect. She sits down with Michael Arad, the architect selected to design the memorial. Anita and Michael discuss the process of designing the 9/11 Memorial, what influences his work on memorials, the role public spaces play in bringing people together, and some of his most recent projects.

110. The Enduring Pandemic: COVID-19, What We Know Now, and Where We Go From Here Oct 01, 2021

A year and a half into the pandemic, people have new questions they’re looking to experts to answer: booster shots, variants, and how to manage long-haul COVID.

This week’s podcast episode was previously a Bloomberg Philanthropies virtual conversation about the COVID-19 pandemic featuring WHO Global Ambassador for Noncommunicable Diseases and Injuries Mike Bloomberg along with Dr. Francis Collins, Director of the National Institutes of Health, and Dr. Kelly Henning, who leads Bloomberg Philanthropies’ public health program.

They discuss when a COVID vaccine for children could be approved, how often we may need to get booster shots, which variants they’re keeping their eyes on, and more.

109. Tackling Homelessness In Cities Around the World Aug 27, 2021

Imagine sheltering in place during the start of the coronavirus pandemic without having a home to shelter in. Sadly, more than 580,000 individuals in the United States experienced homelessness in 2020, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the fourth consecutive annual increase in the number of people experiencing homelessness. In an effort to help those experiencing homelessness during the pandemic, city officials acted quickly to help people find temporary shelter. Now, without lockdown restrictions in place, cities are facing new challenges as they move people from temporary shelters like hotels to group shelters and as eviction moratoriums lift.

The pandemic has changed the way cities tackle almost every issue, and Bloomberg Associates, the pro-bono consulting arm of Bloomberg Philanthropies, works side-by-side with cities around the world to address homelessness.

Earlier this summer, Tamiru Mammo and Linda Gibbs, who work on Bloomberg Associates' social services team, co-authored a book entitled How Ten Global Cities Take on Homelessness: Innovations That Workalongside Jay Bainbridge and Muzzy Rosenblatt, their colleagues from the City of New York during the Bloomberg administration.

The book provides a deep-dive into how ten cities – Bogotá, Mexico City, Los Angeles, Houston, Nashville, New York City, Baltimore, Edmonton, Paris, and Athens - have addressed street homelessness.

On this episode, Tamiru Mammo and Jay Bainbridge join the podcast to discuss what stands out about how these cities are tackling homelessness, what successful solutions look like, and what the new normal looks like in terms of tackling this issue going forward.

108. How Cities Use Data to Adapt to Climate Change Aug 13, 2021

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres issued a "code red for humanity" when the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change shared its latest report this week, which calls climate change "unequivocal" and "an established fact." And the growing frequency and intensity of heat waves, droughts, and storms like the ones we've experienced this summer are to be expected for years to come. Climate action is of critical importance for local leaders, as extreme temperatures are expected to be off the charts more frequently and for longer periods of time, causing significant harm to human health and well-being. While cities are often hit hardest by the impact of climate change, they are also on the frontlines in this fight. From planting trees to help cool down cities to reimagining and improving access to public spaces, mayors are taking immediate, bold action to improve quality of life for their residents. Bloomberg Associates, the pro bono consulting arm of Bloomberg Philanthropies, works with cities to implement sustainable and scalable solutions to fight climate change now. To tell us more about how cities are working to become more sustainable and resilient, Jacob Koch, who works on our Sustainability team at Bloomberg Associates, sits down with Alejandro Restrepo-Montoya, a Professor of Architecture at Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana in Medellín, Colombia. Alejandro formerly served as the City Architect of Medellín, and helped design the city's award-winning "Green Corridors" project, which helped to reduce average city temperatures by 2 degrees Celsius. Jacob also sits down with Ilaria Giuliani, the Deputy Chief Resilience Officer of the City of Milan. Bloomberg Associates has helped to support Mayor Beppe Sala's goal to plant three million trees by 2030 and to help re-imagine the historic streets and piazzas to be greener and ensure all Milanese live within a short walk of an upgraded public space. On this episode, Jacob, Alejandro and Ilaria discuss how cities use data to drive decision-making and evaluate impact, and the importance of bringing nature back to cities.

107. Supporting the Next Generation of Healthy Food Policy Experts Aug 05, 2021

The pandemic has forced many to change their diet and exercise routines - and governments around the world are weighing how to encourage citizens to eat healthier and to get active again. In the U.K., Prime Minister Boris Johnson is reviewing a report recommending a Salt and Sugar Reformation Tax, a first-of-its-kind policy which would add a 3 pound tax per kilogram of sugar sold at wholesale and 6 pounds per kilogram of salt sold at wholesale. If enacted, the tax would help fund an expansion of free school meals to 1.1 million more children in Britain. Healthy food policies help move more people toward healthier diets - but a lack of research expertise is a barrier to guiding national policies in countries around the world. The Vital Strategies Health Food Policy Fellowship, funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies, supports outstanding PhD candidates from Barbados, Brazil, Colombia, Jamaica, Mexico, or South Africa who are committed to creating healthier food environments through public policy. The fellowship supports students from these countries as they are focus countries for Bloomberg Philanthropies' food policy program. Ahead of UN International Youth Day, Kristine Momanyi of our food policy team sits down with Trish Muzenda, Joana Cruz, and Nicholas Guzman - three Vital Strategies Healthy Food Policy Fellows - to discuss promising food policies and the fellowship program.

106. The Power of Parent Coalitions Jul 30, 2021

In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, two other public health epidemics have surged: gun violence and youth vaping. Parents have an important role to play in addressing these challenges - and it should come as no surprise that two of the most prominent advocacy groups fighting for public safety measures in the United States are organized by mothers. Mothers have long been leaders in mobilizing around social issues like drunk driving, women's suffrage, and child labor laws - and today's activists and organizers are leveraging social media and other digital tools to connect with and build a diverse coalition of volunteers across the country. On this episode, Katherine Oliver sits down with Shannon Watts, the founder of Moms Demand Action, a grassroots movement fighting to protect Americans from gun violence with more than 6 million supporters, as well as Meredith Berkman and Dorian Fuhrman, the co-founders of Parents Against Vaping E-Cigarettes, or PAVE. PAVE seeks to educate parents about the dangers of e-cigarettes and advocate for legislative change to protect minors from Big Tobacco. Kindly note the views of the podcast guests are entirely their own, and Bloomberg Philanthropies hasn't independently verified any of the statements made by this week's podcast guests.

105. Preventing Childhood Drowning Around the World Jul 23, 2021

Drowning is the third leading cause of unintentional injury and death around the world. More than 90% of drowning deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, and children under the age of five are most at risk. To highlight the impact drowning has on communities - and to draw attention to the need for urgent action - the United Nations General Assembly passed its first-ever Resolution on Global Drowning Prevention, declaring July 25th as World Drowning Prevention Day. Our founder, Mike Bloomberg, is the World Health Organization’s Global Ambassador for Noncommunicable Diseases and Injuries. Given that drowning claims more than 235,000 lives a year, he’s working to draw more awareness to this cause. Since 2012, Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Initiative to Prevent Drowning supports tailored efforts to tackle the specific causes of drowning on a local level in Bangladesh, Viet Nam, and Uganda. To tell us more about the Initiative, Kelly Larson, who works on our public health team, sits down with Dr. Aminur Rahman, the Director of the Center for Injury Prevention and Research, Bangladesh. They discuss why drowning is so prevalent for children below the age of 5 in Bangladesh, the importance of community daycares to prevent drowning, and why the government of Bangladesh is taking a lead on drowning prevention. Then, Becky Bavinger of the Bloomberg Philanthropies public health team sits down with Huyen Doan, the Viet Nam Country Director for the Global Health Advocacy Incubator. They discuss creating a survival swimming program for nearly 15,000 children in provinces with high drowning numbers and how we’re measuring progress in drowning prevention.

104. Increasing Diversity in STEM Fields Jun 18, 2021

National Science Foundation data shows that while Black Americans make up 13 percent of the U.S. population, and Latinx people 18 percent, in 2019 they received just three and seven percent, respectively, of new engineering, math, physical sciences and computer science PhDs. This spring, Bloomberg Philanthropies and Johns Hopkins University launched the Vivien Thomas Scholars Initiative - an effort to address underrepresentation in STEM fields and prepare the next generation of researchers and scholars to assume leadership roles in tackling some of the world's greatest challenges. The program will create pathways for students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities, as well as Minority Serving Institutions, to pursue and receive PhDs, and is part of Bloomberg Philanthropies' Greenwood Initiative - an effort to increase intergenerational Black wealth and address systemic underinvestment in Black communities. The initiative is named after Vivien Thomas - a Black surgical laboratory supervisor who developed a life-saving cardiac surgery technique to treat "blue baby syndrome" at Johns Hopkins Hospital in the 1940s. Despite his life-saving research, Thomas's contributions went unrecognized for decades because of racial discrimination. Damani Piggott, the inaugural Associate Vice Provost for Graduate Diversity and Partnerships at Johns Hopkins University, and Dr. Mary Schmidt Campbell, the President of Spelman College, sit down with Garnesha Ezediaro of the Bloomberg Philanthropies Greenwood Initiative to discuss Vivien Thomas' legacy, how we can ensure diversity in PhD programs in the future, and why it's important to create pathway programs to prepare the next generation of leaders in STEM fields.

103. Reducing Injuries and Traffic Crashes on Roads Around the World Jun 11, 2021

One public health challenge that receives limited attention and insufficient resources is road safety. Our founder, Mike Bloomberg, is the WHO's Global Ambassador for Noncommunicable Diseases and Injuries. Given that road traffic crashes kill nearly 1.35 million people and injure as many as 50 million every year, this is a major focus in his role. Weak and inadequate road safety laws, minimal or nonexistent vehicle safety standards, and streets designed solely for vehicle use - and not pedestrians - are serious threats to road safety, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. In order to save lives on the road, Bloomberg Philanthropies has funded road safety efforts since 2007, and will continue to support its Initiative for Global Road Safety through 2025. It supports strengthening road safety laws and implementing evidence-based interventions in cities and countries across Latin America, Africa, and Asia, with a particular focus on speed management. In this episode, Kelly Larson of the Bloomberg Philanthropies public health team sits down with Soames Job, Head of the Global Road Safety Facility and Global Lead for Road Safety with the World Bank. They discuss how the World Bank works with countries around the world on road safety initiatives, how the pandemic has changed the way people drive, and how the World Bank Global Road Safety Facility works to ensure safe speeds and enforcement of speed limits around the world. Kelly Larson also sits down with Juanjo Mendez, the Secretary of Transportation of the City of Buenos Aires, to discuss how the city is working to reduce fatalities by 50% in the next 10 years, why the pandemic was an opportunity to strengthen road safety in Buenos Aires, and the role that reducing speeds plays in saving lives.

