May 31, 2022
Hello friends! On this episode, we sit down with Poppy MacDonald, President of USA Facts, to learn about the process of breaking down governmental silos for data without bias. You may have seen some of their data during the extended pandemic, but you may not have known how much work went into providing just the facts without the opinion . . . or how small the team was behind the scenes. You will find no clickbait here, for Poppy, it's all about the facts.
While Poppy doesn’t mention a specific moment when her data gene emerged, she has admittedly always been data-driven. As a partner at Gallup Inc, she was responsible for launching World Poll where every voice counts, and assumptions don’t matter. That experience led her to her current position as an advocate for transparency of and ease of access to public data.
Poppy’s philosophy is that our democracy can be stronger if it's data-driven. With that mantra in mind, she seeks to empower citizen stakeholders and representatives alike within our government. With Poppy at the helm, USA Facts created the State of the Union in Numbers to provide a non-partisan summary of the most pressing issues facing the nation.
Under Poppy’s tutelage, USA Facts has grown exponentially and has taken the top spot for reliable data and statistics. While some sources remain elusive, the facts you find on the site will be verified and accurate to give you the tools you need to make data-driven decisions when it matters most. After all, you must have trustworthy data for a healthy democracy.
Also on this episode:
Poppy MacDonald: We need to bring facts back into the discussion.