Scaling Impact: How Collaborative Data Drives Change Across Sectors (webinar recording)

At the October 2025 AI for Social Impact Gathering, Geoff Zakaib from Data for Good shared key lessons from the National Mental Health Datathon and practical strategies for making cross-sector data collaboration work. The session opened with Geoff’s reflections, followed by a group discussion on how these models could be applied across other areas in the social impact sector.

Highlights

• Opening:
  The session began with introductions and a land acknowledgment, highlighting the importance of community and Indigenous knowledge.
• Keynote by Geoff Zakaib:
  Geoff discussed the challenges and successes from the National Mental Health Datathon, including how nonprofits, data professionals, and cross-sector partners came together to drive innovation in mental health.
• Collaboration Models:
  Geoff outlined practical models for effective data collaboration, emphasizing:
  • Building trust across organizations.
  • Making data accessible and useful for social good.
  • Addressing data privacy and sovereignty, especially for marginalized communities.
  • How to leverage collective action for greater impact.
• Group Discussion:
  Participants reflected on how these approaches could be adapted in their own work, asked questions, and shared related resources in the chat.