102. The Economic Cost of Gun Violence in America May 07, 2021

Over the past year, the United States has seen the rise of two major public health epidemics: the coronavirus and gun violence. When we talk about gun violence, we rightly talk about the lives lost. The pandemic has accelerated an austere fiscal environment, where every level of government is straining to maintain critical services like sanitation, public transportation, and education. At a time when every dollar counts, our colleagues at Everytown for Gun Safety researched how much gun violence is costing us - and it's a staggering $280 billion each year. This $280 billion figure represents the lifetime costs associated with gun violence, including immediate costs starting at the time of an incident, subsequent costs such as treatment, long-term physical and mental health care, forgone earnings, criminal justice costs, and cost estimates of quality-of-life over a victim's lifespan. Everytown for Gun Safety was formed in 2014, when Mayors Against Illegal Guns - a coalition co-founded by Mike Bloomberg during his mayoralty - merged with Moms Demand Action to create the largest gun violence prevention organization in America. Everytown President John Feinblatt and Everytown's Director of Research, Sarah Burd-Sharps, joined the podcast to tell us more about how their team calculated the economic cost of gun violence, why good storytelling is critical in the fight for gun sense action, and how Everytown is working to prevent gun violence at the federal, state, and local levels.

Reporting on The Outlaw Ocean Apr 15, 2021

Imagine a lawless frontier. It probably wouldn't be so different from the ocean, where abuses like slavery and human trafficking or crimes like rape or murder are hidden from sight. Ian Urbina is a journalist focusing on lawlessness at sea. He has investigated how Chinese fishing vessels are illegally operating in the waters between Korea, Japan and Russia, violating UN sanctions, and recently, how the food security of coastal populations in West Africa is are at risk due to overfishing. After reporting on staff at The New York Times for about 20 years, he's started The Outlaw Ocean Project, a non-profit journalism organization which focuses on telling stories about the environmental, human rights, and labor abuses occurring offshore around the world. In order to reach a broader audience, Ian has also launched The Outlaw Ocean Music Project, which allows artists to create music inspired from journalism on ocean issues. As a result, hundreds of musicians from more than 80 countries have been telling new audiences about issues at sea. On this episode, Ian joins Melissa Wright - who oversees the Vibrant Oceans Initiative, Bloomberg Philanthropies' program that works to protect the ocean and those who depend on it -- from climate change, pollution, and overfishing. Melissa and Ian will tell us more about how reporting at sea has changed during the COVID-19 pandemic, how his team uses data from Global Fishing Watch to corroborate his work, and how you can take action to protect our ocean at home.

100. Making the Biggest Impact Possible During the Pandemic Apr 01, 2021

This marks a very special episode of Follow the Data: It's not only our 100th episode, but this podcast also coincides with the release of the 2020 Annual Report, our yearly review of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ efforts to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. To celebrate our 100th episode, Patti Harris, the CEO of Bloomberg Philanthropies, joined the podcast. She oversees our programs focused on the arts, education, environment, government innovation, and public health, as well as Mike Bloomberg's corporate and personal philanthropy and Bloomberg Associates, our pro bono consultancy that works with mayors in cities around the world. She's spent more than two decades working with Mike, and previously served as first deputy mayor during his mayoralty. Patti is the first woman in New York City to have served in this role, which is the city's highest appointed position. Before joining the Bloomberg Administration, she managed Corporate Communications at Bloomberg LP, overseeing Philanthropy, Public Relations, and Government Affairs. Patti sits down with host Katherine Oliver for a socially distanced podcast recording at Bloomberg's global headquarters in New York - our first in-person recording in over a year! - to discuss how Bloomberg Philanthropies worked to make the biggest impact possible during the COVID-19 crisis, how employees at Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies have worked to support communities in need, and what's keeping her hopeful right now.

99. Can Blood Plasma Therapy Treat COVID-19 Patients? Jan 29, 2021

It's been just over a year since the first coronavirus case was reported in the United States, and the virus continues to spread rapidly through our communities. Last spring, we spoke with Dr. Arturo Casadevall – an infectious disease specialist and Bloomberg Distinguished Professor at Johns Hopkins University who was leading a team of experts to develop a convalescent blood plasma therapy for health care workers and for early treatment of COVID-19 patients. To help launch this research, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan and Johns Hopkins worked together to provide early funding for the potential therapeutic uses of convalescent plasma. Fast forward to earlier this month, when the Mayo Clinic published a study showing antibodies in convalescent blood plasma therapy help lower mortality rates in over 3,000 coronavirus patients. While the COVID-19 vaccine continues to roll out, blood plasma therapy can help to save the lives of patients already infected with the coronavirus - and the Red Cross reports that hospital distributions of convalescent plasma for COVID-19 patents have increased by 250% since October. On this episode, Dr. Casadevall joins Dr. Jessica Leighton of the Bloomberg Philanthropies public health team to tell us more about how his research has progressed over the past few months, if convalescent blood plasma therapy and the vaccine are effective for new coronavirus strains, and how you could help save lives in your community. If you’ve recovered from COVID-19 and are interested in donating your blood plasma to others, please visit redcrossblood.org.

98. Mexico’s Forward-Thinking Food Policies: Do They Work? Jan 22, 2021

From vaccination efforts to the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic to the effects of climate change, global leaders face many challenges. Perhaps just as grave of an issue -- but one that's gotten less time in the spotlight -- is the continued rise in obesity rates. The World Health Organization reports that worldwide obesity has nearly tripled since 1975. As mayor of New York City, Mike Bloomberg championed policies to help improve diets, from banning trans fats in restaurants and requiring calorie counts to be posted in chain restaurants, to launching the green cart program to provide fresh produce around the city. Today, Bloomberg Philanthropies' food policy program works to raise public awareness around obesity and supports policies to promote healthier diets around the world. One country where our work has grown is Mexico, which has emerged as a leader in food policy. In 2013, our partners in Mexico supported the passage of a one-peso per liter tax on sugary drinks, and was one of the first countries to do so. Robust evaluation of the tax showed that within two years of implementation, it was associated with a drop in sales of sugary drinks by almost 10%. Since that landmark tax, more than 30 countries, cities, and regions have implemented similar policies. More recently, in October of 2020, Mexico implemented a front-of-package warning label regulation, requiring foods and beverages that exceed certain thresholds for calories, sugar, salt, trans fat, and saturated fat to carry warning labels. On this episode, recorded in late 2020, Kristine Momanyi of the Bloomberg Philanthropies food policy team joins Ana Larrañaga, the Advocacy Coordinator at ContraPESO, a civil society organization that works to prevent noncommunicable diseases in Mexico, and Simón Barquera, the Director of the Nutrition and Health Research Center at the National Institute for Public Health in Mexico, to discuss the significance of the country's front-of-package warning labels. This is the third and final episode in a three-part mini series around food policy

97. Steering Millions of Dollars Back into the Pockets of Detroiters Jan 15, 2021

Imagine finding a $4,000 check or more from the federal government in your bank account. For many American families of four, that's a real possibility thanks to the Earned Income Tax Credit, which is designed to help low-to-moderate income workers and families get a tax break - and in Detroit, 80% of residents who were eligible were not applying for it, even though the city has one of the lowest median incomes and highest poverty rates in the country. To help Detroiters claim the Earned Income Tax Credit - and to make sure they're not leaving money on the table - Bloomberg Associates worked with Mayor Mike Duggan and the Accounting Aid Society among other Detroit partners, to develop a strategy to spread the word around it and encourage eligible households to apply for it. Since the expanded EITC campaign began in 2016, thousands of additional Detroit residents claim their Earned Income Tax Credit annually – worth tens of millions of dollars in the pockets of Detroiters. On this episode, recorded in late 2020, Rose Gill and Amy Kurland of the Bloomberg Associates Municipal Integrity team sit down with Kathy Aro and Gabrielle Thomas, who run the Account Aid Society, an organization which assists low-to-moderate income residents of southeast Michiganders with free tax preparation and education services. Kathy and Gabrielle discussed how they're giving back to Detroiters and how they shifted operations during the coronavirus pandemic. Tiffany Thomas, a Detroit resident, and Mayor Duggan also join the podcast to discuss the success of the campaign and what it means for Detroiters.

96. Reducing the Student Debt Burden for Historically Black Medical School Students Jan 08, 2021

Black patients have better health outcomes when treated by Black doctors - but the devastating economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic threatens to worsen existing disparities potentially preventing current Black medical students burdened with medical school debt from completing their degrees. Last fall, Bloomberg Philanthropies announced a $100 million gift to the four historically Black medical schools in the U.S. - Meharry Medical College, Howard University College of Medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine, and Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science. This gift will help ease the debt burden of medical students currently enrolled and receiving financial aid in order to help increase the number of Black doctors in the U.S. This gift is the first investment of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Greenwood Initiative, an effort to increase intergenerational Black wealth and address systemic underinvestment in Black communities. In this episode, recorded in December, Garnesha Ezediaro, who leads the Greenwood Initiative at Bloomberg Philanthropies, sits down with Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice, President and Dean of Morehouse School of Medicine, and Dr. James Hildreth, President and CEO of Meharry Medical College. They discuss what makes their students and school communities so special, the underlying factors contributing to health disparities in Black communities, and how Bloomberg Philanthropies' gift will enable students to choose what and where they practice medicine based on passion, not a paycheck. This is the second episode in a two-part series around this investment.

95. The Best of 2020 Dec 18, 2020

2020 will certainly be remembered as a pivotal year in history – defined by a global pandemic which exacerbated challenges to the American public health system, exposed racial and social injustice, and characterized a tense presidential election.

For this episode – the last of the year – we wanted to highlight some of this year’s episodes which gave us fresh perspective on the events of this year: Systemic Racism as a Public Health Issue, The Pandemic’s Effect on Gun Violence, How Cities Are Supporting Arts & Culture During COVID-19, Virtual Advising, Does It Work?, and Moving American Beyond Coal.

Follow the Data will be on hiatus for the next two weeks during the holidays. In the meantime, here are five podcasts our team is listening to right now: Public Health on Call, Big Tobacco Messed with the Wrong Moms, No Place Like Home, A Matter of Degrees, and The Serpentine Podcast.

94. Increasing the Number of Black Doctors in the U.S. Dec 11, 2020

The pandemic has been especially devastating for the Black community – which highlights the need for more Black doctors more than ever. Black communities are 4x more likely to have a shortage of physicians, and just 5% of practicing doctors are Black, even though Black patients have better health outcomes when treated by Black doctors.

While Black doctors are more likely to serve those in medically underserved areas, medical school debt often forces them to choose between a career of passion and a career that would pay the bills. And the economic impact of the pandemic only makes it harder for many students to complete their degrees.

Earlier this year, Bloomberg Philanthropies announced a $100 million gift to the four historically Black medical schools in the U.S. - Meharry Medical College, Howard University College of Medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine, and Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science. This gift will help ease the debt burden of medical students currently enrolled and receiving financial aid in order to help increase the number of Black doctors in the U.S.

