It’s no secret that many of the challenges in getting value from data and insights are rooted in the need for better data literacy, internal communication, and a stronger data culture. It’s even become the subject of an SNL-worthy (for us data people) satire online.

This week, we saw a meaningful move at addressing data literacy, communication, and data culture from the private equity community, with the October 16 press release from Growth Catalyst Partners (GCP) outlining the formation of a new, yet-to-be-named company that aims to serve chief data officers (CDOs) and senior data, analytics, and AI leaders worldwide through peer-to-peer leadership communities, workforce development platforms, and other timely resources.

To accomplish this, GCP has combined the strength of The Data Lodge and CDO Magazine. The Data Lodge is known for providing data literacy boot camps and certification, but its real asset is its network of analytics pros and its thought leadership. CDO Magazine’s network of leaders is notable as well, but the magazine’s primary purpose is to bring “market-leading insights, research, and events” to the table, according to Steve Wanamaker, founder and publisher of CDO Magazine. Data and technology leaders should view this move as a signal to revisit their own data culture development initiatives.

More attention and funding for data culture champions and community-building efforts couldn’t come at a better time. According to Forrester’s Data Culture And Literacy Survey, 2023:

  • Only 54% of data and analytics employees indicated that they had someone responsible for leading data literacy training and initiatives.
  • Only 56% of data and analytics employees agreed that they had access to analytics communities.

These survey results indicate that there is still much to be done in relation to helping data and analytics professionals speak the language of data. Forrester clients wishing to revisit the status of their own data culture initiatives are encouraged to reach out to me via inquiry.