Launching the Data Empowerment Clinic: Paving the way to participatory Data

We’re at a turning point in how data is shaping society. As data-reliant systems become increasingly embedded in our everyday lives, it’s time to find ways to move from being passive data subjects to collectivizing as active agents. We firmly believe participation is not just a process, it’s a pathway to power. This shift will require us to invest more deeply in the design and sustenance of empowering alternatives.

Join us this October for the launch of the Data Empowerment Clinic, a new initiative hosted at the Centre for Data Futures, King’s College London. The Clinic is dedicated to advancing participatory and community-led approaches to data governance. Our goal is to enable those building the infrastructure for empowerment, with a clear focus on delivering tangible value to communities.

This one-day event brings together practitioners, experts, students, researchers, funders and policymakers to move past theory and into practical, solution-oriented dialogue. At the launch we will introduce the Clinic’s vision, spotlight early partners, and open the floor to conversations about what it takes to build more equitable digital systems. The Clinic is designed to support those eager to shape bottom-up data infrastructures. Through hands-on support, peer learning, and strategic experimentation, the Clinic aims to strengthen the work of practitioners, organizations, and others who are building novel and participatory systems.

What to expect at the launch:

• Keynotes from visionary leaders: Perspectives from Vilas Dhar, President of the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, and an influential thought leader who contributes to shaping narratives around rights-based approaches on data and AI
• Live launch of co-created learning resources: In collaboration with Mozilla Foundation, we’ll unveil resources hosted on an open source platform, LearnHub, designed to provide diverse learners and practitioners with tools, practices and case studies to support their stewardship journeys.
• Practitioner lightning talks: Stories from the frontlines - we’ll spotlight data stewards and intermediaries working across fields like education, sustainability and health who will demonstrate how participatory approaches can lead to real-world impact
• Deep-dive mini-sessions: Focused explorations into what’s needed to build robust empowerment structures/stewardship models, sustainable business approaches, and regulatory frameworks that enable a fairer data economy
• A co-creation workshop: Join practitioners, experts, students and others who are building novel and participatory systems in shaping the Clinic’s future direction and in building the next generation of collective infrastructure.
• A philanthropy panel: A candid discussion with funders on what’s needed to scale data empowerment meaningfully and ensure resources are aligned with a strategy anchored around long-term community value and systems change. This event is designed to confront roadblocks, and reimagine what’s possible - pushing the conversation toward transformative data futures that we’ll need your support in shaping.

Please note: Speakers and facilitators are currently being confirmed.Agenda is subject to slight adjustments.

Register now and watch this space for updates.

If you’re building, organising, or reimagining technology to address social challenges, we’d love to have you in the room. To learn more about the Clinic or explore how we can support your work, get in touch with us at cdf@kcl.ac.uk