Blair Mann on humanizing change around data and education policy (podcast episode #10)

In the tenth episode of Humanizing Change, host Bill Keaggy talks with Blair Mann, Vice President of Communications at the Data Quality Campaign (DQC), about using storytelling and data to drive real change in education policy. Blair shares how her upbringing — shaped by a Special Ed teacher and a TV news director — inspired her passion for connecting people to solutions that work and using narrative to move both people and systems.

Highlights from the conversation:

• Turn data into stories: I make complex information relatable by helping people see themselves in the story.
• Prioritize clarity: I focus on making complex ideas accessible to drive understanding and action.
• Meet people where they are: I recognize that personal experiences shape reactions to change.
• Connect systems to humans: I balance understanding structures with seeing the individuals they affect.
• Inspire through empathy: I use stories to spark emotion, which leads to real, lasting change.

If you enjoyed this conversation, subscribe to Humanizing Change to hear more real, thoughtful stories about how people are navigating change and complexity. New episodes drop regularly — and we’d love to have you along for the journey.

Produced by Ari Abraham and Darrick Hays, with artwork by Chris Roettger.

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