Heather Leson is driven by a world where everyone lends a hand. She delivers innovative products and experiences with global networks at the intersection of social impact, strategy, technology, and open principles.

Using hybrid skills of participatory design expertise, global network engagement, partnership building, and open collaboration methods, she has led strategic organizational transformation for both Ushahidi and Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team. Heather co-led the IFRC Digital Transformation strategy (approved by the IFRC Governing Board (May 2021). Creating and delivering a global Data Playbook for IFRC engaged over 4000 people with the first-ever IFRC Data and Digital Week (Solferino Academy) and activated 100s of playbook contributors. The IFRC Data Playbook is a unique product (recently upgraded from Beta to V1) to help teams explore, discuss, and learn data skills across the data lifecycle. The Data Playbook (with a CC NC-BY 4.0 license) was created for and by Red Cross Red Crescent Societies and is used by many other humanitarian and development actors. As an Open Organization Ambassador, Heather writes and advocates for open organizational values to support governance shifts and strategic global community engagement. A leader in the open space: she has represented and worked for many open organizations, including serving as the Board Member of both the OpenStreetMap Foundation (2 years) and the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (4 years). Heather is a frequent public speaker and facilitator on open methodologies, digital communities, digital transformation strategy, and product development. She co-wrote a chapter on the State of Data in Humanitarian Action in the State of Open Data book, a chapter in Red Hat's The Open Organization Workbook on Open Communities, and articles on the power of data and digital literacy for the World Economic Forum and Civicus Datashift.

Heather holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Combined Political Science and History from Carleton University, as well as a Library and Information Technician diploma from Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology. In 2020, she received a post-graduate Emeritus diploma in Digital Business Strategies.


Talk with me about:
Digital strategy, network-centric resources, innovation, social entrepreneurship, community strategy, OpenStreetMap, Open Source Governance