Hawai‘i Community Foundation and Hawai‘i Data Collaborative Partner on the CHANGE Framework

The Hawai‘i Community Foundation (HCF) is working to disrupt the systems that have been driving inequities across the state using a data-driven approach through its CHANGE Framework, making robust data, analysis and reporting a fundamental component of the CHANGE Initiative. To support this effort, HCF and the Hawai‘i Data Collaborative (HDC) have partnered to add Emma Kern, CHANGE Research Specialist, to the HDC team.

Emma brings a background in policy and research, most recently completing her Master of Public Policy at the University of Michigan, while also working at the Center for Social Solutions as a Research Associate on a project to create a proprietary index to ensure corporate accountability and transparency around racial justice pledges. During her time as a Budget and Policy Center intern with Hawai‘i Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice in 2020, Emma also helped develop state-level policy recommendations informed by an internal database she assisted in compiling to support strategic identification of systemic inequities driving poverty in Hawaii.

In her role as the CHANGE Research Specialist, Emma will work to develop data sources while continuing to expand on the CHANGE data framework. In leading CHANGE data projects, Emma will liaise between HDC and the HCF CHANGE team, working with partner organizations to support the data components of CHANGE collaborations, as well as supporting CHANGE grant recipients’ data collection and reporting requirements. 

HDC is excited to welcome Emma on board to help deepen our understanding, through CHANGE, around the drivers of community well-being, so we can all do better in working towards a Hawai‘i where all residents may thrive.