This gift is the first investment of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Greenwood Initiative, an effort to increase intergenerational Black wealth and address systemic underinvestment in Black communities.

In this episode, Garnesha Ezediaro, who leads the Greenwood Initiative at Bloomberg Philanthropies, sits down with Dr. David Carlisle, President and CEO of Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, and Dr. Wayne Frederick, President of Howard University. They discuss how health and wealth disparities in Black communities are linked, how the pandemic has impacted Black Americans, and how Bloomberg Philanthropies’ gift of up to $100,000 for participating medical school students will impact their school communities and beyond. This is the first episode in a two-part series around this initiative.

93. Telling Stories for the Climate Curious Dec 04, 2020

This year, the effects of climate change became unavoidable: There were so many storms in 2020, that the group that names them worked their way through the English alphabet and has moved to the Greek alphabet. 2020 is set to be the warmest year on record. And wildfires raged in California, Oregon, Washington, and Colorado.

There’s no denying that climate change is playing out in front of our eyes. In fact, President-Elect Biden campaigned on a promise to make climate change central to his administration’s agenda. But what can the average person do to act before it’s too late?

Dr. Katharine Wilkinson and Dr. Leah Stokes seek to answer that question on A Matter of Degrees – a podcast for the “climate curious,” which tells stories around how the climate crisis came to be – and the tools we have to fix it. In addition to hosting the podcast, Dr. Wilkinson and Dr. Stokes are deeply committed to driving the climate movement forward: Dr. Wilkinson is co-editor of “All We Can Save,” a book written by women climate leaders, and is the co-founder of the All We Can Save Project, in support of the feminist climate renaissance. Dr. Stokes is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science and a faculty affiliate at the Bren School of Environmental, Science & Management at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

On this episode, Dr. Wilkinson and Dr. Stokes join Antha Williams, who leads the Bloomberg Philanthropies global climate & environment program, and her 10-year-old daughter Azzie Williams, to discuss the opportunities and challenges COVID-19 response provides for a green recovery, the Biden-Harris administration’s climate agenda, and what’s giving them hope for the climate movement going forward.

92. Making Streets Safer with Asphalt Art Nov 20, 2020

City streets have always been our most important public spaces. A well-designed street that works for everyone, whether you're walking or biking, taking a bus or driving a car, becomes not just a way to get from A to B, but a true destination itself. A growing number of cities around the world are embracing public art as an effective and relatively low-cost strategy to activate their streets and make them safer and more inviting to resident and visitors. Bringing light and color to dull asphalt and concrete can reshape the way we experience daily life in our cities – and that holds especially true during the pandemic with people traveling less and spending more time exercising, dining and socializing outside. In 2019, Bloomberg Philanthropies launched the Asphalt Art Initiative to help cities use art to improve street safety, revitalize public spaces, and engage their local communities. Our pro bono consulting arm, Bloomberg Associates, produced the Asphalt Art Guide, which highlights successful art activations in cities around the world and provides advice and tips for cities interested in making their own asphalt art projects. We also funded pilot projects in 16 small and mid-sized cities around the country to demonstrate the impact of these low-cost interventions and encourage cities to develop long-lasting processes for implementing effective asphalt art. On this episode, David Andersson of the Bloomberg Associates Arts team and Nick Mosquera of the Bloomberg Associates Transportation team sit down with representatives from three of our funded projects that were installed this fall: Jamie Forbes, a community leader and former city council member from Saginaw, Michigan, DuRon Netsell, a streetscape designer who managed an installation in Kansas City, Missouri, and Mensah Bey, an artist who designed a mural that was implemented in Norfolk, Virginia. They discuss how asphalt art encourages residents to take ownership of their streets, how cities can redesign roads to make them safer, and how to engage community members in cities that may be installing public art projects.

91. The Right to Nutritious Food Nov 13, 2020

As the world continues to grapple with COVID-19, the challenge of food insecurity has been a constant subject among public health experts. On this episode, the second part in our series about food policy during the pandemic, we meet Dr. Tlaleng Mofokeng, also known as Dr. T. Join us as Dr. T sits down with Luyanda Majija of Bloomberg Philanthropies partner Vital Strategies, a global public health organization, to discuss how Dr. T plans to advance food justice in her new role, the role that food plays in her native South Africa and how the food environment has shifted during COVID-19, and how Dr. T is working with global UN bodies and agencies during the pandemic.

90. The State of the Virus with Dr. Fauci Oct 30, 2020

After seven months, Coronavirus cases continue to surge across the United States. The New York Times reports that 26 states are at or near record numbers for new infections, and that hospitals are recording an estimated 46 percent increase in patients hospitalized from the virus over last month. And while the escalating case numbers have not resulted in lockdowns or curfews in the U.S., European countries are introducing new restrictions to slow the spread of the virus. In France, President Macron has reimposed a nationwide lockdown, while Germany will close bars, restaurants, movie theaters, sports facilities and more through the end of November. Health policy has never been at the forefront like it is now, at least in our lifetimes. The Johns Hopkins University has introduced the Health Policy Forum, a quarterly series of discussions designed to bring Johns Hopkins faculty, students, and experts together with policy makers to explore how health policies are developed and implemented. In this episode, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Dean Ellen MacKenzie joins Dr. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, for the first installment of the Johns Hopkins University’s Health Policy forum. The webcast originally aired on October 16. The audio is adapted from Public Health on Call, a daily podcast from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Dean MacKenzie and Dr. Fauci discuss how public health measures can be the gateway to opening the economy, how the COVID-19 vaccine could change the state of coronavirus response, and how the scientific community can gain trust among the general public. You can access a recording of Dean MacKenzie and Dr. Fauci’s complete conversation at https://hub.jhu.edu/2020/10/16/anthony-fauci-national-covid-response-health-policy/.

89. Shaping the Future of Youth in Baltimore, MD Oct 23, 2020

Navigating a pandemic, our country’s reckoning with racial injustice, and a divisive presidential election is difficult – but it can be especially difficult for teenagers, whose school communities and peer support systems have been turned upside down this year. In fact, a CDC study conducted earlier this summer suggests that younger adults have experienced disproportionately worse mental health outcomes as a result of the pandemic. Engaging teenagers during tumultuous times is nothing new to Joni Holifield. She created HeartSmiles in 2015, when riots broke out in her native Baltimore following the death of Freddie Gray. Today, the program provides enrichment and leadership development opportunities for youth. Joni also runs the Youth Advisory Board, which provides guidance to the Johns Hopkins Center for Adolescent Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, HeartSmiles convened youth at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in East Baltimore for personal development programming, leadership training, and college and career mentorship in collaboration with the school's Center for Adolescent Health. HeartSmiles aims to inspire youth to be leaders in their communities and to demonstrate leadership in real time through activities that build character. Since the pandemic hit, HeartSmiles has shifted its programming online – and has started connecting with youth beyond Baltimore, too. Joni and David Carberry, the CEO of Enradius, a Baltimore-based digital advertising company and an alum of the Bloomberg Philanthropies and Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program in Baltimore, join this episode of the podcast. David participated in HeartSmiles’ partnership program, which is supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies, and connects students with mentors and work opportunities at the Baltimore 10,000 Small Businesses, and mentored Kamri Moses – a student and entrepreneur in her own right. Joni, David and Kamri sit down to discuss how HeartSmiles has created a digital space for youth to connect during the pandemic, how building community relationships has changed during the coronavirus crisis, and why it’s important for businesses to collaborate with youth and community-based programs--investment in the future.

88. The Politics of Food Oct 15, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed virtually everything about the way we live – including how we eat. The pandemic has drastically increased the number of people around the world who are food insecure, while obesity and other diet-related conditions like diabetes and hypertension increase the risk of hospitalization and severe illness from COVID-19. Improving the quality of our diets and building resilient food systems is critical to public health – which is why Bloomberg Philanthropies is investing another $250 million over the next five years in order to accelerate progress toward creating healthier food environments globally. On this episode, Dr. Neena Prasad, who leads Bloomberg Philanthropies’ food policy program, sits down with Dr. Marion Nestle - the Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health, Emerita, at New York University, and a Visiting Professor of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell. She recently wrote Let’s Ask Marion: What You Need to Know About the Politics of Food, Nutrition, and Health, a series of essays around food politics. Neena and Marion join the podcast this World Food Day to discuss why food is political; the connection between hunger, obesity, and climate change; and how the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the need - and opportunities - to create a healthier and more socially just food system. This is the first episode in a mini-series around food policy. To learn more about Marion Nestle’s work, you can read her blog here: http://foodpolitics.com/ You can buy her book, Let’s Ask Marion: What You Need to Know About the Politics of Food, Nutrition, and Health, here: https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520343238/lets-ask-marion

87. Moving America Beyond Coal Oct 09, 2020

As wildfires blaze along the West Coast, extreme weather devastates the Gulf Coast and Midwest, and temperatures rise to record levels, a majority of registered voters in the United States say that climate change will be an important issue in the 2020 presidential election. Bloomberg Philanthropies has been working with the Sierra Club to phase out coal power in favor of cleaner, healthier forms of energy. Through our work on the Beyond Coal campaign, we’ve helped retire 60% of domestic coal plants, and are on track to retire 100% of the nation’s coal plants by 2030. Beyond Coal estimates that these plant closures have saved an estimated 7,600 lives, prevented nearly 12,000 heart attacks, and resulted in an estimated annual savings of $3.6 billion in health care costs. Beyond Coal has been named one of the most successful environmental campaigns in the country, and has inspired the launch of grassroots campaigns in Europe, Korea, Japan, and Australia. On this episode, Antha Williams – global head of Climate & Environment programs at Bloomberg Philanthropies – sits down with Mary Anne Hitt, the Sierra Club’s National Director of Campaigns, and Reverend Yearwood, the President and CEO of Hip Hop Caucus. Together, they discuss the impact of retiring coal plants and transitioning to clean energy, how climate justice and racial justice are connected, and why it’s important to vote for candidates who believe in climate change in the upcoming election.

86. How Buenos Aires, Argentina Is Responding to COVID-19 Oct 02, 2020

This week, Johns Hopkins University data confirmed that the global coronavirus death toll crossed one million. Though we are learning new information about the virus every day, cities are home to 50% of the global population – and therefore at the forefront of the COVID-19 crisis. So the Partnership for Healthy Cities – which was created by Bloomberg Philanthropies to prevent noncommunicable diseases and injuries in 70 global cities – is stepping up and expanding its support for cities and local leaders during the pandemic. On this episode, Fernando Straface, the Secretary General and Secretary of Foreign Relations of the City of Buenos Aires, joins Dr. Kelly Henning – head of Bloomberg Philanthropies public health team. Together, they discuss how Buenos Aires is collaborating with other Latin American cities to coordinate coronavirus response, how the city government is utilizing data from its COVID-19 dashboard, and what’s keeping local leaders hopeful now.

