In this short talk, Allison Van shares her passion for mobilizing data and using it to build a brighter world. Using the most humble of data visualization tools, Excel, she talks about the questions that should underpin data visualization and how to bring your work to life without expensive software. 

Bio:
 Allison Van is the Executive Director of Spark: a center for social research innovation at McMaster University within the Faculty of Social Sciences. Allison is currently building Spark into an international model of innovation in social science research support. She specializes in mixed-methods complex systems analysis, community/academic partnerships, and the translation of research into social change. Her career has traversed sectors and disciplines, including extensive work in agricultural and rural development, poverty, child welfare and juvenile justice, social entrepreneurship, and medical innovation.