Entering Seattle

In the New Year, I’ll be heading to the Pacific Northwest with my family to join the Tableau Software team in Seattle as the Tableau Public product marketing manager. This is a chance for me to team up with fellow data viz enthusiasts who have created a product and a community that I have benefited from over the past year and a half. Like many, I’ve found Tableau Public to be a resource that allows me to easily “tell stories with data on the web”. Who wouldn’t want to do that?

Why I’m excited about this move:

  • The product – From the time Alex Kerin first recommended I download Tableau Public two years ago to the Iron Viz competition stage this past November, I’ve been advocating this tool. I was impressed from the beginning by how functional this free product is, and I’m looking forward to helping spread the message as an employee.
  • The users – I’ve made many connections with users of this product, and they are all talented, passionate and helpful. They get it – they see the opportunity to set insights free from tables and databases, and they’re good at it.
  • The company – The company is on a mission I can get behind – helping people “see and understand their data” – one of the greatest opportunities of our time. And the people that work there have been a pleasure to interact with online and in person.
  • The area – Washington will be a great adventure for me, my wife Sarah and my two boys, Aaron (9) and Simon (7). We plan to explore the Pacific Northwest together, and we’ll take to the trails, mountains and lakes that this part of the world has to offer.

What can you expect from DataRemixed?

More of the same! I’ll keep using this blog to share vizzes, how-to’s, and various projects in data visualization and analytics. This field is growing fast, and the amount of things to learn and share is increasing at every turn. You’ll also start to see my name on some of the Tableau Public blog posts, newsletters and other online content.

Onward! 

First, a special thanks to my leaders and colleagues at Medtronic Diabetes for the opportunities, the challenges, and the inspiration over the past eight years. You are on a mission to improve the lives of patients with a chronic disease, and data visualization is a huge part of that mission.

Second, to all – thanks for all your visits and comments in 2012. And now, on to 2013, on to Seattle, and on to Tableau!

Happy Holidays,

Ben