Amy Thorn

Baddass Women of Influence

A Tallahassee-based COO in the data science space, known for bridging the gap between complex data and real-world decisions that drive meaningful impact.

Meet Amy Thorn of Knowli Data Science

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www.knowli.com

Instagram: @amyact3.

In one or two sentences, what do you do and who do you serve?

I serve as the COO of Knowli Data Science, a women-owned research and analytics firm headquartered here in Tallahassee. We support large government programs in providing expert data science and subject matter services in the health and human services space.

What makes your approach or perspective unique?

What makes us special is that our data scientists are also subject matter experts. This greatly decreases the time, effort, and money our clients spend to get actionable insights.

What transformation or result do clients experience when working with you?

Our clients get better outcomes through our services because their decisions are much more informed. By providing this translational science, we sit between executives and messy data, assisting them in understanding as much as possible to make the best decisions they can for their organizations.

What led you into this work?

I came to this work very circuitously! I started my career as a criminal prosecutor and later as an attorney for the Florida Department of Health. I became passionate about health care and health policy while there, and was exposed to how data is used to make large impactful decisions that impact you and I individually. I could see clearly how my experience could be applied through data to have much bigger impact than representing individual cases and made the jump. I've greatly enjoyed the ride!

Share a defining moment in your career that shaped how you lead today.

It's much easier to know how I want to show up and lead whenever I'm around examples of poor leadership. You can always be professional and kind, even in stressful circumstances. An atmosphere of trust and safety is objectively more productive than autocratic, top-down, micromanaging traits. I place trust in my staff to do their work well and know I’m there to support them however they may need me. Servant leadership moves individuals and organizations forward.

What impact are you most proud of making?

I’m a proud product of interdisciplinary education, or maybe I’m just curious in too many directions. I’m proud that I mentor students of so many backgrounds. I actively mentor law students, engage in guest appearances in public health courses and student groups, speak with entrepreneurship, business, and data science students as well as discuss the research of PhD candidates across so many fields. I’m proud that in all those places I feel comfortable, engaged, and engaging. I’m proud that I got to be an example of someone I’ve been looking around for. Oh goodness, this might be too genuine, but I think I became the example I was looking for.

What message would you share with other women stepping into leadership?

A woman I greatly admire offered me a literal seat at the table recently. I hesitated for a moment before moving towards the open chair. She looked me dead in the eye and said, “if you don’t take it, some man will.” Ain’t that the truth? Take the seat at the tables that are offered to you, sit at as many tables as possible, and bring another smart woman with you.