About Us
DataMade is a data and web consultancy for civic society. We support our partners in working toward democracy, justice, and equity.
The DataMade team in April 2025. From the left: Xavier Medrano, Monkruman St. Jules, Hayley Owens, Hannah Cushman Garland, and Derek Eder
What we do
DataMade is a data and web consultancy that transforms complex information into practical tools and insights. With roots in Chicago’s civic tech community and over a decade of experience, we partner with governments, nonprofits, journalists, and researchers to tackle their toughest challenges through strategic consulting, data wrangling, information design, and custom software development.
Our team combines technical expertise with deep domain knowledge to build solutions that make data clear, appealing, and actionable. Whether you need powerful data pipelines, insightful analysis, or bespoke applications, we can help you tell your story through data.
Where we come from
DataMade was born out of Chicago’s open government community. In 2011, Derek Eder and Forest Gregg started working on civic technology as volunteers of Open City. At night and over weekends, they helped make civic apps like Chicago Councilmatic, ClearStreets, and CPS Tiers.
In 2012, DataMade was founded to deepen and sustain the impact of civic technology.
DataMade continues to maintain many free and open source civic apps, including Look at Cook, Councilmatic, and 2nd City Zoning.
DataMade is a recurring sponsor and acted as the fiscal agent for Chi Hack Night, Chicago’s weekly event to build, share & learn about civic tech, from January 2013 through May 2019.