Among the most disruptive changes in enterprise culture has been the prioritization of data gathering and analysis to generate revenue. Workflows have been reengineered in response to demand for access to reliable data in order to gain valuable insights.

This has created a conundrum: Proprietary and sensitive data needs to be protected, but everyone needs to be able to freely access it. The technology sector has approached this issue with software solutions, but the result is a fragmented market and security vulnerabilities that are snowballing out of control.

“Security and accessibility, although seemingly antithetical, must work together to ensure that data is used appropriately,” Theresa Kushner, senior director of data intelligence and automation for NTT DATA, told theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio. With 88% of breaches caused by human error, “data governance programs that spell out accountability for users, as well as educate them on maintaining data as an asset, are so important,” she stated.

The problem of effectively deriving accurate insights from data resources dates back to the big data era of the 2010s. Despite advances in artificial intelligence making data analysis and management exponentially more efficient, it’s still an unsolved dilemma.

“We spent a ton of time and money to create a single version of the truth, and we’re further away than we’ve ever been before,” theCUBE’s Dave Vellante said in a discussion with Felix Van de Maele, chief executive officer of Collibra NV, in anticipation of Collibra’s upcoming Data Citizens ’21 virtual conference.

Collibra Data Citizens ’21 is a free, live-streamed conference taking place on June 16 and 17. Sessions cover best practices for data management, with experts sharing practical advice and sharing insights into what is coming down the pipeline for the data industry. (* Disclosure below.)

A new path to data governance

When a problem doesn’t go away, it’s time to take a different approach. Perhaps it should start with the idea that organizations have to change the way they serve business users — those who understand data context, according to Vellante.

“We look at the problem around data as truly a business problem and a business function,” Van de Maele responded. “If you believe that data is an asset, you have to run it as a strategic business function just like you run your human resources function … your information technology function and your sales and marketing function.”

This is the premise behind Collibra’s platform. A key component is the company’s Data Intelligence Cloud, an end-to-end integrated intelligent platform that provides companies with a system of record for data.  

“At Collibra, we believe that data is for everyone, and we want to empower all data citizens to access the right data when they need it – whether it’s to do everyday things or to think bigger and answer questions with data they never asked before,” Collibra founder and chief data citizen Stijn “Stan” Christiaens told theCUBE.

The concept of data citizenship is fundamental to Collibra’s vision of a world where everybody takes responsibility for safeguarding the data that passes through their hands. Van de Maele describes it as democratizing data discovery with the understanding that with access comes accountability. 

“We have to make it easy for people to easily find the right data that they can trust, that they can understand and they can do something with and make their job easier,” he told theCUBE. On the other hand, those with data access also have the responsibility to adhere to privacy and security practices.

But exactly who is a data citizen? The answer is: Only those with the ability to effectively access and manipulate data, according to Bryan Offutt, a principal at Index Ventures. “Today, this means employees with some level of competency in SQL and/or Python and the ability to self-serve,” he stated, although he predicts a future where “the barrier to entry is lowered and there will be a ‘democratization’ of data access.”

That future is now, according to Collibra. 

“In today’s world every team from sales to marketing to product is data-driven, and everyone is a data citizen,” Christiaens stated. 

Van de Maele agrees, stating, “Everyone needs data to do their job. Everyone … has become a data citizen in the sense that they need to be able to easily access trustworthy data.”

Building a community of data citizens

The first Data Citizen’s conference took place six years ago at a small New York hotel. The majority of the 60 attendees were from the finance industry. This year, Collibra expects over 5,000 attendees. 

“It’s expanded beyond just a user conference to become more of … a community conference and an industry conference,” Van de Maele stated.

Collibra is passionate about growing the community of data citizens, especially with the increased importance of data governance and personal data responsibility. While Collibra will be sharing new product developments and educating prospective customers on what its platform can do for them, the main benefit of the event is that it brings the broader ecosystem of data professionals together. 

“Being able to make these connections, meet new people, learn what they’re doing and how they’ve solved certain challenges, that’s a really big part of the value proposition,” Van de Maele said.

One of the companies presenting is telecom giant T-Mobile US Inc. The company’s data governance office has an unusual but fun approach to creating an engaging enterprise data program to build a data-driven corporate culture where every employee is a data citizen. Educational meetings combine learning with socializing, as in the popular “Data and Donuts,” where employees met for coffee, donuts and games that taught them how to use T-Mobile’s Collibra-powered enterprise data governance platform.

Coffee and cake also feature in the title of a session hosted by Caroline Carruthers and Peter Jackson, co-authors of ‘The Chief Data Officer’s Playbook.’ ‘Don’t underestimate the importance of stakeholder relationships,’ is their message to data leaders.

Other Collibra customers participating include the Bank of America Corp., critical care technology manufacturer Edwards Lifesciences Corp., global financial market infrastructure provider Euroclear SA/NV, and multinational telecommunications company BT Group PLC.

One must-see session is a special Collibra Insights Exchange on June 17, in which famed astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson joins Collibra Chief Marketing Officer Tifenn Dano Kwan to discuss breaking the boundaries of the possible – both in data and in life.

“We bring a lot of customers and organizations that are going to share their best practices, very specifically how they’re handling data governance, how they’re doing data cataloging, how they’re doing data privacy,” Van de Maele stated, adding that along with specific best practices and tips on how to be successful, the industry experts presenting will “paint a picture of where we’re going as an industry,”

Livestream of Data Citizens ’21

Data Citizens ’21 is a livestream event that includes interviews to be broadcasted on theCUBE. You can register for free here to access the live event. Plus, you can watch theCUBE interviews here on demand after the live event.

How to watch theCUBE interviews

We offer you various ways to watch the live coverage of Data Citizens ’21, including theCUBE’s dedicated website and YouTube channel. You can also get all the coverage from this year’s events on SiliconANGLE.

TheCUBE Insights podcast

SiliconANGLE also has podcasts available of archived interview sessions, available on iTunes, Stitcher, and Spotify, which you can enjoy while on the go.

Guests

Stay tuned for a complete list of industry experts and leaders who will be interviewed by theCUBE during Data Citizens ’21.

(* Disclosure: TheCUBE is a paid media partner for Data Citizens ’21. Neither Collibra NV, the sponsor for theCUBE’s event coverage, nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE