About Us

The Data Culture Institute was founded by Gary W. Griffin and David Holcomb, authors of Building a Data Culture: The Usage and Flow Data Culture Model. The concepts in the book lay the foundation for the Institute. The goals of the institute is to bring the cultural component of the data to the forefront. Our vision is a world where organizations manage data culture proactively.

To realize our vision, we have initiated the mission to educate, equip, and inspire leaders and practitioners to intentionally build, measure, and sustain data cultures that enable trusted data to flow into decisions. Join us and subscribe.

Founders and Fellows

Gary W. Griffin has worked for over 30 years, with many people at all levels of both public and private organizations. His duties have ranged from data collection and reporting to strategic planning and management of budgets as large as ten million dollars with a staff of 35+ people. His roles have changed dramatically over the years, but most recently he spent more than 20 years working as a Director of Data Quality and Research Accountability at Atlanta Public Schools, a Managing Consultant at IBM, and as the Founder and CEO of TASADA Solutions. These roles had one thing in common; he was engaged in delivering enterprise solutions that focused on data, analytics, and strategy.

Dr. Griffin is a highly skilled leader with a primary focus and expertise in data strategy, data governance, and advanced analytics  that spans more than 30 years. In fact, he worked on a team while at IBM to help build one of the first data warehouses in a state department of education in South Carolina in 1998. He is the inventor of Datalink 1000, a Master Data Management and Data Quality tool.  He developed the data strategy for one of the first web-based assessment systems.

Dr. Griffin has a Master of Science from Auburn University and a Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology from Georgia State University. He is a highly skilled applied Social Scientist and a change agent. He is a noted author, speaker, educator, entrepreneur, and visionary leader in the field of data, analytics, and strategy.

David Holcomb has personally designed and implemented multiple operational, data warehouse and business intelligence environments. David brings a well-rounded technical and business background. In addition to leading teams in data intense environments including Verizon, Capital One, Dex Media, Western Union, and University of Chicago Medicine, David has experience in the sales, sales operations, and operations departments of many organizations including being a Chief Data Officer (CDO) and Chief Operating Officer (COO).

In addition to his industry experience, Dr. Holcomb has two PhDs. The first in Business (Organization Behavior) studying social exchange theory, commitment, and trust; the second in Information Technology covering numerous topics including the use of technology to replace the in-office experience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Holcomb has taught Data Warehousing / Business Intelligence, Supply Chain Management, Business Analytics, Information Security, Management and Organizational Behavior, and Project Management at the graduate level. Dr. Holcomb has redesigned coursework in supply chain and data warehousing and developed the capstone course for a bachelor’s degree in project management and performed as a doctoral dissertation committee member, specifically as the subject matter expert for leadership theory. He is a speaker, presenter, and writer in technology including data design, data warehousing, artificial intelligence, and data theory, and human behavior including leadership theory, individual behavior, organizational design, and culture.