From TikTok skits to tech leadership, Kelly Vega shows why project managers are more than task trackers.

As program director at VML and the creator of Not the Worst PM, Kelly has built a following by turning the chaos of project management into relatable, entertaining content. In this episode of Data-Driven Leadership, she joins Jess Carter to share what she’s learned leading complex digital projects and building PM teams across industries.

Kelly reflects on her path into the profession, how humor on social media has helped her spotlight the realities of the job, and what separates transactional PMs from effective PMs. She also explains how great project managers influence culture, communication, and outcomes in ways that go far beyond checking boxes.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to recognize the traits of a high-value project manager

• What separates PMs from task managers

• What PMs can do to build trust and credibility with stakeholders

Things to listen for:
(00:00) Introduction to the episode with Kelly Vega

(02:07) Social media stories that capture project manager realities

(04:46) Launching long-form PM content

(07:52) What makes a project manager high value

(10:52) Process-driven PMs versus adaptable leaders

(16:17) Lessons from BBC’s failed Digital Media Initiative project

(20:10) Avoiding over-engineering and building progress that’s measurable

(22:51) How PMs signal urgency and escalate risks effectively

(28:45) Leading diverse teams while navigating politics and expectations

(32:45) Recognizing PM leadership as culture, engagement, and delivery

Kelly’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-suter/

Kelly’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nottheworstpm/

Kelly’s TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nottheworstpm

A single error in a medical record can change a child’s life.

Theresa Meadows has spent her career making sure that doesn’t happen.

In this episode, Jess Carter talks with Theresa, who recently transitioned from CIO at Cook Children’s Health Care System to a new role at symplr. Theresa recalls her unlikely path from transplant nurse to technology leader and shares how those dual perspectives influenced the way she thinks about data, trust, and patient care.

Their conversation touches on the complexity of pediatric records, the challenges of moving entire hospitals onto electronic systems, and the opportunities she sees for AI to ease the burden on clinicians. Woven through it all are the leadership lessons Theresa carried from the bedside to the boardroom, and now into her work guiding the next generation of healthcare innovation.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why pediatric hospitals face different data challenges than adult care facilities

• How electronic health record conversions can affect patient safety

• What healthcare leaders should prioritize in their first 90 days in a new role

Things to listen for:
(00:00) Introduction to the episode with Theresa Meadows

(02:15) Training physicians on early physician order entry systems

(08:16) Career lessons from mentors and moving into Cook Children’s

(09:53) Unique data challenges faced in pediatric healthcare

(13:17) Transitioning hospitals to electronic health records successfully

(19:38) Advice for leaders in their first 90 days

(23:41) Where AI and technology are taking healthcare next

(30:50) Why mentorship starts with speaking up about your goals

Most data projects don’t collapse because of the tech. They collapse when stakeholders aren’t involved in the right ways.

In this episode of Data-Driven Leadership, Jess Carter sits down with Veronika Durgin, VP of data, to explore why stakeholder engagement makes or breaks a data strategy.

Veronika also shares lessons from two decades in data, from troubleshooting transactional databases to leading enterprise-wide initiatives. She reflects on the moment she recognized data as a true business asset, explains why curiosity and a growth mindset are foundational habits for data leaders, and outlines how to design solutions that deliver value more than once.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to keep stakeholders aligned and invested in your strategy

• Why data leaders should always think about the exit plan

• What to do to make unused data valuable to the business

Things to listen for:
(00:00) Introduction to the episode with Veronika Durgin

(02:25) Learning through doing and building a foundation for strategy

(05:35) Plan B thinking and lessons from a sledgehammer story

(09:04) Early career memories from Y2K to database administration

(12:55) Discovering Infonomics and seeing data as a business asset

(15:43) Why treating data with a product mindset changes outcomes

(19:16) The hidden costs of data hoarding and storage waste

(23:33) How to keep stakeholders engaged and aligned on priorities

(30:38) Using Six Sigma to frame problems and business impact

“Infonomics” by Doug Laney: https://www.amazon.com/Infonomics-Monetize-Information-Competitive-Advantage/dp/1138090387

Veronika’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vdurgin/

Veronika’s Medium: https://medium.com/@durginv

Veronika’s Substack: https://thinksolverepeat.substack.com/

One phone call. One click. That’s all it takes.

In this episode, Jess Carter talks with Jeffrey Foresman, VP of Cybersecurity at Resultant, about why today’s most dangerous breaches don’t start with technical flaws, but with people.

With over 30 years in the field, Jeffrey shares stories of social engineering attacks that bypass sophisticated defenses, explains why traditional compliance measures fall short, and outlines a more realistic framework for security: prevention, detection, and response.

Jess and Jeff also dig into human risk management, validation protocols, what it takes to build a culture where security is everyone’s job, and slowing down just might save you.

In this episode, you will learn:

• How attackers use urgency and familiarity to bypass internal controls

• Why cybersecurity maturity starts with real-world threat alignment

• What business leaders should ask about their help desk and MFA processes

Things to listen for:
(00:00) Introduction to the episode with Jeffrey Foresman
(06:09) Why compliance training often fails to prevent breaches
(08:05) Trusted cybersecurity frameworks for assessing maturity and risk
(11:02) How attackers are bypassing firewalls and fooling help desks
(13:45) Real-world social engineering tactics every team should know
(20:42) Building response plans that reduce downtime and damage
(25:25) What to do when employees keep failing phishing tests

Regional workforce boards often have access to labor market data but lack tools to make it usable for the communities they serve.

