ALEX
TENENBAUM
I am a data scientist whose career has focused on renewable energy, entrepreneurship, and rural economies.
Most recently I was the Director of Technology and Data Analytics at the Center on Rural Innovation where I provided guidance to enhance data utilization, collaborated with critical stakeholders to operationalize data, and oversaw the development and implementation of data-driven solutions to meet strategic objectives of the organization and its partners.
Before joining the team, I served as a Senior Analyst for a variety of energy and environmental clients. My prior roles include co-founding a technology start-up that created, designed, and developed low-energy environmental sensors for everyday use, and serving as a quantitative analyst for The Brattle Group, where I contributed to software and economic analyses that informed integral energy decisions across the country.
Born and raised in rural Vermont, I currently live in the Green Mountain State with my wife and two dogs.
Work and Publications
Originator | Product Owner | Project Manager | Developer
The Tech Talent Tracker helps rural leaders understand tech ecosystems by identifying local tech employers and assessing residents' digital skills. The tracker wields county-level data to create comprehensive reports, detailed maps, and charts on key metrics such as employment in digital jobs and broadband connectivity—all while providing comparisons to peer counties and the nation. These interactive reports are downloadable and easily shared to inform resource allocation, effective grant writing, and community storytelling.
Deaths of Despairs Article Series
SME | Product Owner | Project Manager | Analyst
A six part data-driven article series written in collaboration with the American Communities Project and supported by The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. This series was based on a 30-month study of deaths of despair across the country and includes data analysis as well as on-the-ground reporting in Georgia and Montana examining death statistics resulting from drugs, alcohol and/or suicide. Participants are: Dante Chinni, director; Ari Pinkus, senior editor; Lee Banville, professor at the University of Montana; Andy Miller, CEO and editor of Georgia Health News; and Ray Suarez, on-the-ground reporter.
COVID-19 County Preparedness Index
Consultant | Project Manager | Analyst
Partnered with Applied XL and health publication STAT to develop a global COVID-19 tracker and U.S. county preparedness index as a diagnostic response to the pandemic. This platform aggregated data on COVID-19 cases while also assessing pandemic preparedness in all counties country-wide. This tool was used by health journalists like STAT news, Business Insider, and experts world-wide to better understand the crisis.
Fast Company’s 2020 Innovation by Design Honorable Mention
Featured Carto.com article and webinar: Assessing Potential Impact of COVID-19 on Rural Communities
The Rural Opportunity Map Project
Originator | SME | Product Owner | Project Manager | Developer | Analyst
The tool is meant to allow anyone - from nonprofit leaders to academics, Opportunity Zone investors to journalists - to find insight and opportunity in small town America. These fully interactive maps show which rural areas are most primed for economic development strategies focused on digital economies. Funders include
Links: Defining Rural | Scouting Opportunities | Local Leader Action Map