Denice W. Ross is data strategy lead for the Phase Zero Project at New America. She specializes in data transparency, civic engagement, and designing effective networks, with a focus on action at the local level.

Before joining New America, Denice was a Senior Advisor in the Obama White House, where she leveraged data and innovation to improve the effectiveness and sustainability of community-based federal programs. As a Presidential Innovation Fellow in 2014, she co-founded the White House Police Data Initiative, one of the most tangible responses to the 21 Century Policing Task Force report, and she worked with the Department of Energy on crowdsourcing private-sector data to improve community resilience in disaster-impacted areas. Earlier, she served as Director of Enterprise Innovation for the City of New Orleans, where she built a digital services team and established open data as the cornerstone for performance management and public engagement.

Prior to her roles in government, Denice co-directed the Greater New Orleans Community Data Center, a non-profit data intermediary. When Hurricane Katrina propelled New Orleans into the national spotlight, Denice collaborated with Brookings to track the city’s recovery through The New Orleans Index. In addition, she actively participated in numerous post-Katrina community planning initiatives, and co-founded the first new childcare center after the storm. She lives in the DC area with her spouse and four children.