Data Science Institute

Ja-Naé Duane is a four-time entrepreneur and angel investor with over 13 years of innovation experience in various domains, including future forecasting, digital transformation, innovation strategy, product development, and consumer experience. She has worked with a portfolio of over 50 brands and empowers leaders to prepare their organizations and clients for the future by harnessing the potential of emerging technologies. Her unique perspective and expertise have made her a sought-after consultant for senior executives and governmental leaders, who rely on her to think exponentially, foster resilience, and identify trends that pave the way for the future.

Ja-Naé’s research focuses on the intersection of behavioral sciences and design within computer information systems. Her work has been published in journals such as Virtual Reality, Big Data & Society, and the Association for Computing Machinery. She teaches entrepreneurship, innovation, and decision-making courses at the undergraduate, graduate, and executive levels.

Dr. Duane is a member of the Loomis Council at the Stimson Center, a collaborator with the National Institute of Health, and holds an appointment as an academic research fellow at MIT’s Center for Information Systems Research. Her next book, published by Wiley, is due in 2025.

How does your research, teaching, or other work relate to data or computational science?

Much of my work as a professor and a researcher surrounds educating individuals on how we live in a data-driven world. For example, within the PRIME Masters program, I am working with Data Fellows, infusing data fluency and exploring how we build more equitable technology into the curriculum for our students. On the research side, I focus on equitable technological governance and perceptions in data visualizations.