85. Peer-to-Peer College Advising – Does It Work? Sep 24, 2020

The coronavirus pandemic has exposed many inequities– and for high-achieving, lower-income high school seniors, the cost of higher education may make enrolling in college even more challenging. The National College Attainment Network analysis of FAFSA data through August reports that 1000,000 fewer high school seniors completed financial aid applications for college admissions this year. One of our CollegePoint partners, Matriculate, trains college student Advising Fellows to help high-achieving, lower-income high school students identify colleges that are a good fit, complete resumes, recommendations, and application forms, apply for financial aid, compare aid packages, and prepare academically, socially, and emotionally to succeed in college. On this episode, Jhenielle Reynolds, who works on the education team at Bloomberg Philanthropies, sits down with Mikayla Deckard, Matriculate’s Head Virtual Advising Fellow, and a student at Indiana University - Bloomington, and Freddy Rodriguez, a high school student currently applying to college with the help of CollegePoint. Mikayla and Freddy join the podcast to tell us about how they’re working together to navigate the uncertainties of applying to college during a pandemic and share advice for other students in the college admissions process.

84. A Summer Unlike Any Other Sep 18, 2020

Summer has always been a special time for children to get outdoors and play – but the coronavirus pandemic posed a challenge for summer camps and programs serving youth. The Fresh Air Fund, which was founded in 1877 at the height of the tuberculosis epidemic in New York City was determined to continue its mission of providing free summer experiences for kids. With the support of Bloomberg Philanthropies, Ford Foundation, and The JPB Foundation, The Fresh Air Fund created Summer Spaces, in collaboration with the city, transforming closed New York City streets into age-appropriate, socially distant, play spaces for children. The program also provided employment to local youth ages 18 to 24, who served as activity specialists, coaches, and counselors. Special thanks to the many program partners, including ones mentioned in this episode: Ford Foundation, The JPB Foundation, the American Ballet Theater, Scholastic, and Verizon. In this episode, Fatima Shama, the Executive Director of The Fresh Air Fund, sits down with Megan Sheekey, who leads strategic partnerships at Bloomberg Associates, to tell us more about how The Fresh Air Fund has innovated its programming during the pandemic, how The Fresh Air Fund worked with local partners to support communities, and how cities can more effectively collaborate with partners in order to improve quality of life for their residents.

83. Virtual College Advising - Does It Work? Sep 14, 2020

CollegePoint is a virtual advising program that aims to help as many as 65,000 high-achieving, low-income high school students apply to college, navigate the financial aid process, and decide which college to attend – entirely for free. The program matches each student with a virtual college advisor who provides personalized college application and financial aid support through text messages, e-mails, and video conference calls. On this episode, Jhenielle Reynolds, who works on the education team at Bloomberg Philanthropies, sits down with Rachel Maguire, a CollegePoint advisor, and Logan Balfantz, a recent CollegePoint alum who is now a freshman at the University of Notre Dame. Rachel and Logan joined the podcast to tell us more about what it was like to work together through CollegePoint during Logan’s college application process, to give tips to students who may be applying to college during the pandemic, and to share advice for students and advisors who may be adjusting to tele-education methods during the pandemic.

82. The 9/11 Memorial Glade: A Tribute to Strength Aug 28, 2020

This episode is a rebroadcast that we first published in late September of 2019 around the 18th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. We spoke with Alice Greenwald - National September 11th Memorial and Museum President and CEO. And she shared with us how a series of stone monoliths at the site of the memorial – known as the Glade – came to be and its purpose. And while it was temporarily closed to the public during the pandemic for safety reasons, the space has reopened to welcome visitors once again.

81. Is It Safe to Reopen Schools? Aug 21, 2020

With back to school on everyone’s minds, students, parents, educators, public health experts and politicians continue to debate on the safety of reopening schools for in-person instruction.   On this episode, we talk to Dr. Jennifer Nuzzo, a Senior Scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, where she leads research partnerships with public health practitioners in order to document their learnings and improve our readiness for large and challenging outbreaks. She also co-wrote a New York Times op-ed earlier this summer, called “We Have to Focus on Opening Schools, Not Bars.” Dr. Nuzzo joined Dr. Kelly Henning, who leads our public health program, to share advice for schools and school administrators trying to enforce social distancing and mask wearing, to discuss how students, teachers, and administrators who are immunosuppressed should approach returning to the classroom, and to tell us more about how other countries are approaching school reopening.

80. Your COVID-19 Vaccine Questions, Answered Aug 14, 2020

The coronavirus pandemic has changed the way we live – and a vaccine is our best hope to resume normal life. While studies of possible COVID-19 vaccines continue, questions emerge: How close are we to a vaccine? Should children, pregnant women, and the elderly be included in vaccine trials? How successful does a vaccine have to be in order to be considered effective? Dr. Ruth Karron is the Director of the Center for Immunization Research and of the Johns Hopkins Vaccine Initiative at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and is considered one of the top vaccine experts in the world. Dr. Karron sits down with Dr. Josh Sharfstein to tell us more about how COVID-19 vaccine trials are evaluating vaccine safety, why it’s important to have racial and ethnic diversity in vaccine trials, and how we can build trust with communities to allay concerns about the vaccine. This episode is borrowed from “Public Health on Call,” the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s podcast – hosted by Dr. Josh Sharfstein, Vice Dean for Public Health Practice and Community Engagement, and a frequent guest on our show. Read more about the COVID-19 vaccine on the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health site here: https://www.jhsph.edu/covid-19/articles/a-top-vaccine-expert-answers-important-questions-about-a-covid-19-vaccine.html

79. How Cities Are Supporting Arts & Culture During COVID-19 Aug 05, 2020

In London, cultural tourism is worth about 8 billion pounds a year—largely from international visitors. Recent statistics in London indicate that the creative economy will lose 16 billion pounds, and 150,000 jobs, by the end of 2020 alone. As the Deputy Mayor for Culture and the Creative Industries of London, Justine Simons oversees City Hall’s work across music, theatre, film, fashion, design, games, and art. She’s also the founder and chair of the World Cities Culture Forum, which convenes cities to explore the vital role the arts have in shaping communities. Justine sat down with Tracey Knuckles, who helps cities develop strategies for strengthening their creative sector in her role at Bloomberg Associates, to discuss how London and other cities around the world are responding to COVID-19’s impact on the cultural sector, what strategies cities are implementing as they navigate re-opening cultural institutions, and what the long-term outlook looks like after the pandemic.

78. Systemic Racism as a Public Health Issue Jul 31, 2020

As more data about the impact of the pandemic becomes available, it is increasingly clear that the coronavirus is affecting the most vulnerable and disadvantaged populations in the U.S. the hardest. As the Director of The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Equity and the Director of the Johns Hopkins Urban Health Institute, Dr. Lisa Cooper and her team work to make health care institutions more equitable, communities more engaged, and health policies and practices more effective to eliminate disparities in health and health care in Baltimore, the United States, and around the world. Dr. Cooper sat down with Dr. Jessica Leighton from our public health team to tell us more about what can be done to reduce the toll of COVID-19 on Black and Latino communities, how the public health community is tackling systemic racism, and how listeners considering joining Black Lives Matter protests in their communities can protest safely.

77. Training an Army of Contact Tracers Jul 23, 2020

The coronavirus pandemic continues to surge across the country – and contact tracing is one of our best tools to slow the spread. The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Bloomberg Philanthropies, together with New York State, launched a free online course, called "COVID-19 Contact Tracing," in order to train an army of contact tracers to reach and assist people who have been exposed to the virus. Dr. Emily Gurley, the infectious disease epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health who designed the course, joined Kelly Larson from our public health team on June 26th to tell us more about what contact tracing really is and what makes a contact tracer effective, what material is covered in the free COVID-19 Contact Tracing Course, and the role technology plays in fighting COVID-19.

76. Identifying Implicit Biases in Cities Jul 17, 2020

Bloomberg Associates – the philanthropic consulting arm of Bloomberg Philanthropies – has been working with the City of Houston, Texas, on the My Brother’s Keeper Initiative and with other key partners across the country in order to tackle how school discipline practices contribute to the school-to-prison pipeline. One of those key partners is Rev. Dr. Bryant Marks of The National Training Institute on Race and Equity at Morehouse College, whose team is providing city-wide implicit bias training for the City of Houston. Rev. Dr. Marks recently joined Mariama N’Diaye of our Bloomberg Associates team to discuss what implicit bias training entails, what implicit bias looks like in schools, and how school discipline practices contribute to the school-to-prison pipeline, and shares advice for listeners who may be beginning to identify inequities in their own communities.

75. The Pandemic’s Effect on Gun Violence Jul 09, 2020

As mayor of New York City, Mike Bloomberg started working on gun safety and co-founded Mayors Against Illegal Guns – a coalition that grew to 1,000 current and former mayors. And when he left City Hall, he created Everytown for Gun Safety alongside Moms Demand Action founder Shannon Watts by combining Mayors Against Illegal Guns with her army of volunteers and millions of other Americans committed to ending gun violence. Everytown is now the country’s most powerful grassroots advocacy group for common sense gun policies, and the counterweight to the gun lobby. As part of their effort to better understand and reduce gun violence in America, Everytown has a robust research arm that helps inform policymakers, advocates and experts working on the gun violence crisis. According to the team’s latest study, historic precedent suggests that economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic could contribute to a 20 to 30 percent increase in firearm suicides in the US this year. Everytown's Director of Research, Sarah Burd-Sharps, joined us to discuss how her team reports on new data, how we can be mindful of possible firearm suicides and prevent them from happening, and precautions that gun owners can take to prevent unintentional shootings during the pandemic.

74. The Data Behind The Pandemic Jul 01, 2020

Cities and states are reopening, even as coronavirus cases are surging in the United States. Dr. Tom Inglesby and his team at the Center for Health Security of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health use research, data, and expert analysis to advise decision makers about public health practices to mitigate the effects of epidemics and disasters like COVID-19. In this episode, Dr. Inglesby sat down with Bloomberg Philanthropies public health program lead Dr. Kelly Henning to tell us more about how states are looking at data to inform school and office reopenings, whether we’re in the first or second wave of COVID-19, and the power of social media during the pandemic.

73. Four Podcasts Our Team Is Listening To This Week Jun 26, 2020

Follow the Data is on hiatus while we work on a slate of exciting episodes starting next week. In the meantime, we wanted to highlight a few of our team's favorite podcasts: The American Health Podcast, Public Health on Call, Southbank Centre’s Podcasts, and Public Art Works: A Podcast by the Public Art Fund.

