A Rebrand to Challenge the Status Quo: Welcome to Data+Soul
A New Identity
We are thrilled to announce a pivotal transition in our journey as a team. What was once MXM Research Group has now transformed into Data+Soul. This rebranding marks not just a change in name but a shift in how we communicate our mission, vision, and future plans to elevate data practices that are more equitable, transformative, and full of soul.
Our Vision and Mission
At Data+Soul, we stand at a unique crossroads, humbled to see how our vision has resonated with collaborators new and old since we adopted the tagline a year ago. We envision a social sector that uses #dataplussoul to build more equitable and just futures, where data and evaluation are more rigorous and relevant because they center the stories, assets and dreams of communities most affected by the work. To that end, our mission is to transform the applied research and evaluation landscape by lifting up innovative and equitable approaches to working with data; supporting our peers as they identify sticky ways to shift their practice—and work to create the conditions for change on their teams and organizations; and continuing to deliver thoughtful and engaging research and evaluation services to our partners in the social sector.
By embracing this new identity, we are poised to communicate our unique approach more clearly, building lasting relationships and a strong, engaged community around the Data+Soul vision.
Why Data+Soul?
Our new name, Data+Soul, captures our ethos of blending rigorous data analysis with a human approach. It’s a concept that emerged from a moment of profound insight while reading a children’s book with my toddler. The book’s whimsical equations, like “soul + color = art” and “soul + words = literature,” inspired us to consider how our own medium, data, could be enriched by infusing it with soul. We’re not just about numbers; we’re about narratives, storytelling, and the connections we make when exchanging stories about experience through data. #Dataplussoul has also become a centering question for our team as we navigate our work together and as we work with our clients. The new name allows us to present ourselves with our values and approach at the forefront. We ask: “How is this work in service of data + soul?”
Looking Ahead: Our Plans for the Next Year
The next year will be a transformative period for Data+Soul. Here’s a glimpse of what lies ahead:
1. Expanding Our Educational Offerings
We are launching the Data+Soul Studio, a training platform and virtual makerspace for researchers and evaluators to build data + soul into their practice. Our trainings will mirror the fractals that inspire our work, focusing on individual reflexivity and shifts in practice that can enable #dataplussoul to take root. We invite you to come along the journey!
2. Publishing new resources
We’ll publish more resources to illustrate examples of how #dataplussoul can show up in practice. These include case studies and articles about how we have applied evaluation methods like Ripple Effects Mapping and Outcome Harvesting and pivots we’ve made to our data collection approach to be more culturally responsive and trauma-informed. These will be published to the blog on our website.
3. Evaluating process and progress
At the core of our practice, we continue to partner with changemakers to collectively learn from change efforts through evaluation, community engagement, and facilitation. We do this by weaving connections between people, ideas, data, strategy, and systems to design and amplify the building blocks of a more just, healthy, and sustainable world.
4. Pioneering Approaches to Measuring Systems Change for Grantmakers
We continue to support funders and their grantees in developing strategies to measure impact, aligning our work with frameworks at the intersection of systems change and philanthropy, such as Water of Systems Change and Trust-Based Philanthropy. We are in the midst of developing a more culturally responsive approach to cross-site evaluation for one of our federally-funded partners. We are eager to exchange lessons learned with those of you who work in similar spaces.
Join Us on This Journey
We invite you to join us as we embark on this exciting new chapter. Whether you are an organization navigating data complexity, a researcher pursuing transformative approaches, or a policymaker driving societal change, Data+Soul is here to partner with you. Together, we can turn data into stories that drive impactful decisions and foster a deeper connection with the communities we serve.
Stay tuned for more updates and exciting developments. Thank you for being a part of our journey!
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