Founder & Principal Consultant, DataWise Consulting 
Best Supporting Man

Dr. Neil Carlson has been addicted to technical teamwork since building vast Lego layouts with his childhood neighbor. His 2004 Ph.D. in political science from Duke University is just the most formal expression of a voracious appetite for learning.

Since coming to Grand Rapids 20 years ago, his most rewarding experiences have involved networks addressing social challenges. When KConnect was born in 2014, he became a founding co-chair of the Data & Capacity Workgroup. In 2016, he served as a founding co-chair of the network-wide Accountability Partners Council, drafting a decision protocol still in use today. Neil attends the Digital Inclusion workgroup of the Kent County Essential Needs Task Force, and he recently joined the board of STEM Greenhouse. He enjoys spending time with LaVonne, his wife of 25 years, and a pair of Eagle Scouts, Jay and Colin. 

Of women in the workplace, Dr. Carlson says, “Every organization should be able readily to imagine a near-term future with a majority or even all-female leadership team as easily as a majority male team. And, every organization will benefit from having specific teams and meeting series where women are in a position to call the shots.”