72. Food First Responders Jun 18, 2020

To express our appreciation for health care workers risking their lives to protect others during the COVID-19 pandemic, Bloomberg Philanthropies teamed up with Chef José Andrés and his nonprofit, World Central Kitchen, to provide almost 1.1 million meals to those working on the frontlines at 16 NYC Health + Hospitals facilities. In a conversation recorded on June 4th, World Central Kitchen CEO Nate Mook joined Bloomberg Philanthropies Senior Advisor Brynne Craig to share an update on our partnership, to tell us more about how re-opening will shift World Central Kitchen’s work, and to let us know how you can help people across the country that are in need of a meal or groceries.

71. How Helsinki, Finland Is Responding to COVID-19 Jun 12, 2020

As cities continue to grapple with the public health challenges posed by COVID-19, Mayor Jan Vapaavuori of Helsinki, Finland, joined Kelly Larson, who works on our public health team, two weeks ago to discuss how Helsinki is responding to COVID-19, how the Partnership for Healthy Cities is encouraging global collaboration between cities, and what’s keeping mayors hopeful right now.

70. Lights, Camera…Action? Jun 05, 2020

The entertainment industry has grinded to a halt as a result of the coronavirus crisis. Film and television production is speculated to resume in the fall at the earliest, and live theaters are bracing for a six month shutdown – yet the entertainment community has adapted to continue creating during this time. Michelle King, the co-creator of “The Good Wife” and “The Good Fight;” Brooke Kennedy, executive producer of “The Good Wife” and “The Good Fight,” actress Christine Baranski, actor Brian Stokes Mitchell, and Joseph Benincasa, President and CEO of The Actors Fund, joined host Katherine Oliver for a conversation around how film productions are transitioning to Zoom, how we can keep casts and crews safe, and how The Actors Fund is helping people in performing arts and entertainment in need.

69. How Freetown, Sierra Leone is Responding to COVID-19 May 29, 2020

As COVID-19 spreads rapidly in cities around the world, the virus poses an urgent challenge to mayors and city health officials worldwide. Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr of Freetown, Sierra Leone, joins Dr. Kelly Henning, who leads the public health program at Bloomberg Philanthropies, to discuss how Freetown is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, how global mayors are sharing information during the crisis, and what’s keeping mayors hopeful right now.

68. The Cost of Recovery for Our Cities (Part 2) May 22, 2020

In the first episode of this two-part series we learned how cities can access federal aid for crisis relief and recovery. This week’s episode dives into how apart from securing and deploying aid, it’s particularly important for cities to maintain fiscal order so that they can maximize the funds and avoid any misuse and trouble down the road. This week’s episode features Rose Gill, a Principal at Bloomberg Associates and Steven Kobre, Partner at Kobre + Kim. Together, they discuss the role of monitors in reviewing the use of federal funds, emerging cases that involve fraud, and share advice for city leaders managing COVID-19 federal aid on how to mitigate risks. Additionally, Rose spoke with Jerry DeLoach, who is the Head of the Cost Recovery team for the City of Atlanta to discuss how the city is responding to this crisis and at the same time is tracking expenditures to maximize federal reimbursements and recovery.

67. A Promising Treatment for COVID-19 May 15, 2020

Dr. Arturo Casadevall and colleagues at Johns Hopkins University and around the country have been working around the clock to develop a convalescent serum therapy to treat COVID-19 using blood plasma from recovered patients. If all goes well with the current U.S. trials, thousands of survivors might soon line up to donate their antibody-rich plasma. In this episode of our series around Bloomberg Philanthropies’ COVID-19 response, Dr. Casadavall joined Dr. Jessica Leighton, from our public health team, to discuss how blood plasma has been used to treat infectious disease outbreaks in the past, what makes blood plasma treatment different from a vaccine, how donating your blood plasma could help your community, and what’s giving researchers hope right now.

66. Slowing the Spread of COVID-19 in Africa May 08, 2020

In Africa, where governments and populations are used to – or at least more aware of – highly infectious diseases from Ebola and other outbreaks, 36 out of 54 countries currently have social distancing measures in place. Yet caseloads are beginning to increase, and public health professionals are following the data to understand the severity and speed of the spread in Africa. In this episode of our series, Amanda McClelland, the Senior Vice President of Prevent Epidemics and Resolve to Save Lives at Vital Strategies, sat down with Dr. Jennifer Ellis, from our Public Health program. They discuss why it’s important to prioritize slowing the spread of coronavirus in low- and middle-income countries, particularly those in Africa, the importance of the Box It In strategy, how response to the coronavirus has differed from other recent outbreaks, and what’s keeping public health professionals hopeful right now.

65. The Cost of Recovery for Our Cities (Part 1) May 01, 2020

The coronavirus has hit cities particularly hard – and while mayors are rolling out new guidelines and programs to protect residents, the economic cost of the pandemic is a real challenge for local leaders. Navigating federal aid is a challenge, even under the best of circumstances – but cities need to get access to the funds they need to operate and recover, and use it effectively. To tell us more, Adam Freed, a Principal at Bloomberg Associates, speaks to Natasha Rogers, the Chief Operating Officer of the City of Newark, and Brad Gair, a principal with Witt O’Brien’s, a national emergency management consultancy. They discuss how cities are using data to drive decision making in response to the pandemic, how federal aid can help them, and how cities can engage and get support from the state and federal government. This is the first episode in a two-part series around how cities can best navigate, access, and deploy federal aid.

64. The Intersection of COVID-19 and Transportation Apr 24, 2020

The unprecedented coronavirus crisis has affected Americans from coast to coast, with most living under stay-at-home orders. Yet millions of Americans have jobs they can’t video conference into – which is why the pandemic presents a unique challenge for city transportation departments, who need to keep people, goods, and services moving. In this episode of our series highlighting Bloomberg Philanthropies’ COVID-19 response, Janette Sadik-Khan, a Principal at Bloomberg Associates and Chair of NACTO, sat down with Corinne Kisner, Executive Director of NACTO, and Mark de la Vergne, the Chief of Mobility Innovation for the City of Detroit. They discuss how cities are continuing to run transit systems while keeping their own staffs safe, creative actions city transportation officials are taking in response to the pandemic, and how cities can provide safer, healthier transportation options for people going forward.

63. Behind the Scenes of the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Tracking Map Apr 17, 2020

As many of our listeners may have seen, the Hopkins COVID-19 interactive map and dashboard created by the Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering has been a critical source of near real-time tracking of the spread of the coronavirus since it first emerged. Two experts from Johns Hopkins: Beth Blauer and Dr. Josh Sharfstein discuss the making of the map, what new features have been added, and how data can help individuals and officials make informed decisions for COVID-19 response.

62. Responding to a Pandemic Crisis Apr 09, 2020

As mayor, Mike Bloomberg led New York City through a number of public health crises. Throughout these moments, Mike always said we have to trust and listen to our public health experts and give them the tools they need to protect the public. In this episode, Jessica Leighton, who works on our Public Health program spoke to Dr. Josh Sharfstein, the vice dean for public health practice at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. They discuss how COVID-19 is different from other recent outbreaks, the four phases of crisis response for public health disasters, and how the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health is tackling the coronavirus from every angle.

61. How to Help Nonprofits Affected by COVID-19 Apr 03, 2020

As part of our ongoing series looking at how cities, nonprofits, and low- and middle-incomes countries are fighting the coronavirus, this episode dives deeper into the NYC COVID-19 Response & Impact Fund, a new initiative supporting New York City-based social services and cultural organizations that have been affected by the coronavirus crisis. Listen as Darren Walker, president of the Ford Foundation, and Megan Sheekey, who leads our Strategic Partnership work at Bloomberg Associates, discuss how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting social service and cultural organizations across the city, where the greatest needs are, the role of foundations in supporting these groups, and how listeners can get involved.

60: "World War C" - Us Against the Microbe Mar 27, 2020

Learn more about the Bloomberg Philanthropies Coronavirus Global Response Initiative at https://bloombg.org/3dwqvId .

59: Buying A Car - A Road Safety Mission Nov 18, 2019

Over 90% of the 1.35 million people killed in road traffic injuries every year are in low- and middle- income countries. Road traffic crashes are the eighth leading cause of death and are the leading killer of people ages 5 and 29. Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety concentrates investments to make the greatest impact in countries where manufacturers send cars without basic safety features, including seat belts, airbags or ABS breaking. Becky Bavinger of the Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Health team and Jessica Truong, Vice President of Programs and Asia Pacific Coordinator for the Global New Car Assessment Program (Global NCAP) spoke about the need for improved road safety and vehicle safety. They discuss the strategy for improving road safety across the world, including providing consumers with crash test results, pushing for legislation to regulate manufacturers and the work that remains in low- middle- and high-income countries.

58: Facilitating Learning: A Bloomberg-Harvard Education Nov 04, 2019

The skills needed to be a mayor are many, and few have the time to pause and learn something new. The Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative was developed in response to the need for leadership and management training specifically tailored to city leaders. Bloomberg Philanthropies and Harvard University are uniquely qualified to develop such a program, combining resources to facilitate learning for city leaders currently holding office. Josh Skolnick of the Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Government Innovation team spoke to the program’s director and faculty co-chair for executive education, Jorrit de Jong. Jorrit is also a Senior Lecturer at Harvard’s Kennedy School; he and Josh discuss the program’s nearly 99% recommendation rate, the use of data, experimentation and innovation and cross-sector collaboration.

57: Protect Kids: Fight Flavored E-Cigarettes Oct 21, 2019

On September 10th, 2019, Bloomberg Philanthropies announced the creation of a new $160 million initiative to end the youth e-cigarette epidemic. The three-year program, called Protect Kids, is led by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, which will partner with other leading organizations including parent and community groups concerned about the nation’s kids and health. Dr. Kelly Henning, Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Public Health program lead, spoke to Matt Myers, President of Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, about the initiative, including the need to hold the federal government accountable for it’s stated intentions to ban flavored e-cigarettes.

56: Census Series – The Bureau Oct 07, 2019

Follow the Data’s Census Series has covered the “Who, What, When, Where, Why” and featured a case study on how one city, Detroit, Michigan, is preparing for the 2020 census. In the final episode of the series we learn more about the federal agency that manages the decennial census, among other things. Terri Ann Lowenthal, former staff director for the House of Representatives Census Oversight Subcommittee, speaks to Bloomberg Associates’ Municipal Integrity Principal, Rose Gill Hearn, about how the Census Bureau has evolved to prepare for the first “digital count,” about the agency’s commitment to confidentiality and the efforts made to achieve full census participation.

