Heather Openshaw

Multi-Passionate Creative | Researcher Tech Gov & Social Impact

Role
Research Fellow at Digital Impact Alliance
Location
Cleveland, OH, US
LinkedIn followers
500 followers

About Heather Openshaw

I’m a research strategist and interdisciplinary thinker working at the intersection of emerging technologies, governance, and public impact. My work explores how systems, from AI to digital public infrastructure to disinformation, can be shaped to serve society without sacrificing privacy, dignity, or equity. Through research fellowships, consulting, and original media, I investigate data ecosystems, sustainable tech, and ethical systems design. I’ve worked across sectors from academia to government to entrepreneurship, to broaden my view and see larger systems patterns. I build bridges between institutions and people, abstract theory and applied systems, chaos and coherence. With a background in entrepreneurship and public communication, I excel at translating complex research into tools, policy insights, and public discourse that influence real-world outcomes. Whether it’s through published research, strategy consulting, or my podcast “Tech Dirty 2 Me,” I bring light-hearted but critical inquiry, systems awareness, and strategic storytelling to the table.

Experience

  1. Research Fellow

    Digital Impact Alliance

    Feb 2025 — Present · US

    Research focused on how to unlock the value of dark data using AI and strong digital public infrastructure (DPI). Exploring governance frameworks, global data residency laws, as well as the potential societal and economic benefits and risks of processing dark data. Goal is to create policy suggestions, via expert comments and a white paper, that maximize public value while safeguarding privacy and security.

Education

  • Presidio Graduate School

    Master of Public Administration - MPA, Sustainable Solutions

  • Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU)

    Bachelor of Science - BS, Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies

    2016 — 2018

  • Presidio Graduate School

    Master of Business Administration - MBA, Sustainability Studies

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Heather Openshaw — Research Fellow at Digital Impact Alliance in Cleveland, OH, US | Unifers