Noah Blumenthal is a self-proclaimed data geek who discovered his passion — “evidence-based decision making” — after attending a meeting of his local Board of Education in Sea Cliff, N.Y. following the Newtown shootings.
Blumenthal, who is CEO of the web-based startup SwayWhat.com, said the auditorium was packed with frightened parents and community members, some of whom were advocating for drastic security measures including arming school principals, installing bullet-proof glass, and adding panic buttons in every classroom.
Struggling to find compelling information to combat what he perceived to be extreme reactions, Blumenthal said he went on a fact-finding mission using his smartphone as he sat there in the audience. He searched the Internet for data to support his point of view, but he couldn’t find anything in an easy-to-present format.
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