55: The 9/11 Memorial Glade: A Tribute to Strength Sep 23, 2019

In the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, support flooded in from across the country to drive the recovery effort in New York, and beyond. Since then, hundreds of thousands of first responders, recovery workers, and community members have gotten sick and many have passed away from exposure to toxins at the recovery site. 18 years after the attacks, communities are still feeling the effects. To recognize the sacrifice, loss and continuing effort of those who responded to rebuild the community, the 9/11 Memorial and Museum created a physical space on the memorial site, called the Memorial Glade. On the heels of the 18th anniversary of 9/11, we feature a conversation between Anita Contini of the Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Arts program and Alice Greenwald, National September 11th Memorial and Museum President and CEO. They discuss how the Glade came to be, it’s thoughtful design, and how the space will tell its story for years to come.

54: My Brother’s Keeper: Impact in Houston, Texas Sep 09, 2019

In today’s episode, we revisit a conversation about tackling persistent problems facing boys and young men of color. Bloomberg Associates – the international, philanthropic consulting arm of Bloomberg Philanthropies tailored for city government—works with the city of Houston, Texas on My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) initiatives. MBK aims to address opportunity gaps for boys and young men of color, offering new support from cradle to career through young adulthood. Last fall, Niiobli Armah IV of Bloomberg Associates’ Social Services team spoke to both the Mayor of Houston, Sylvester Turner and Asa Singleton, an MBK program participant. The Mayor discussed inter-departmental collaboration, his personal experience with the MBK program, and long-term impact. Asa describes how he got involved with MBK, advice for others, and the opportunities he hopes to explore in the future.

53: An American Problem with an American Solution Aug 27, 2019

We’re re-publishing a past episode of Follow the Data featuring Katherine Oliver of Bloomberg Philanthropies, and John Feinblatt, President of Everytown for Gun Safety. They discuss Everytown’s tireless work fighting gun violence, how they use data to inform change, the future of gun safety in America, and the national movement to end gun violence.

52: Everybody eats – obesity prevention in three nations Aug 12, 2019

Nearly every nation is experiencing rising rates of overweight and obesity and no country has successfully reversed these trends. This poses a serious threat to people’s health and wellbeing; the significant healthcare costs associated with treating obesity and related conditions, such as diabetes heart disease and certain cancers, have the potential to undermine economic development across the globe. A major cause of the obesity epidemic is easy access to unhealthy, ultra-processed foods and beverages that are inexpensive and marketed heavily—especially to children. We need leaders who can stand up to the food and beverage industry and fight for communities where healthy foods are the norm, not the exception. Dr. Neena Prasad of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Public Health team spoke with three public health experts who are doing just that: Paula Johns, Director of ACT Health Promotion in Brazil; Professor Karen Hoffman, Director of Priceless South Africa; and Deborah Chen, Executive Director of the Heart Foundation of Jamaica. They describe the food environments in their countries and highlight some of the successes and challenges of their work.

51: Times Square: The World’s Plaza Jul 29, 2019

50: Mike Bloomberg 110th NAACP Annual Convention Remarks Jul 25, 2019

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People -- better known as the NAACP convenes an annual meeting of members, delegates, elected officials, entertainers, authors, athletes and other leaders from across the country. This year, the organization hosted its 110th convening with over 10,000 people in attendance. The convention helps set the organization’s policy priorities for the coming year. The mission of the NAACP is to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination. Among the speakers this year were Presidential candidates, activists, business leaders, and philanthropists including our founder Mike Bloomberg. In his speech, he spoke about prioritizing education as a path to equity and equality, and how it can be done.

49: Census Series - The City of Detroit Jul 15, 2019

The first episode of our census series was dedicated to the basics: who gets counted, what the survey is, when it takes place, why it matters, and how cities are preparing for the census. To get a sense of specific preparation plans, we visited a Bloomberg Associates’ client city, Detroit, Michigan. The Mayor of Detroit, Mike Duggan, spoke to Bloomberg Associates Municipal Integrity Principal, Rose Gill Hearn, about his experience with the count, challenges that are specific to Detroit, the extensive efforts Detroit is making to prepare for the count and how he defines success.

48: Census Series – The Who, What, When, Where, Why Jun 24, 2019

In order to be managed, data needs to be collected. One of the largest data collection efforts in the United States is fast approaching; cities and states are gearing up for the 2020 census. Bloomberg Associates, a philanthropic consultancy that works with cities across the world, is advising Detroit and Atlanta to prepare for the decennial survey. Jaime Lavin of Bloomberg Associates municipal integrity team spoke to our podcast host, Katherine Oliver, about the history of the census, how to prepare, and potential challenges in the 2020 count. This episode is part one of a series on the census, be sure to subscribe to Follow the Data to hear more.

47: Global Health Check-Up with Dr. Kelly Henning Jun 17, 2019

Tobacco is a deadly killer, claiming over seven million lives every year, with most of the deaths occurring in low- and middle- income countries. Mike Bloomberg has been committed to tobacco control since first entering office as New York City Mayor, and Bloomberg Philanthropies has invested one billion dollars to help implement tobacco control measures. Dr. Kelly Henning leads Bloomberg Philanthropies’ public health program. She’s been on the road, visiting countries across the world, as part of a “global health check-up”. She spoke to the foundation’s operations lead, Allison Jaffin, about the progress countries are making, sharing lessons learned and stories from the road.

46: Mike Bloomberg Commencement Address: MIT Jun 10, 2019

We conclude our special series featuring Mike Bloomberg’s commencement addresses this year, with a speech at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. On June 7th, Mike spoke to the graduating class of 2019 about inspiring innovation, bold leadership, and applying both to tackle one of the largest threats to life as we know it – climate change. In his speech, Mike announced a new $500 million investment, called Beyond Carbon, to put the U.S. on track towards a 100% clean energy economy. The investment is the largest ever philanthropic effort to fight the climate crisis. To learn more about Beyond Carbon, visit BeyondCarbon.org.

45: Mike Bloomberg Class Day Remarks: Harvard Business School May 30, 2019

We continue our special series featuring Mike Bloomberg’s commencement addresses this year. On May 29th, Mike delivered remarks at Harvard Business School’s 2019 Class Day. He spoke about his career, learning never to compromise when it comes to ethics, and the urgent need for ethical leadership.

44: Mike Bloomberg Commencement Address: University of Maryland May 28, 2019

Mike Bloomberg spoke to the graduating class of 2019 at the University of Maryland. He remarked how in order to meet the challenges of our time, we must be willing to take risks in defiance of long odds. Additionally, he announced a $2.3 million dollar commitment to support research illustrating U.S. progress towards Paris Agreement goals.

43: Mike Bloomberg Commencement Address: Washington University in St. Louis May 20, 2019

To read more on Bloomberg Opinion, here.

42: The Innovative Mayor: Naheed Nenshi May 13, 2019

In this episode of Follow the Data, Mayor of Calgary Naheed Nenshi and James Anderson, Bloomberg Philanthropies Government Innovation Program lead discuss how his experience as a professor and business consultant have informed his approach to the job of being mayor, the “simple social movement” happening in Calgary that’s improving the city’s schools and neighborhoods, and why it’s important for political leaders to talk about pluralism. Additionally, they discuss Calgary’s participation in the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative and the “life-changing career moments” it’s created for a number of Calgary’s civil servants.

41: Night of Solidarity: a special episode in French Apr 29, 2019

The city of Paris conducted its second annual homelessness count in February, 2019. Approximately 2,000 people responded to the call for volunteers to conduct the surveys, which take place on the streets of Paris over the course of one night. The city had more volunteers than positions to fill on the count, so the city capitalized by coordinating with shelters with community associations to put volunteers to work. In this episode, Mariama N’Diaye of the Bloomberg Associates social services team spoke to Dominique Versini, Deputy Mayor in charge of solidarity, families, childcare, child protection services, fight against poverty, and seniors, for the city of Paris. They discuss the importance of volunteers, community support, and data.

40: Greenwood Art Project builds on history of Black Wall Street in Tulsa, OK Apr 01, 2019

In part two of a two part episode, Hannibal Johnson and Rick Lowe, discuss the future of Tulsa, Oklahoma in historical context, along with the potential impact of the Greenwood Art Project. Tulsa is the winner of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Public Art Challenge. The Greenwood Art Project commemorates the 100th anniversary of the destruction of a thriving black community in Tulsa known as Black Wall Street. The project celebrates the resilience and recovery of the community. Hannibal Johnson is an author, attorney, professor and consultant. He is an expert on the African-American experience in Oklahoma and its broader historic impact on American history. Rick Lowe is an artist, best known for Project Row Houses, which he started in Houston in 1993. He has worked with communities and exhibited all over the world. Stephanie Dockery of the Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Arts team moderates a conversation with Johnson and Lowe. Listen to Part 1 of the episode by subscribing to Follow the Data

39: Black Wall Street: Historical resilience in Tulsa, OK (Part 1) Mar 05, 2019

In Part One of a two part episode, we hear from Hannibal Johnson and Rick Lowe, detailing work in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the most recent winner of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Public Art Challenge.

Hannibal Johnson is an author, attorney, professor and consultant. He is an expert on the African-American experience in Oklahoma and its broader historic impact on American history.

Rick Lowe is an artist, best known for Project Row Houses, which he started in Houston in 1993. He has worked with communities and exhibited all over the world.

Listen to Part 1 of the episode now – and read more from Rick Lowe here: https://www.bloomberg.org/blog/honoring-past-shaping-future-public-art-five-questions-artist-rick-lowe/

38: National Geographic Your Shot photo assignment: Climate Action in Your Community Feb 20, 2019

Inspired by our most recent film, Paris to Pittsburgh, National Geographic launched a new Your Shot photo assignment, calling for citizen photographers to document local climate leadership in their communities for the chance to be featured online on National Geographic’s digital platform.

This episode of the podcast features a conversation with Katie Orlinsky, National Geographic Photographer and Your Shot Editor and Katherine Oliver, of Bloomberg Philanthropies and executive producer of Paris to Pittsburgh.

37: American Talent Initiative: A Progress Report Feb 05, 2019

As members of the American Talent Initiative (ATI) convene this week, we are re-running an episode featuring a conversation between Dan Porterfield, ATI Steering Committee member, and Howard Wolfson, head of the education program here at Bloomberg Philanthropies. At the time this episode was recorded, Dan Porterfield was the president of Franklin & Marshall College; he is now the president and CEO of the Aspen Institute.

36: Insights from the Digital Republic: A Conversation with the President of Estonia Jan 22, 2019

Governments across the world are struggling to keep pace with new technologies and ever-evolving digital platforms. In the worst cases, bureaucracy is inefficient, arcane, and disconnected. In other cases, governments recognize the demand for modernization, and are stepping up to meet the need.

Estonia is a leader in the field of digital government. In a conversation between Bloomberg Philanthropies Government Innovation lead James Anderson and President of the Republic of Estonia Kersti Kaljulaid, the president describes her country’s dedication to providing streamlined services, protecting citizen’s privacy, and taking proactive steps to get people the information they need.

35: Vehicle Safety – improving standards for all consumers Dec 17, 2018

Becky Bavinger of the Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Health team spoke to two partners about vehicle safety. They discuss the importance of raising awareness, consumer demand, and putting pressure on the industry.

