DataFolk — About
Every dataset is a room full of people.
DataFolk exists to make sure the people inside the numbers are actually heard. We help organizations understand the communities they serve — not as abstract figures, but as neighbors with real needs, histories, and voices. Data, used well, is a tool for equity. That belief is the whole reason we’re here.
The person behind the numbers
Jacob E. Robinson, Ph.D.
Jacob is a social scientist by training and a founder by passion. He started DataFolk out of a deep commitment to ensuring community voices are heard and reflected in the data that shapes decisions about them.
His research grounds everything we do — a discipline built on listening carefully, asking better questions, and taking people seriously. DataFolk is the place where that rigor meets a genuine belief that research should serve the communities it studies.
How we work
Community First
The people a project affects come before the deliverable. We design our research so their voices lead, not follow.
Rigorous & Accessible
Methods you can trust, findings you can actually use. We hold a high academic bar and translate it into plain language.
Research with Purpose
We take on work that moves something forward — better decisions, fairer outcomes, stronger communities. Purpose is the point.
Who we work with
Nonprofits, government agencies, corporations — anyone serious about their community.
If your organization wants to use data to better understand and serve the people around it, we should talk. That’s the whole job — and we love it.
