Coleridge's 6th Annual National Conference Focuses on Cross-Border Collaboration

The event brought together data experts, policymakers, and thought leaders to explore the transformative power of administrative data in shaping public policy.

Mar. 31, 2026 at 10:08pm

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Coleridge, a nonprofit organization working with governments to enhance data-driven decision-making, hosted its 6th Annual National Conference in Arlington, VA, from March 24-27. The event convened nearly 250 attendees from 39 states and multiple federal agencies to discuss the importance of collaborating across agencies, institutions, and sectors to build an interconnected data infrastructure that makes data more actionable and impactful.

Why it matters

The conference underscored the critical role of cross-organizational collaboration and advanced data integration strategies in driving meaningful policy impact. As data and AI become increasingly central to policymaking, fostering connections and breaking down barriers between agencies, states, and sectors is essential for translating data into real-world solutions.

The details

The conference's theme, 'Data Beyond Borders,' focused on the need to connect data across traditional boundaries. Panels featured experts from the federal government, state agencies, and research institutions who shared insights on the current state of statistics, data, and AI in the U.S., as well as practical strategies for strengthening the 'evidence ecosystem' to drive policy impact. Key topics included building AI-ready data, designing effective education-to-workforce data systems, and leveraging administrative data for agile evidence building.

  • The 6th Annual Coleridge National Conference took place from March 24-27, 2026 in Arlington, Virginia.

The players

Ahu Yildirmaz

President and CEO of Coleridge, the nonprofit organization that hosted the conference.

Mark Zandi

Chief Economist at Moody's, who moderated the opening plenary session.

Rob Santos

The 26th Director of the U.S. Census Bureau, who moderated a subsequent plenary session.

Stephanie Walsh

Assistant Director of the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University, who accepted the Data Champion of the Year Award on behalf of the state of New Jersey.

Lesley Hirsch

Assistant Commissioner for Research & Information at the New Jersey Department of Labor & Workforce Development, who accepted the Data Champion of the Year Award on behalf of the state of New Jersey.

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What they’re saying

“The theme of this year's conference, Data Beyond Borders, captures something essential: data is at the center of everything, including AI. Yet, that data must be connected to result in true collaboration and impact. Policy decisions drawn from linked datasets are clearer and more powerful when borders are crossed, both literal and figurative.”

— Ahu Yildirmaz, President and CEO of Coleridge

“It's an honor to receive this recognition from Coleridge. The key to New Jersey's achievement is our partnership model—among the agencies who collaborate to govern the New Jersey Statewide Data System (NJSDS) and with the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers. We are grateful to Coleridge for the opportunities to network, collaborate, and learn and are inspired by the work of the other states and their partners. Finally, we hope our experience offers proof that our day-to-day efforts can have a real impact on the people we all serve.”

— Lesley Hirsch, Assistant Commissioner for Research & Information at the New Jersey Department of Labor & Workforce Development

What’s next

The Coleridge National Conference is an annual event, so the next conference is expected to take place in March 2027.

The takeaway

The Coleridge conference highlighted the critical importance of cross-agency, cross-sector collaboration in leveraging data and AI to drive meaningful policy impact. As data becomes increasingly central to policymaking, fostering connections and breaking down barriers between government, academia, and industry will be essential for translating data into real-world solutions that benefit the public.