Valentina Ochoa is the Executive Director of Refleacciona con Responsabilidad, an organization working to improve public space in Mexico. Alejandro “Alex” Furas is the Secretary General of the Latin New Car Assessment Programme, which works to advance vehicle safety in Latin America by advocating for more government regulation, testing vehicles new to the market, and publishing crash tests results.

34: Community-based conservation: A local approach with a global impact Nov 28, 2018

In part two of a two-part episode, Follow the Data features a conversation between Dr. Steve Box, Vice President of Fish Forever at Rare and Melissa Wright of Bloomberg Philanthropies Environment team.
At last month’s 5th Annual Our Ocean Conference in Indonesia, UN Special Envoy for Climate Action Michael R. Bloomberg announced the expansion of the Vibrant Oceans initiative, dedicating $86 million to support coastal communities across 10 countries, including Australia, Fiji, Indonesia, Tanzania, Peru and the US. The announcement marks the second phase of the initiative, expanding efforts into new countries.

Rare is one of Bloomberg Philanthropies Vibrant Oceans Initiative partners, specializing in local fishing reforms, targeting some of the 12 million small-scale fishers that operate 15km from shore. Rare’s Fish Forever program will continue to encourage community-led solutions to revitalize marine habitats, regenerate fish populations and help coastal communities reimagine their future.

33: Driving down road traffic injuries Nov 05, 2018

Without action, road traffic crashes will become the seventh leading cause of death by 2030.

That’s why the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety has dedicated $259 million over 12 years to implement interventions that have been proven to reduce road traffic fatalities and injuries in low- and middle-income countries. Kelly Larson of Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Health team spoke to two partners about their efforts in Fortaleza and in other cities.

Luis Sabóia is the Executive Secretary for the Department of Public Services in Fortaleza – where road traffic deaths dropped 32 percent from 2014 to 2017.

Skye Duncan is the Director of the Global Designing Cities Initiative at the National Association of City Transportation Officials, known as NACTO. She has been leading a multi-year program to develop the new Global Street Design Guide and to provide technical assistance to cities around the world on safe and sustainable street design, including São Paulo and Fortaleza in Brazil, Bogotá in Colombia, Mumbai in India, and Addis Ababa in Ethiopia.

32: Tobacco Industry Watchdogs Oct 08, 2018

The Stopping Tobacco Organizations and Products (STOP) competition was launched by Bloomberg Philanthropies at the March 2018 World Conference on Tobacco or Health in Cape Town, South Africa. The winning partners have decades of experience thwarting the international tobacco industry’s most duplicitous tactics.

Professor Anna Gilmore, director of the Tobacco Control Research Group at the University of Bath spoke to Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Public Health program lead, Dr. Kelly Henning. They discuss the importance of shedding light on tobacco industry tactics, collaborating with STOP partners, and data’s essential role in the fight against misinformation.

31: Investing in youth with My Brother’s Keeper Houston Oct 03, 2018

In August of 2011, former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg addressed a group of nonprofit and community leaders as he announced the launch of a landmark approach to tackling persistent problems facing young black and Latino men: The Young Men’s Initiative.
Much like the Young Men’s Initiative, the My Brother’s Keeper Initiative, also known as MBK, aims to address opportunity gaps among boys and young men of color by offering new support from cradle to career through young adulthood.
The City of Houston, Texas accepted the MBK Challenge in 2015, and has been working with Bloomberg Associates to strengthen the program ever since.
To share more on how the city has leveraged resources for MBK programs, emboldened youth voices, and become a national model for other MBK cities, Niiobli Armah IV of Bloomberg Associates Social Services team social spoke to the Mayor of Houston, Sylvester Turner, and to an MBK program participant, Asa Singleton for this episode of Follow the Data.

30: An American Problem with an American Solution Sep 14, 2018

At Bloomberg Philanthropies, we are dedicated to “following the data” — and the data on gun violence could not be more compelling or urgent. Americans are 25 times more likely to be murdered with a gun than people in other developed countries. Every day, 96 Americans are killed by gun violence. And every year, approximately three million American children bear witness to gun violence.

In 2014, in an effort to combat the National Rifle Association, Mayors Against Illegal Guns and Moms Demand Action joined forces to create Everytown for Gun Safety. Today, Everytown has more than 5 million supporters across America.

In this episode, Katherine Oliver of Bloomberg Philanthropies speaks with John Feinblatt, President of Everytown. They discuss Everytown’s tireless work fighting gun violence, how they use data to inform change, the future of gun safety in America, and the national movement to end gun violence.

29: Why are small-scale fisheries such a big deal? Aug 22, 2018

The Bloomberg Philanthropies Vibrant Oceans Initiative is the largest philanthropic commitment to internationally reform small-scale fisheries management. One of our partners, Rare, specializes in local fishing reforms, targeting some of the 12 million small-scale fishers that operate 15km from shore.

In part one of a two-part conversation on Follow the Data, Dr. Box and Melissa Wright, of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Environment team discuss small-scale fisheries. They dive into the results of Rare’s recent Fish Forever review, define good fishery practice, and explore the relationship between data and biology.

28: Cornell Tech: Engineering the Future of New York City Aug 06, 2018

As the beginning of the school year approaches, we revisit an episode of Follow the Data profiling the development and launch of Cornell Tech – the first campus ever built for the digital age -- bringing together academia and industry to create pioneering leaders and transformational new research, products, companies and social ventures.

Back in December 2010, New York City launched Applied Sciences NYC, issuing a challenge to top institutions from around the world to propose a new or expanded campus. The following year, Mayor Bloomberg announced the winning bid from Cornell University and Technion Israel Institute of Technology – pairing two of the world’s top institutions in the fields of science, engineering, technology, and research.

Cornell Tech is on track to generate over 8,000 permanent jobs, hundreds of spin-off companies, and more than $23 billion dollars in economic activity over a period of 35 years.

We look back to the project’s inception and what the future holds for the school with Dean Dan Huttenlocher and former Deputy Mayor Bob Steel.

27: The Innovative Mayor: Karen Freeman-Wilson Jul 23, 2018

Bloomberg Philanthropies has enjoyed a deep relationship with the Mayor of Gary, Indiana, Karen Freeman-Wilson, and this episode of Follow the Data presents a conversation with the Mayor and James Anderson, who leads Government Innovation at our foundation. Mayor Freeman-Wilson and James sat down at the Engaged Cities Award Summit earlier this year. The summit was hosted by the national nonprofit Cities of Service and recognized creative ways city leaders are harnessing the power of people to solve problems.

They discuss engaging residents, making local government more nimble, and how participating in the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative over the past year helped the Mayor sharpen her skills as a consensus builder.

26: Why Data is So Vital to Public Health Jul 12, 2018

This week, we revisit an episode featuring a conversation with Dr. Tom Frieden, one of the world’s leading public health experts, and President and CEO of Resolve to Save Lives, and Allison Jaffin of Bloomberg Philanthropies as they discuss non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and what it takes to protect the world.

As the former Director of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and former New York City Health Commissioner, Dr. Frieden talks about leading public health efforts in New York under the Bloomberg administration.

Today, Dr. Frieden runs Resolve to Save Lives, a $225 million, 5-year initiative housed at Vital Strategies and funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, a nonprofit organization aimed to work toward the vision that all people are protected by a strong public health system.

25: Equal Footing Jun 26, 2018

In 2014, Bloomberg Philanthropies joined with the King Baudouin Foundation to support the Foundation Center in creating a free web portal, Equal Footing – the first-of-its-kind platform to collect, index, analyze and visualize data on past and current philanthropic efforts in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Rwanda.

Equal Footing creates a level of transparency and accountability for organizations, and for donors. It helps identify where the greatest needs are and which organizations are making a lasting impact.

Lisa Philp, senior advisor at Foundation Center, and Verna Eggleston, Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Women’s Economic Development program lead tell us more about the Equal Footing and how non-profits can learn from one another.

24: The Innovative Mayor: Greg Fischer Jun 14, 2018

Follow the Data presents a conversation with Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer and James Anderson, who leads Government Innovation at Bloomberg Philanthropies. Mayor Fischer is serving in his second term and says that to be a good mayor, you need the “head of a CEO, but the heart of a social worker.” Mayor Fischer and James discuss the discipline required to create a truly innovative city hall, why citizen engagement is so important, and how Louisville’s focus on becoming a more compassionate city has not only helped attract new businesses but also caught the attention of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

23: Maintaining America's Pledge -- One Year Later May 29, 2018

On June 1st, 2017, the Trump Administration announced its intention to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement. In the days following the announcement, Mike Bloomberg and California Governor Jerry Brown launched America’s Pledge, an initiative to aggregate and quantify emissions reduction efforts of states, cities, businesses, and universities in the U.S.

One year after the federal government announced it would pull out of the Paris Agreement, 2,700+ U.S. cities, states, and businesses are saying, "We Are Still In." Together, these non-federal actors have rallied their commitments in order to ensure the U.S. meets its Paris Agreement climate goals – with or without Washington.

Even before the declaration of the America’s Pledge initiative, organizations and individuals have been working to transition America to cleaner energy. On this anniversary of the Trump administration’s pull-out of the Paris Agreement, we revisit a recent episode of the show in which Katherine Oliver speaks to two local leaders working to move the U.S. beyond coal – who were also featured in From the Ashes, a documentary film about the future and legacy of America’s coal industry.

22: New Faces in Old Places: Revitalizing Athens' Historic Center May 14, 2018

The heart of Athens historic center is experiencing a revival. The 27-acre district is bounded by three of Athens’ most historic squares: Syntagma, Ommonia, and Monistraki. The Commercial Triangle, locally referred to as “Trigono,” is a working district, with commercial activity dating back to the 19th century.

This episode features conversations with Alexandros Kambouroglou, the Executive Director of the Athens Partnership, and Elina Dallas, the Project Manager for the Trigono program. Jake Elder of Bloomberg Associates Sustainability Team joined them in Athens.

21: Gone Fishing Apr 30, 2018

The United Nations International Coral Reef Initiative has declared 2018 the International Year of the Reef. Coral reefs are home to one in every four fish in the ocean, and are a critical backbone of ocean ecosystems. Unfortunately, climate change and destructive fishing practices threatens to destroy 90 percent of reefs in the next three decades.

Bloomberg Philanthropies Vibrant Oceans Initiative is working to replenish fish populations and create a more sustainable environment.

We re-visit the Vibrant Oceans Initiative with a rebroadcast of our show featuring a conversation between Andy Sharpless, the Chief Executive Officer of Oceana, and Melissa Wright from the Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Environment team.

20: A Prescription for Hope in the Opioid Epidemic Apr 17, 2018

In the United States, over two million people are addicted to opioids and an average of 115 people die every day from opioid overdoses. It is a complicated issue that requires multifaceted solutions, with engagement and action from many stakeholders.