In this episode, Jess Carter talks with Executive Director Phedra Redifer and Workforce Research Analyst Jacob Jimenez from Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas about how their team created interactive dashboards tailored to local needs across 14 counties.

Phedra outlines the vision behind the project and what it means to equip employers, educators, and job seekers with actionable data. Jacob shares how they gathered input from stakeholders throughout the build, why usability mattered more than flash, and how this approach is already changing conversations with partners.

They also explore how public sector teams can reimagine their role in workforce development by rethinking how data is shared and decisions are made. To check out the dashboards referenced in this episode, use this link.

In this episode, you will learn:

• How a small team built three dashboards in three months

• Why flexible design improves usability across different stakeholder groups

• What it looks like to lead data projects with empathy and intent

Things to listen for:
(00:00) Introduction to the episode with Phedra Redifer and Jacob Jimenez

(03:20) Phedra and Jacob explain their roles and regional focus

(07:46) Why stakeholder requests revealed the need for better data tools

(09:20) Common data questions from EDCs and how patterns emerged

(13:40) Overview of the three dashboards and how each one is used

(17:53) Stakeholder feedback leads to rethinking the career lattice design

(21:52) Phedra explains the broader value of real-time, interactive tools

(25:02) Advice for boards starting data projects with limited resources

(28:44) Why workforce development is more essential than ever

Public sector leaders are sitting on a wealth of valuable data. But too often, they can’t act on it.

In this episode, Jess Carter talks with Jeremy Bhatia, founder and CEO of Eddi, about how his platform helps government-funded organizations make sense of scattered financial and performance data.

Jeremy shares what led him to start Eddi, how the pandemic brought long-standing issues in grant funding and reporting to the surface, and why the focus should be on outcomes, not just compliance. He explains how Eddi is supporting better decisions around budgeting, reporting, and impact.

Jess and Jeremy also discuss what it takes to build trust with users, utilize AI in thoughtful ways, and navigate the practical challenges of working in the public sector. They provide a candid look at how data and AI are being leveraged to address challenges in complex public systems.

In this episode, you will learn:

• The role AI can play in making complex data easier to use

• Why motivation and culture matter more than technical readiness

• How flexible tools can improve grant management and support long-term outcomes
  
  

Things to listen for:
(00:00) Introduction to the episode with Jeremy Bhatia

(02:46) Eddi’s role in helping organizations make data-driven decisions

(05:21) How the pandemic created funding challenges and new opportunities

(06:01) Overcoming data integration hurdles in public sector organizations

(08:51) Jeremy’s lessons from Eddi’s first year in business

(13:22) The importance of flexibility in grant management

(21:55) How Eddi helps match grants with the right organizations

(30:02) Measuring outcomes and lessons learned from the pandemic

From writing better emails to helping her son learn the alphabet, Jess Carter is using AI in unexpected ways.

In this Q&A episode, Jess shares how she’s integrating AI into both her professional and personal routines, with real examples that span leadership, data storytelling, parenting, and everyday problem-solving. She offers practical advice for getting started with AI, from building stronger prompts to identifying the tasks where it saves the most time and adds the most value.

Along the way, Jess answers listener questions about increasing data literacy without a technical background, working effectively with consultants, and determining what actually works in digital engagement. If you're curious about how to use AI and data more confidently and more creatively, this episode is a great place to begin.

Jess also references a few favorite resources throughout the episode, including:

• Data Literacy: A User’s Guide by David L. Herzog

• storytelling with data: a data visualization guide for business professionals by Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic

• How to Lie with Statistics by Darrell Huff

• The study Double-blind test of the effects of distant intention on water crystal formation by Dean Radin, Dail Hayssen, Masaru Emoto, and Takashige Kizue

In this episode, you will learn:

• Ways to begin using AI in your daily work

• How to build confidence in data analysis without a technical background

• What to look for when bringing in a consultant to support your team

Things to listen for:

(00:00) Introduction to the episode with Jess Carter

(01:54) How Jess uses AI as a parent, leader, and executive coach

(05:19) Simple ways to get started with ChatGPT in your daily work

(08:57) Books and tools to improve your data literacy

(13:49) When to bring in consultants and how to get real results from them

(24:27) Jess’s go-to method for making sense of messy data

(26:52) Jess’s reflection on cancer and story of resilience

Most people know Duolingo as the fun language app with the green owl, but behind the scenes, it’s a data science team using AI and analytics to transform how we learn.

In this episode, Jess Carter sits down with Bilal Zia, head of data science and analytics at Duolingo, to discuss what it takes to lead with data within one of the world’s most popular edtech platforms.

Bilal shares how his team builds trust through accurate forecasting and why embedding data scientists into cross-functional teams has changed how Duolingo operates. Drawing on his past roles at the World Bank and Amazon, he reflects on the mindset shift required to move fast without sacrificing rigor and how AI helps them achieve new possibilities while maintaining a focus on the human experience at the heart of learning.

In this episode, you will learn:

• How to structure data teams to increase influence

• Why fast-growing companies need different data strategies

• How to build trust through data accuracy

Things to listen for:
(00:00) Introduction to the episode with Bilal Zia
(02:58) Why intrinsic motivation guided Bilal’s career
(06:12) How Bilal turned a struggling data team into a high-performing one
(08:15) Adapting data strategy to the S-curve model
(11:39) The moment Bilal’s team earned leadership’s trust with a single forecast
(16:57) What happens when data scientists are treated like product leaders
(20:21) Tracking fluency and learner progress in the app
(27:40) A look at the AI tools helping Duolingo move faster without losing control