Open Data Manchester: Team

Julian Tait

Chief Executive Officer

Julian is a passionate advocate for technologies that build stronger communities, encourage new forms of economic activity and give people a stake in decision-making.

He’s spent more than a decade creating projects that prove the benefits of open and accessible data.

While working at FutureEverything, Julian co-developed Manchester’s Open Data Cities programme, and he’s been involved with many local, national and international initiatives. He is a co-author of the Open Data Handbook, The Open Book and other papers. He is also on the board of directors.

Mat Basford

User Researcher

Mat has several years experience in facilitation, citizen participation, and research projects.

Mat previously worked at Democratic Society, supporting citizens to be more involved in decisions that affect their lives. He has also worked as an academic research assistant, in the Citizens Advice policy team, and for a political party.

He currently works part-time for Open Data Manchester, alongside studying for a PhD in Ethics.

Sophie Walker

Project Manager

Sophie is the COO and co-founder of Dsposal a clean-tech company, which is on a mission is to empower people to make better decisions with their resources and waste by increasing transparency and accountability.

Prior to founding Dsposal, Sophie gained a degree in Conflict Resolution, cycled 8,700 miles around North America and enjoyed a winding career encompassing supply chain, the food industry and sustainability.She was shortlisted for the NPW Outstanding Entrepreneur award 2020, voted joint 5th in the 2019 Resource Hot 100, is group coordinator of the Waste Compliance Taskforce, and an alumna of the CSC Leaders Programme.

Tom Passmore

Data Architect

Tom is the CIO and Co-Founder of Dsposal, an award-winning circular economy tech company which demystifies the world of waste to empower people and organisations to make better decisions with their rubbish, recycling and resources through software, data and research.

Tom has worked for over a decade in the waste industry, as well as a stint as a data analyst with the NHS. He has led a multidisciplinary project team on a 3-month feasibility study for Defra looking into Smart Waste Tracking, supported the development of the Open 3R and Open 3P data standards, and created Your Dsposal’s Waste Thesaurus.

Previously, Tom cycled 8,700 miles around North America, where he came up with the idea for Dsposal and still thinks that commuting by bike is the best.

Ben Curran

Communications Manager

Ben Curran is a communications and public affairs professional with a background in local government, democratic participation and stakeholder engagement. He served as a councillor in Sheffield for 13 years and has worked across policy, stakeholder engagement and strategic communications.

At Open Data Manchester, he is interested in how data and technology can support better decision-making, stronger communities and more democratic public services.

Board of Directors

Michelle Brook

Until January 2020, Michelle was Vice-President and UK Managing Director of The Democratic Society, before leaving to work as a consultant supporting NGOs and charities to work better with communities and citizens.

She is currently developing and implementing the community strategy for the ground-breaking Icebreaker One project, bringing together financial institutions, academics, and NGOs to explore how open and shared data can deliver innovative financing for a carbon-zero future.

With prior roles at Cambridge University and Open Knowledge Foundation, Michelle is passionate about increasing access to knowledge and social justice, and empowering individuals and communities to have their voices heard.

Shaf Choudry

Shaf is the cofounder of The Seen on Screen Institute which was established to conduct research and advocacy on the downstream technological and sociological impacts of poor representation of Muslims in the arts. The flagship project, The Riz Test, launched as a crowdsourced big-data project to measure how Muslims are portrayed in film and TV.

With over 15 years in tech, Shaf graduated from Salford University and is pursuing a PhD on unethical data supply chains and their impact on AI bias. He guest lectures on this topic and sits on the British Film Institute Muslims on Screen Advisory Board.

Shaf contributed to the book “I Refuse to Condemn” on algorithmic bias and participated in the 2019 BAFTA Diversity Review. He’s also an avid gardener.

Tracey Gyateng

Tracey Gyateng is Community Data Principal at Justice Lab an initiative of The Legal Education Foundation where she supports not for profit organisations working in the access to justice sector to responsibly collect, harness and use their data to understand need, identify trends, and provide better services.

Tracey is passionate about developing supportive mechanisms for not for profit organisations and communities to responsibly and legal use data to support people to live and thrive. In previous roles she has managed teams of volunteers on data science projects, led on ethics & responsible data use and developed systems to enable not for profit organisations to access government data sets.

Tracey enjoys contributing to data and social change initiatives. She volunteers at TechSoup Connect London; and co-leads work to support Black communities to understand and respond to the implications of data & data-centric technologies.

Linda Humphries

Chair

Linda is founder and chief executive of Paper Frogs Ltd, which provides digital and open-standards advisory services.

She was head of The Federation digital and social innovation hub in Manchester and continues to work on delivering the Federation Programme along with other partners.

She was previously a senior technology adviser at the Government Digital Service, where she devised the UK government’s Open Standards principles and worked to ensure interoperability across Europe. She now co-chairs the UK Government’s Open Standards Board.

Linda is also chair of 360Giving’s stewardship committee, which maintains an open-data standard for charities’ decision-making.

Doctor Caroline Jay

Caroline Jay is a reader in computer science at the University of Manchester. She is both a qualified psychologist (BA, CPsychol) and a computer scientist (MSc, PhD), and undertakes research crossing these domains. Caroline is the research director of the UKRI Software Sustainability Institute, and is an advocate for open and reproducible research.

She is also a fellow of the city’s Alan Turing Institute, and leads her university’s arm of the BBC Data Science Research Partnership.

Alison MacKenzie-Folan

Alison is Wigan Council’s chief executive. She is passionate about public services and is determined to make a difference for her residents. That’s why she’s committed to collaboration, innovation and technology, and inspiring new female leaders.

Alison is a board member of Unify Credit Union and a digital spokesperson for local government network SOLACE. She was named in Northern Power Women’s 2017 Power List and, in 2019, Wigan Council won the Large Organisation award for its diversity work, as well as being named Local Government Chronical’s Council of the Year.

Phillipa Nazari

Described as a hugely talented leader (sic Paul Holme MCC), Phillipa was the Deputy Director for Information Governance and Data Protection Officer (DPO) at the GMCA and TfGM until May 2023, before leaving to be the Director of IG and DPO at the British Business Bank.

Phillipa was the drive behind the creation of the GM Information Strategy and founded the Greater Manchester Information Board, which is described as the social conscious of GM data and information use. Phillipa has worked tirelessly to change the perception of information governance and data protection as stereotypically being a barrier, to being a strategic enabler of appropriate and responsible data use.

Phillipa has a strong interest in data ethics and how advancements in computing and data use impacts on individuals and society. Empowering people in society to understand data use and to engage with organisations on the proper use of data is something which she champions. Phillipa is also passionate about developing teams of professionals, creating career opportunities and future proofing the Information Governance and Data Protection industry.

Jamie Whyte

Jamie has been a director since Open Data Manchester became a community interest company. Before this, he helped run the community’s activities.

Jamie has worked with open data for eight years, first in local authorities, now through Propolis, his own company. He has advised on and delivered projects with government, charities and companies.

As a civic technologist, Jamie is passionate about making sure people understand that data is used to make decisions about them – but they can use it to support their own goals.

Jamie has three children, cooks and walks, and is a trustee of a local multi-academy trust.

Team