In this episode, Dr. Kelly Henning, Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Public Health Program Lead, speaks with Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, Vice Dean for Public Health Practice and Community Engagement at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He is also director of the school's Bloomberg American Health Initiative, which was launched with a $300 million gift from Bloomberg Philanthropies.

Dr. Henning and Dr. Sharfstein dive deeper into the opioid epidemic, addressing the factors that contributed to increased opioid use in America, harm reduction strategies and treatment options that can be implemented in American healthcare systems, and lessons-learned by American and global communities.

19: Untapped American Talent Apr 02, 2018

The American Talent Initiative (ATI) has united schools with the joint mission to enroll 50,000 additional talented, low- and moderate-income students at institutions of higher education with strong graduation rates – by 2025. As of the date of recording this episode of Follow the Data, 96 schools are members of ATI, and the group continues to grow.

ATI Steering Committee member and Franklin & Marshall College President, Dan Porterfield, spoke to Howard Wolfson, who leads Bloomberg Philanthropies education program, about the power of uniting schools in their mission to execute a “talent strategy.”

18: Reducing Tobacco Use: A Year in Review Mar 19, 2018

Since 2007, Bloomberg Philanthropies has helped save nearly 35 million lives through these efforts. In March 2018, we honored six governments and NGOs at the Bloomberg Philanthropies Awards for Tobacco Control. The awards celebrate the significant strides made by organizations implementing anti-tobacco policies in low and middle-income countries. In honor of the six winners, we revisit one of our favorite podcast episodes about the worldwide fight to reduce tobacco use. This episode’s conversation features Neena Prasad of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Public Health team in conversation with Yolonda Richardson, from the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids and Jose Luis Castro, executive director of the Union and CEO of Vital Strategies.

17: Rwandan women rebuilding their lives -- brick by brick Mar 06, 2018

The Women’s Opportunity Center in Kayonza, Rwanda is constructed of over 500,000 hand-pressed bricks made by local women. The center’s director, Joy Rwamwenge describes how she feels walking through the doors every day: “I arrive knowing that the tile on the floor of the center comes from Congo, and the bricks in the wall of the center come from the women in Rwanda -- building peace at the same time while building a building.”

Listen to the conversation between Verna Eggleston, who leads Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Women’s Economic Development program, and Joy. This episode marks a special milestone: Bloomberg Philanthropies 10th anniversary of partnership with Women for Women International. We also hear from Laurie Adams, the President and CEO of Women for Women -- she tells listeners how to get involved with the organization.

16: The Innovative Mayor: Michael Hancock Feb 22, 2018

The 16th episode of Follow the Data presents a conversation with Denver Mayor Michael Hancock and James Anderson, who leads Government Innovation at Bloomberg Philanthropies. Mayor Hancock is a native Denverite, serving his second term. He is known as a “mayor’s mayor,” surrounding himself with a talented team, and concentrating on efforts to make government more effective, to better serve its citizens.

15: The Innovative Mayor: Jan Vapaavuori Feb 06, 2018

The 15th episode of Follow the Data presents a conversation with Helsinki Mayor Jan Vapaavuori and James Anderson, who leads Government Innovation at Bloomberg Philanthropies. The Mayor is the first person to lead the city in the wake of a significant set of reforms to Helsinki’s organizational structure. Additionally, he has an ambitious goal, to make Helsinki the world’s “most functional city.”

14: Coal: Why a 19th Century innovation is not working in a 21st Century world Dec 22, 2017

This year’s final episode of Follow the Data revisits Bloomberg Philanthropies first feature documentary, From the Ashes, directed by Michael Bonfiglio and distributed by National Geographic. Inspired by Mike Bloomberg and Bloomberg Philanthropies’ commitment to the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign, the film was developed to bring greater attention to the impact of the coal industry in the United States.
Katherine Oliver speaks to two clean economy pioneers featured in the film: Mayor Dale Ross of Georgetown, Texas, and Brandon Dennison, Founder of Coalfield Development Corporation, based in West Virginia.

13: The Innovative Mayor: Eric Garcetti Nov 16, 2017

The 13th episode of Follow the Data presents a conversation with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti about how to cultivate and retain innovation in city hall. In this episode, Garcetti speaks with James Anderson, who leads the Government Innovation program at Bloomberg Philanthropies, about bold leadership and what it takes for city leaders to raise the expectations of civil servants and citizens alike to seek more from our public services.

12: Cornell Tech: Engineering the future of NYC Oct 13, 2017

Students, academics, business leaders, philanthropists, and elected officials from across New York recently gathered on Roosevelt Island in New York City for the opening of the new Cornell Tech campus – conceived just seven years ago by former Mayor Michael Bloomberg and his administration.

Back in December 2010, New York City launched Applied Sciences NYC, issuing a challenge to top institutions from around the world to propose a new or expanded campus. The following year, Mayor Bloomberg announced the winning bid from Cornell University and Technion Israel Institute of Technology – pairing two of the world’s top institutions in the fields of science, engineering, technology, and research.

Cornell Tech is on track to generate over 8,000 permanent jobs, hundreds of spin-off companies, and more than $23 billion dollars in economic activity over a period of 35 years.

In honor of the opening, we look back to the project’s inception and what the future holds for the school with Dean Dan Huttenlocher and former Deputy Mayor Bob Steel.

11: Closing the word gap in Providence, RI Sep 06, 2017

The Mayors Challenge is the first component of Mike Bloomberg’s recently announced American Cities Initiative – a $200 million effort to empower U.S. cities and mayors to drive innovation and create policies that move our nation forward.

Bloomberg Philanthropies created the Mayors Challenge to help city leaders think big, be bold, and uncover inventive ideas that have the power to spread.

In 2013, the Mayors Challenge grand prize winner: Providence, Rhode Island, did just that and is the focus of our podcast today:

The City of Providence came up with an idea to tackle the word gap and introduced “Providence Talks.” Launched with a $5 million grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Mayors Challenge and embraced by Mayor Jorge Elorza’s team in City Hall, Providence Talks is the first city-led education program supporting children at the critical stage of birth to age three.

Mayor Jorge Elorza, of Providence, Rhode Island speaks to former Bloomberg Philanthropies Government Innovation team member Garnesha Crawford about launching Providence Talks and its success. In this episode we also hear from the former Executive Director of the Providence Talks program, Courtney Hawkins, and Jennifer Calderon, whose daughter participated in the program.

10: The role of countries in the global tobacco crisis May 31, 2017

The Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use has successfully supported 59 countries in passing laws or policies, reaching nearly 3.5 billion people and saving an estimated 30 million lives.

In part two of our series on tobacco control, we’ll go in depth on the ways countries are passing critical laws to protect the public and taking action to implement policies.

9: What it takes to protect the world Apr 27, 2017

Non-communicable diseases, or as we sometimes abbreviate as N-C-Ds, are health illnesses such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases. These and injuries (including ones from road crashes) are responsible for 43 million deaths each year - almost 80% of all deaths worldwide. In this episode, we'll take a look at how through strategic partnerships with the world’s leading health organizations, like the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (also known as the CDC), Bloomberg Philanthropies is working to improve the lives of people around the globe by analyzing public health data and working with partners to implement strong policies preventing these deaths.

8: Plenty of fish in the sea? Feb 28, 2017

Why does sustainable fishing matter today? Peak fish supply occurred in the 1990s but since then we’ve seen a decline in supply. But what’s causing this decline? Over-fishing. Demand for fish continues to increase despite a shrinking supply. So the idea that there are plenty of fish in the sea…well, that’s really not true. In this episode, we’ll take a look at the oceans and into the work of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Vibrant Oceans Initiative and why with our partners we are working to encourage responsible fishing globally to protect this vital source of food and income for generations to come.

7: How tobacco control protects billions of people (Part 1) Jan 10, 2017

Stroke, blindness, gum infection, heart disease, and of course cancer. These are only some of the harmful health effects of tobacco use. And despite a half-century of scientific proof that smoking is dangerous to our bodies, and anti-tobacco policies protecting billions of people, we still have a long way to go in the fight against tobacco. In part 1 of a 2-part series, we go in depth on tobacco control and how Bloomberg Philanthropies is working with partners around the world to protect billions of people from the harmful effects of tobacco.

6: Increasing the value of women in Congo Dec 15, 2016

Meet Abdoulaye Toure, the Country Director for Women for Women International – who as the organization’s second male country director in Congo - shares some personal stories of impact he’s seen in the role of women in Congo, and why he’s committed his life to demonstrating the value of women in a country where they have struggled to have a voice. Think about what you know about Congo today, and by the end of the episode, we think you’ll have a better sense of the impact of the work and impact of the work.

5: How a virtual advisor helped a student get into a top college Nov 22, 2016

Thousands of high-achieving, low- and moderate-income high school students graduate each year with strong academic credentials but they lack critical guidance to apply to, enroll in and graduate from top-performing colleges and universities. To improve these odds, Bloomberg Philanthropies developed the CollegePoint initiative which matches select students with virtual advisors. In this episode we interview one of the advisors and a student who have been working together to achieve her college dreams.

4: Unlocking Opportunities for Women in Post-Conflict Rwanda Aug 10, 2016

In the fourth episode of Follow the Data, we hear from partners of Bloomberg Philanthropies' Women’s Economic Development program to understand how they are working to create economic opportunities for women in growing industries.

Verna Eggleston from our Women’s Economic Development team is joined by Christine Condo of Sustainable Harvest Rwanda as they discuss how our partnership is training women farmers in post-conflict Rwanda to produce and deliver high-quality coffee to buyers around the globe, while acquiring a clear path to being economically self-sufficient.

3: Saving Lives by Improving Health Data Around the World Jun 24, 2016

Hear from partners of our Data for Health Initiative, which aims to help over one billion people in developing countries to live healthier and longer lives by establishing reliable health data to inform health programs and policy.

2: Transforming the Visitor Experience at the Brooklyn Museum Jun 01, 2016

In the second episode of Follow the Data – a podcast about how our work is driving change and making an impact in the areas of education, the arts, the environment, public health and government innovation – we take a deeper dive into the work of Bloomberg Connects partner the Brooklyn Museum to see how they are transforming the visitor experience through technology.

To tell us more about how the Museum puts “People” first when it comes to creating a meaningful digital experience, Kate Levin, who oversees the arts program at Bloomberg Philanthropies and Shelley Bernstein, the former Vice Director of Digital Engagement & Technology at the Brooklyn Museum join us for this new episode.

1: Moving Beyond Coal Apr 15, 2016

In our first episode, we join a conversation between Bloomberg Philanthropies' environment program lead Antha Williams and the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal director Mary Anne Hitt as they discuss how our work with the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign is working to end America’s reliance on coal and shifting the U.S. power sector to a cleaner future.

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