Meet Data2X’s Coordinator, Natalie Cleveland.
To give Data2X partners and friends an opportunity to get to know our team, we’re conducting short Q&A’s with each of the Data2X staff members.
What is your role on the team?
As Coordinator, I work to facilitate team project management and organize operational logistics.
What were you doing professionally before you came to Data2X?
Immediately before coming to Data2X, I was in grad school, where I earned an MSc in Gender, Policy and Inequalities from the London School of Economics. Before my Master’s studies, I worked as a Fellow at the Democratic National Committee, in addition to having served in the U.S. Senate, Washington State Governor’s Office, and domestic and international nonprofits. While I have an interest in both domestic and global politics, gender has always been the common thread!
Why do you care about gender data and what is one thing you want people to know about it?
Quality data is the bedrock of effective policy. Gender data is a critical tool in unmasking otherwise hidden inequalities—and, as such, is a crucial input to policy that fosters gender-transformative change. In this way, gender data is a key component of gender justice.
What gender or data-related book should people have on their reading lists?
My favorite gender read of 2019 was Rage Becomes Her: The Power of Women’s Anger by Soraya Chemaly — a compelling take on the power of emotion, specifically women’s anger, in changing the world. Though relevant across several contexts, I suspect that Chemaly’s text will become all the more pertinent as we enter the 2020 U.S. election cycle.
What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working?
When I’m not in the office, I can typically be found indulging my Pacific Northwestern roots: kayaking or hiking in the great outdoors or, on rainy days, enjoying a cup of tea with historical fiction in hand. I’m also a former ballet dancer actively working on expanding to new horizons (currently attempting hip hop!), and am a passionate Francophile, travel enthusiast and vegan cook.