About DCI

The Data Catalyst Institute (DCI) leverages our company’s expertise and generates proprietary research to provide insights at the intersection of innovation, business, government, and public opinion in order to help leaders navigate an increasingly complex and uncertain world.

In an era of global turbulence and uncertainty, professionals need access to multidisciplinary intelligence and expertise that helps them navigate significant technological, economic, political, and societal change. 

The Data Catalyst Institute (DCI) analyses complex battles at the intersection of innovation, business, the law, and public opinion by synthesizing insights from original research and our unique community of academics, analysts, and practitioners. 

Leaders use DCI’s intelligence and experts to “see around corners” when they need novel solutions to complex situations, enabling them to minimize risk and maximize their opportunities. 

DCI is part of the RXN Group.

Staff

Dr. Mark Drapeau serves as Editor In Chief of the Data Catalyst Institute, a research organization working to inform and shape policies that provide meaningful business and consumer protection while promoting economic and social good. He is also Partner and Chief Research Officer at the RXN Group.

Dr. Drapeau is a science and technology leader with over 20 years’ experience working across the academic, government, and private sectors. Much of his career has focused on connecting technology trends, innovative thinking, and foresight research with senior decision makers inside the government, major corporations, and nonprofit organizations. Prior to serving as the Director of Innovative Engagement at Microsoft with a focus on technological innovation in the public and nonprofit sectors, he was a AAAS Science & Technology Fellow at the Department of Defense’s Center for Technology and National Security Policy at the National Defense University, where among other work he co-edited the book Bio-Inspired Innovation and National Security (2010).

Prior to moving to Washington, DC, Dr. Drapeau was an academic scientist with a focus on genetics, evolution, and complex behavior in animals. His peer-reviewed research has been published in journals including Nature, Genome Research, EvolutionGenetics, and the Journal of Neurobiology. He has a B.S. in Biology from the University of Rochester and a Ph.D. from the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of California – Irvine, and was an NIH-funded Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Center for Developmental Genetics at New York University.

 

 

Staff

Lilly Gillespie is a Senior Research Analyst at RXN Group. She previously worked at a polling firm as an analyst for electoral and private sector research projects. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude from Washington and Lee University with a BA in Politics and Romance languages.

 

 

 

Staff

Shannen Patel is a Managing Editor at the RXN Group. She has previously conducted academic and private sector research on topics including regional conflict resolution and peace-building efforts in South Asia, U.S. security policy, and sustainability. Patel has a BA in International Relations with a Concentration in Security Policy from The George Washington University.

 

 

Senior Research Fellow

Hitha Herzog is a Senior Research Fellow at the Data Catalyst Institute (2022-present) with a focus on retail. She also serves as the Chief Research Officer of H Squared Research LLC in New York, a boutique market research firm that provides timely, relevant, and actionable consumer and retail research to clients. Herzog is also an Adjunct Professor at Parsons School of Design, where she teaches courses on social commerce and communication/social media. She was previously a business journalist with stints at Fox Business, Bloomberg, Time Inc., CNBC, and Forbes. Herzog is the author of Black Market Billions: How Organized Retail Crime Funds Terrorists (2011). She has a B.A. in Philosophy and Economics from Smith College (including a year stint at the London School of Economics) and an M.A. from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

 

Graduate Research Fellow

Shanthi Ramakrishna was a Graduate Research Fellow at the Data Catalyst Institute and an MA student at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies with a concentration in Development, Climate, and Sustainability. At DCI, she focuses on small business retail and U.S. political donation analyses. Ramakrishna holds a BA in Political Science with a minor in Economics from Johns Hopkins University.

 

Graduate Research Fellow

Serena Ruedas was a Graduate Research Fellow at the Data Catalyst Institute (2023) and a JD student at the William S. Boyd School of Law at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, where her studies focused on gaming law, corporate governance, and securities law. Her work at DCI focused on trends in sports wagering and gaming markets within the United States, specifically emerging gaming and payment technologies, advertising, and legislative and regulatory oversight in the field. Serena has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Management with a minor in Philosophy from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas.

 

Senior Research Fellow

Dr. Liad Wagman was a Senior Research Fellow at the Data Catalyst Institute (2022), where he is a frequent contributor of both research reports and short pieces with a focus on competition and antitrust. He currently serves as the John and Mae Calamos Dean Endowed Chair and professor of economics at the Stuart School of Business at Illinois Tech in Chicago. He also previously served as Senior Economic and Technology Advisor of the Federal Trade Commission’s Office of Policy Planning. Dr. Wagman works on topics in the areas of information economics, industrial organization, law and economics, and entrepreneurship, studying issues concerning market competition and antitrust, data utilization and privacy, innovation, and new venture financing. He has an M.A. and Ph.D. in Economics from Duke, an M.S. in Computer Science from Stanford, and a B.S. / B.A. in Computer Science and Mathematics from the University of North Carolina.

Senior Research Fellow

Jonathan Askin was a Senior Research Fellow at the Data Catalyst Institute (2022), with a focus on internet law. He currently serves as Professor of Clinical Law at Brooklyn Law School in New York, teaching technology, telecommunications, and entrepreneurial law and policy. He is also the Founder/Director of the Brooklyn Law Incubator & Policy Clinic (BLIP) and the Innovation Catalyst for the Center for Urban Business Entrepreneurship (CUBE). Professor Askin was previously Fulbright Scholar at the University of Amsterdam, Visiting Professor at MIT Media Lab, and Visiting Professorial Fellow at Queen Mary University of London. He has an A.B. from Harvard and a J.D. from Rutgers Law School.

 

Graduate Research Fellow

Ben Kent was a Graduate Research Fellow at the Data Catalyst Institute (2022) while an MBA student at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business in Washington, DC. He also serves as a Marine reserve officer, currently assigned to the Marine Innovation Unit (MIU). His work at DCI focused on the intersection of the defense industry and digital innovation. Kent has a B.A. in Public Policy from Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy.

 

 

Graduate Research Fellow

Parker Bovée was a Graduate Research Fellow at the Data Catalyst Institute (2022) while an MPP student at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy. His work at DCI focused on the growth of the gaming and sports gambling industry via digital platforms and apps. Bovée has B.A. in History from UC-Berkeley.

 

 

Graduate Research Fellow

R.T. Rogers was a Graduate Research Fellow at the Data Catalyst Institute (2022) while an MPA student at Cornell’s Brooks School with a focus on Science, Technology, and Infrastructure Policy. His work at DCI focused on tech policy in Washington, DC – specifically antitrust, data privacy, and content moderation. Rogers has B.A. in Philosophy with a minor in Economics from Rollins College in Winter Park, FL.

 

To get in touch:

Journalist inquiries: media at datacatalyst dot org

All others: contact at datacatalyst dot org