introducing our new teammates
I’ve always loved the hiring process.
I remember when I was building my team at Google and spending an inordinate amount of time designing the interview case study. I wanted something that would help us assess candidate’s skills—but also give applicants a realistic preview of the type of work they’d be doing if they joined the team. (That is, until the case study was leaked and I had to redesign it!)
What I loved most wasn’t only designing the process. It was seeing the organization through fresh eyes. Through candidates’ questions and perspectives, I was reminded how special the work—and the impact we were having—really was.
I’ve felt that same sense of perspective over the past couple of months as we’ve focused on hiring for the storytelling with data team.
A humbling process
When we opened applications for the Data Storyteller role earlier this year, we weren’t entirely sure what to expect. What followed was both energizing and humbling: more than 150 people applied!
As a small team, every addition matters enormously. Each new person changes how we show up for our clients, our community, and each other. Because of that, we take an incredibly intentional approach to hiring. The process is a significant investment for our team. From reviewing applications and candidate exercises to conducting interviews and thoughtful debriefs—I’m incredibly grateful for the time and care the team brought to every step.
An aspect that made things difficult wasn’t narrowing down the field because of a lack of qualified candidates—it was quite the opposite. We met many talented people who are doing meaningful work to help others communicate more effectively with data. It was hard to say no to so many great people.
One of our goals throughout the process was to make sure that even candidates we didn’t ultimately select had a positive experience. Many of the people who applied are part of our broader community, and we hope they continue learning with us, participating in challenges, reading the blog, and pushing this field forward alongside us.
From this incredible group, we’re excited to welcome two new teammates.
Meet our newest data storytellers
Today, I’m excited to introduce two people joining our team: Alli Torban and Ryan Biesecker.
Alli brings deep expertise in data visualization and data literacy, along with a passion for helping people truly understand data. She is the host of the Data Viz Today podcast, the author of Chart Spark, and has been a thoughtful and creative voice in the data visualization community for years.
At SWD, Alli will be contributing across our workshops, content, and community initiatives, including taking ownership of the SWD podcast, helping shape its next chapter while continuing to bring thoughtful conversations to our audience.
Ryan joins us with a background in consulting and analytics, where he has helped organizations use data to answer complex business questions and drive better decisions. He brings strong technical skills, client experience, and a natural focus on translating analysis into clear, actionable insights.
At SWD, Ryan will contribute across our workshop delivery and content while also helping us better understand patterns in our client work—bringing a data-driven lens to how we think about relationships and opportunities to expand impact.
You’ll start to see more from Alli and Ryan soon, as they begin contributing across our workshops, blog, podcast, and other SWD channels.
What this means for you: our clients and community
Growing our team allows us to increase our capacity to work with organizations through team trainings. More importantly, it allows us to do this while maintaining the thoughtful, high-quality experience we strive to deliver in every engagement. This means we can continue to serve our clients and community, while expanding the reach of the work we care so deeply about.
Looking ahead
We feel very fortunate that Alli and Ryan chose to join us. Each new teammate helps us further our mission: to help people communicate more effectively with data and drive positive change through better understanding. Please join me in welcoming Alli and Ryan to the storytelling with data team!
