(Philadelphia) – The Cultural Data Project (CDP), the leading resource for high-quality data on the nonprofit arts and culture sector, today announced that two new members have been elected to its national Board of Directors: Karen Roter Davis, general manager of Urban Engines, a Los Altos, California-based global provider of software and analytics solutions to improve urban mobility, and Rich Mintz, executive vice president of Blue State Digital, a digital strategy agency and technology company headquartered in New York City.

“Karen and Rich share the CDP’s passion for the arts and culture, technology and data-informed decision-making,” said CDP Board Chair Glen Howard. “Karen brings deep expertise in management, business, and the technology marketplace. And Rich’s experience as a successful technology entrepreneur and pioneer of new digital strategies to connect and engage communities will help us forge a network of data-savvy cultural practitioners. Their combined expertise will be invaluable to the CDP as we pursue our mission of empowering the arts and culture sector with high quality data and resources.”

Karen Roter Davis is a technology executive with a track record of driving innovation and growth, from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies. Prior to Urban Engines, Karen served as Managing Director of GE Ventures, where she kick-started software and analytics investments to advance GE’s Industrial Internet capabilities across its multi-billion dollar industrial businesses, and led teams tasked with next-generation growth at Google – both pre- and post-IPO. Karen is a graduate of Princeton University who holds both M.B.A. and J.D. degrees from Northwestern University. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.

“The arts play a critical role in advancing our society - locally as well as globally,” said Ms. Davis. “Combining creativity with the management capability to maximize its impact is essential. I look forward to working with CDP’s team of talented professionals to continue to deliver best-in-class products and services that drive a thriving arts sector.”

Rich Mintz is a serial entrepreneur in the digital arena, having founded or co-founded NetResponse, a Washington, DC-based Internet professional services firm; BusyTonight, a search engine technology company in New York; and Peachtree Highway Books, an Atlanta-based bookstore with a national direct response program. As executive vice president at Blue State Digital, Mr. Mintz provides executive sponsorship and strategy consulting for many of its major academic, cultural, and healthcare clients. He has provided strategic direction to both Congressional and Presidential campaigns, and to more than 100 nonprofits and issue advocacy organizations. Mr. Mintz is a graduate of Harvard College. He lives in Manhattan and is an avid cyclist.

“I am excited about working with the rest of the CDP board to help nonprofit arts and cultural organizations communicate their value in ways that mobilize people to invest their money and time in a healthy arts sector. Arts and culture have a critical economic impact, but their value as anchors of shared community experience is equally important.”

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The mission of the Cultural Data Project is to empower the nonprofit arts and culture sector with highquality data and resources in order to strengthen its vitality, performance, and public impact. The CDP collects, analyzes, and shares detailed data on the finances, programming, and operations of nonprofit arts and cultural organizations, using its proprietary software platform. The CDP also offers a suite of education and research services to help improve data literacy across the sector. The CDP serves as an important catalyst for data-driven decision-making, resulting in stronger management for arts and cultural organizations, better-informed funding policy for grantmakers, and a rich information resource for advocates and researchers.