We as humans have unparalleled and often overlooked abilities to filter out unnecessary information, organize key elements, and act on minimal knowledge. But our lightning-fast perceptions come through pre-programmed ‘shortcuts’ that can sometimes lead us astray. It’s essential that we use the information and data at our disposal to inform the tough and complex decisions we face as nonprofits, but we must also understand how our brain ‘sees’ incoming information so we can manage the downsides of our amazing minds. In this session, Alexandra Mannerings, PhD, will help you to explore the cognitive biases that come standard with being human, prepare you to notice when they are active, and arm you with tools for counteracting these biases when it comes time to make key decisions.
Alexandra Mannerings
Alexandra Mannerings founded her analytic education and consulting company, Merakinos, to help non-profits amplify their impacts through data. Merakinos, a combination of the Greek roots “meraki” and “nos,” could translate to heart-felt data or soulful knowledge, and represents a melding of the wisdom of humans with the acuity of analytics. A decade of measuring what matters in low-resource environments from Ghana to Atlanta has taught Dr. Mannerings how to ask impactful questions of data – even if it’s just you in the wilderness. She earned her PhD in Veterinary Science (Epidemiology) from the University of Cambridge, UK, and BSc in Biology from Emory University. She has also directed the Data Center at a state hospital association, rowed for the Light Blues, built trails across Colorado parks, and is currently raising two spirited toddlers.