Behind Data Swale
Behind the Name
Before I begin talking about how Data Swale came to be, I ‘ll address two of the first questions I get asked. It is pronounced Data Swalé? What does the name mean? Data Swale, pronounced Data “Swayl”, is a play on words. As a lover of everything gardening and plant related, I went with the word “Swale” referencing a feature in a permaculture (a sustainable agriculture practice). In permaculture, “swales” can be simply thought of as divets or holes in the ground that collect water and nutrients, nourishing and helping nearby plants thrive. Circling back to the company name, Data Swale means a collection of data and insights helping businesses and communities grow and thrive.
Behind the Journey
As long as I can remember I’ve been a lover of math, finance, and business. Everything I learned was just so logical and the pieces fit together. From childhood all the way until finishing my undergraduate degree in Finance, I knew I’d have a career in numbers. Upon graduating Magna Cum Laude with my BSBA in Finance, I joined a campus analyst program at a large bank. My journey in banking and overall career taught me numerous life and careers lesson early on which I’m so very thankful for. The 3 I’m willing to mention in writing is the importance of community, self-investment, and ownership.
"Community"
Prior to banking I’d always found myself serving the community through volunteerism. For at least two years I was a weekly volunteer staff member at our university’s food/clothing pantry. I actively participated in volunteer events across Central Florida via our dedicated student led university volunteer group. During junior college, I even opted for a community involvement course and joined the Meals On Wheels staff for kitchen duty.
Upon jumping into the corporate world, I found myself constantly needing a refill my cup. Throughout my time at the bank, I created and led a cross-regional employee engagement group (with 2 amazing event co-hosts!), found myself on Panel discussions, and spent just about every weekend volunteering in reforestry and sustainable agriculture teams (IDEAS For Us- photo credit to Vern Renzette) and kayaking waterway cleanups (CFL Recon). I find a sense of community and gratitude from giving back and working with others to achieve common goals.
On the receiving side of community, I’ve learned that you make it further in life with active support around you. Throughout my time in banking (and now, of course) mentors, sponsors, family, and friends are the very people who see what I have not yet seen in myself. Open doors for me. Help me to recognize and celebrate milestones big or small. Push me out my comfort zone. Bet on me, even without direct evidence at times XD. The communities I serve also serve me!
"Self-Investment"
Knowingly and unknowingly, I’ve always made an effort to invest in myself, especially in my education. I grew up in a small town that lacked evidence of opportunity, so I always subconsciously knew investment in education and financial literacy would be my golden ticket. Upon attending university and subsequently graduating and working in banking I began to understand the magnitude of difference in opportunity and resources my town had compared to a large city. Investment in education had opened this first door to economic mobility for me.
I paid my way through school. I drove an hour each day to campus. Drove over an hour to my co-op analyst position. Climbed to the top 5% of my class in the college of Finance- TIRED BUT DEBT FREE! By graduation I secured a full-time senior analyst role at a top bank (Kudos to my career advisors and referral!). Success was not possible without investment in my education and financial goals!
"Ownership"
My first role at the bank I worked on a team responsible for reconciling our corporate clients’ portfolios of thousands of complex financial derivatives trades between international counterparties. Hedge funds, insurance companies, and tech companies make thousands of batched trades daily, worth 100s of millions PER BATCH. Still today, when I think back, the amount of money is unfathomable. These are the market movers- the companies that influence just about every second our everyday lives from the food we eat to our housing. Whether it be financial assets, real estate, or business, ownership is the key to financial security and growth. Finance and resources are the keys to positively impacting and influencing the very communities I care about.
Behind Data Swale
Data Swale’s mission is to “Elevate society and communities through the development and support of businesses”. Quite honestly, I don’t know how that exactly looks yet. I spent years working on international teams in the banking industry, moved startup clients towards success as an independent consultant, and am a Master’s in Computational Data Analytics (aka Data Science) Candidate at Georgia Tech… blah blah you can read my resume. As an entrepreneur in the trenches, beyond what the “influencers” showcase- there’s no real roadmap. I’m constantly acquiring new skills in and beyond tech to achieve my mission.
My goal as founder of Data Swale is to leverage my skillset to best serve our society and community. That may look like helping a small business leverage their data strategy to building off-the-shelf data-driven tools for businesses. I’m excited for where the journey is taking me. I’m even more excited to be a part of the impact Data Swale makes!
See You Later!
Through this newsletter/blog I’m looking to share my journey with other entrepreneurs just starting out to business owners who’ve been there and bought the t-shirt. I will provide tools and tidbits that offer value to your business as well as support for your personal journeys. And finally, I hope to provide a sense of community to keep you going. If you’ve gotten to this point, this blog is for you. Go ahead and subscribe!