How can entrepreneurs create meaningful change while staying true to their purpose? What does it take to measure the impact that resonates with communities? Welcome to the DO GOOD X podcast, a space where purpose meets action. Today hosts Kimberly Danielle and Stephen Lewis, engage with Amelia Conrad, a seasoned development expert whose work redefines how to approach social impact. From her reflections on global inequities and positionality to her strategies for measuring meaningful impact, Amelia offers a roadmap for entrepreneurs seeking to create systemic equity. Expect a candid conversation about listening deeply, embracing cultural context, and crafting data storytelling that inspires—perfect for anyone committed to doing good while doing business.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• (00:00) Intro: Today’s Topic
• (03:18) Amelia shares how her global experiences shape her approach to social impact
• (09:10) Definition of social impact, short-term impact, focusing on individual changes versus long-term impact targeting systemic equity and policy shifts
• (13:09) The importance of addressing unintended impact and how measurements can go wrong
• (16:53) Discussion of qualitative data and quantitative data collection
• (25:48) Co-creating impact measurement frameworks with stakeholders to align with community needs
• (30:05) Data storytelling to humanize impact communication, using narratives and clear data visualization for stakeholder engagement
• (32:51) Resource Roundup

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Entrepreneurs can drive social impact by grounding their work in cultural context and positionality, ensuring that their strategies reflect community needs and address global inequities. 
• Effective impact measurement requires balancing qualitative data and quantitative data to uncover root causes and address unintended impact, avoiding vanity metrics for authentic insights.
• Co-creating impact measurement frameworks with stakeholders, utilizing data storytelling and clear data visualization, fosters stakeholder engagement and aligns efforts with community-driven systemic equity.

RESOURCES:

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Frontier Design

The Data Storyteller's Handbook: How to create business impact using data storytelling

Amelia Conrad | LinkedIn

BIOGRAPHY:

Amelia Conrad, a development practitioner, specializes in Impact Measurement and research, helping organizations enhance Social Impact through data-driven decisions. At Frontier, she supports Fortune 500 companies, foundations, and nonprofits in developing systems to measure and communicate their impact, with a focus on women, girls, and vulnerable populations. Her work spans sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, Asia, and the U.S., addressing women’s empowerment, gender-based violence, and more. Previously, at Emory University, she led studies funded by organizations such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, with publications in top-tier journals. Amelia holds a Master’s in Development Practice from Emory and a B.A. from Tulane and was named to Emory’s 40 Under 40 in 2024.

Entrepreneurs, Social Impact, Impact Measurement, Qualitative Data, Data Visualization, Greater Good, Community Accountability, Systemic Equity, Policy Shifts, Unintended Impact, Co-Creating Frameworks, Vanity Metrics, Data Storytelling, Humanize Data, Positionality, Cultural Context, Theory Of Change, Stakeholder Engagement, Root Causes, Intersectionality, Narrative Building