Data Driven WV

Data Driven WV (DDWV) is a transformative outreach center that harnesses the power of academia to resolve real-world problems using data analytics, cybersecurity, and human-centered design principles. Through robust collaborations with industry partners, we provide students with first-hand experience of real-world challenges, equipping them with the necessary technical and analytical skills to contribute towards West Virginia's prosperity and economic development. One of our most successful service-learning projects is with Bloom, a print shop in Thomas, WV. A team of our students worked to streamline Bloom's e-commerce record-keeping process, giving the owners more time to focus on their passion. Our unique educational model also saw a team of cybersecurity students helping Bloom design a secure network and establish safe business practices, showcasing our multifaceted approach to problem-solving.

Our core technology integrates data analytics, cybersecurity, and technological platforms to derive insights and solve real-world problems. By employing advanced data processing tools, machine learning algorithms, and secure network designs, we assist businesses in informed decision-making, enhancing operations, and optimizing resources. For instance, our students, using low-code automation platforms, were able to tailor an automation suite to meet Bloom's specific needs. We also ensure data integrity and the secure handling of sensitive information by applying cutting-edge cybersecurity principles and tools.

The impact of Data Driven WV is twofold. First, it serves small businesses in West Virginia, such as Bloom, by providing them with data-driven solutions that enhance their efficiency and operations. Second, it provides students with invaluable industry experience, thereby enhancing their employability. By closing the skills gap, especially for underprivileged students, we directly contribute to the region's economic prosperity by fostering a data-driven culture and developing a skilled workforce.

Data Driven WV's mission directly aligns with the Truist Foundation's goal of catalyzing innovation to solve world problems. We assist small businesses, the backbone of the US economy, by providing data-driven solutions, and we prepare the next generation of data scientists and cybersecurity professionals. Our community-centric approach contributes to the technological advancement of our community, thereby supporting MIT Solve's broader goals.

Through experiential learning and data-driven insights, we can bridge the skills gap and support small businesses in West Virginia. This is achieved by immersing students in real-world projects where they apply their technical knowledge to practical problems. As these students graduate and enter the workforce, they bring advanced technical skills and experience that foster innovation and growth in local businesses.

In the past academic year, Data Driven WV has completed 21 student-led experiential learning projects that have provided data-driven insights and technical solutions to 11 organizations ranging from local small businesses to national scientific non-profits. These projects engaged 26 student volunteers and 58 students completing projects for course credit, generating an estimated $50k+ in volunteer value. Our current bottleneck is faculty and staff availability to mentor and lead these projects. Our solution is to create leadership student-worker roles that can absorb management tasks currently assigned to faculty and staff.  We have had success fundraising for fellowships to fund a few of these student leadership positions. This opportunity will allow us to scale our model as much as double our impact both in terms of organizations helped and student volunteers engaged.

DDWV serves West Virginia and the greater Appalachian region. Our primary target is WV businesses, but we also partner with organizations whose goals benefit WV, such as national non-profits working to solve the opioid epidemic. Our primary stakeholders are the students we engage in these experiential learning projects and the organizational representatives we complete the projects with. Additional stakeholders include donors, alumni, faculty, and staff engaged with the initiative, and academic leadership.

Data Driven WV distributes a biannual impact report to anyone subscribing to the mailing list. Additionally, updates are frequently posted from the Director’s social media profiles. We have chosen these to represent the two ends of the spectrum; stakeholders who want all the details and friends of the program who just want occasional updates. 

Our model is robust and proven at this point. We have positively impacted students and partner organizations for the past 4 years with numerous success stories. Our current goals are to grow into new industries and scale our model. DDWV was founded to provide business data analytics students with real-world experience that benefit WV. Since then, we have expanded our mission to include other technology services that are taught in the management information systems department, such as cybersecurity. We are still researching the best practices for integrating these new services and looking for other areas of study where our model can be applied. Additionally, we seek to scale the number of organizations and students we serve through student leadership opportunities.

Our partnership with the Truist Foundation and MIT Solve will enable us to overcome our barrier of lack of marketing expertise. It will help us build institutional trust and establish a sustainable pipeline of organizations to aid.

Our main partnership goal is to establish a sustainable pipeline of community organizations that can benefit from our services. We seek assistance in developing marketing strategies and building institutional trust to achieve this goal.