Introductions from our co-founders

We started with a committee of passionate and interested people who wanted to look for new solutions to the pain points of data in social housing. As we started to create plans, some of our group had to withdraw because of commitments to other organisations. The founding members of the Open Data Exchange are Steve Dungworth, Kate Davies, Amanda Leonard and Neil Topping.

To introduce ourselves, here is a little pen picture of each of us…

Steve Dungworth

I guess you can say this is all my fault! Every time I saw housing associations struggling with data, I thought we could do better through collaboration. So, a big public thank you to my new colleagues for backing my idea for a national database of social homes.

I joined the social housing sector later in my career, but data, numbers, and performance information have always been integral to the roles I have held. I’ve worked in the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), local authorities, the NHS, charity, and private sector recruitment. I love data and what it can reveal.

As an Insights Colours Red-Yellow (Motivating Director) and a Myers-Briggs INTJ, I am often labeled as an “architect.” This gives me the vision, creativity, and principles to see the many steps to solving problems and generating innovative solutions.

I’m an archetypal Yorkshireman: grumpy on the outside, fiercely protective of my family (including my newest grandson), and loyal to local sports teams like Leeds United, Hunslet, and Yorkshire cricket, despite their ups and downs. My hobbies and interests likely explain why ODX excites me. One of my favourite books is “Information is Beautiful” by David McCandless. I love travel (seeing different perspectives), horse racing (analysing the numbers), chess (working out the strategy), and country music (…nope, even I can’t explain that one!).

I am passionate about using data and systems thinking to improve the lives of businesses, customers, citizens, and society. ODX can help people live in safer and better homes, and that’s something we can all aspire to!

I am also a Director of Golden Marzipan: digital, data, and technology strategists in social housing and a NED at Leeds Federated.

Kate Davies

I come from Rochdale, Lancashire but I live in Paddington, London. I have five children and five grandchildren too. I worked in publishing and family planning before I accidentally fell into a housing association job. I love the whole idea of social housing but I know it could be a lot better. Although I was a CEO for years and I tried lots of things I don’t feel I did enough to make things better for tenants. I still feel a calling to do what I can to address this. I believe technology is one of the most important means to get a step change.

ODX came out of conversations I had with Steve Dungworth – he is creative, intelligent, and motivated. So when he told me about the idea of a national database of social homes I decided to run with it. At the moment I do quite a lot of pro bono work for ODX – thinking, networking, planning and writing and I make a living through my own company, Buena, as a consultant and NED to various companies.

My top skill is going up stream to identify causes, and turning the analysis into a plan with three or four aims. I get a lot of pleasure from simplifying things – and getting things done. Outside work I enjoy Zumba, learning Spanish, art and crafty things. I love all the colours but especially bright ones.

Amanda Leonard

I am Amanda and I’m often found writing things, mapping things out as I’m a really visual person or talking – professionally speaking only of course, 😂on the speaking circuit or at networking events. In 2016 was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and it was a terrible shock, but I’ve been clear now for 7 years and it has taught me to appreciate and live life to the full.

I started my career in Retail and Hospitality and have worked all over the world, particularly enjoying a few years living in the USA, working in California, Washington DC, New York and Charlotte North Carolina, where I lived. My claim to fame, apart from the fact that I went to Meryl Streeps lifetime achievement award ceremony as part of the Oscars (one of the perks of working for the worlds largest catering company Compass Group) is that I had my first Executive Director Board appointment at 29 years old and since then have worked as a HR Director, a Commercial Director and a Vice President for Comms and Business Development for really cool companies such as Sainsburys, Granada Group (not the telly part but the hospitality bit – think Travelodge, Harry Ramsdens, Little Chef and Moto) and SSP – The Food Travel Experts where I got to work with partners and brands such as Starbucks, M and S Simply Food, Caviar House and Prunier and with talented chefs including James Martin, the late Gary Rhodes and the legendary Wolfgang Puck – back to name dropping and the Oscars! For the past 14 years I have been leading a boutique agency and consultancy I founded and have fallen in love working with the housing sector, technology partners and data companies.

I also have 5 kids and although they now range from 18 year old twins to a 26 year old with everything in between, they still keep me busy and we love travelling together as a family between our house in Andalusia and our home in Stamford, famed for the Burghley Horse Trials and England’s oldest coaching inn – The George Hotel.

So I would say my past has definitely informed my present and my love of food, travel, data, technology and being able to use my experience, network and data and technology partners to create capacity and transparency for the housing sector is what really excites me. The challenges the sector faces are not insurmountable and it’s time we all got our heads together, despite policy and political pressure and consider what we can do rather than focus on what we can’t change. Enter stage left – ODX – a new chapter, a big vision and the rest is yet to come!

Neil Topping

I am a passionate and enthusiastic data expert (pronounced “Geek”), fortunate enough to lead brilliant teams of exceptional people.

I’m also a Director of Data Futurists, we focus on enabling Housing Providers to become more data-driven organizations through our innovative solutions. We are currently exploring potential partnerships for some exciting R&D projects. I’m always interested in collaborating or learning more about our data in the social housing sector and delighted to be involved in the project.

More about me soon…