We're excited to welcome Rufus Pollock the original creator of CKAN and a long-standing thought leader in the global open data community.
In this talk, Rufus will take us on a personal journey through the origins of the open data movement — and the deeper motivations behind building CKAN in the first place. Why open data? Why portals? And what kind of infrastructure do we really need to make sense of our world — especially now, in the age of AI?
The deeper purpose behind CKAN
CKAN was never just a data management platform. It was a response to a fundamental need: to help societies see more clearly and reason together.
Rufus will share how his early work on open data and data tooling was rooted in the desire to understand what’s happening in our societies — and how CKAN emerged as civic infrastructure for shared insight.
And why open data alone isn’t enough — not without open minds, shared understanding, and systems that support collective sensemaking.
The limits of tools, and the challenge of meaning
As AI becomes more powerful, our ability to generate data grows exponentially. But more data doesn’t mean more understanding. Rufus will explore the widening gap between information and meaning — and why, in his view:
- AI is a sophisticated extension of the open data vision, but not a substitute for it
- Openness without open minds can’t solve our most pressing problems
- True progress depends on tools that support not just access, but shared sensemaking
A personal journey: from CKAN to Life Itself, and beyond
This session is also a reflection on a personal arc — from code to culture. Rufus will share the journey that led him from CKAN to projects like Life Itself and building platforms to cultivate the deeper soil of human meaning-making. Because tools alone are not enough. We must also nurture how we make meaning together.
This talk is an invitation to reconnect with the deeper mission of open data: To help us understand what matters — and to act wisely, together.
This session is for anyone interested in:
- The real reasons CKAN exists
- What’s next for open data in an AI-powered world
- Building infrastructure that helps us think and act together
About the speaker
Rufus Pollock
President at Datopian (co-steward of CKAN)
Rufus Pollock is the original creator of CKAN and a long-standing thought leader in the global open data community. For over two decades, Rufus has shaped global thinking on data transparency, civic technology, and knowledge infrastructure — working with governments, international organizations like the World Bank and UN. He’s the mind behind projects like Frictionless Data, PortalJS, DataHub.io, Flowershow, and Life Itself. He also founded the Open Knowledge Foundation, among other initiatives.
A technologist, economist, and public thinker, Rufus’s work explores how we build not just better tools, but better ways of understanding and being — from open data to open minds.
At the heart of it all is a simple, radical aim: to help society see clearly, reason wisely, and act together.
If you’re thinking deeply about the future of data, tools, and collective understanding — this is one to attend. See you there!
Details
- Date: Wednesday, May 21, 2025
- Time: 13:00 UTC
- How long: 60+ mins
- Language: English
- Reserve your spot here.
Google Meet joining info
- CLICK HERE to join with Google Meet
- Or dial: (BG) +359 2 907 4153 PIN: 492 965 761#
- More phone numbers here
Meetings agenda
- Welcome and introductions – 10 min
- Announcement from POSE team – 5 min
- Presentation from Rufus – ~20 min
- Q&A session – 10 min
- Community announcements and sharing (if any) – 2 min
- Closing – 3 min
You can have a look at the [CKAN Monthly Live] Meeting Doc. Feel free to add items and things you’d like to discuss to the agenda.
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We look forward to seeing you all on CKAN Monthly Live!
