Why RJMetrics is hosting a data jawn called Data Jawn

RJMetrics wants to organize the Philadelphia data community.
The analytics startup is hosting a four-hour event at the Chemical Heritage Foundation on July 15 called Data Jawn that features local data leaders like the City of Philadelphia’s Stacey Mosley and Azavea’s Robert Cheetham.
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It’s an interesting move for a startup, for sure. It’s fairly customary for companies to host customer summits (Monetate held an enormous one last month and RJMetrics will host theirs in San Francisco and New York, where most of their customers are located, said spokesman Tristan Handy), but this event isn’t about customer acquisition or retention, Handy said.
“Data Jawn is more about bringing together the Philly data community, which is large but not very centralized,” Handy wrote in an email. “We think there’s a lot of potential.”
He added: “Every company wants to be a part of something bigger, right?”
The local focus is also striking. There are lots of ways a company can give back to its local community (participating in a group like Philly Startup Leaders or working with local mentoring programs, for example), but this one is especially interesting given the staff time that it takes to organize an event. While it feels like an unexpected move for a startup, it’s not that surprising: RJMetrics has long been vocal about its commitment to Philadelphia.
So, uh, when is CEO Robert Moore running for mayor?