Our Mentor Engagement Team
Keith McDonald
Keith McDonald is best known for his work in Open Data with the City of Toronto (Open Data Lead 2008 - 2016). He founded the Open News Network and its sister operation, literacyAI, in 2017 to house a series of investigations and presentations on AI, Digital Rights, Privacy, Open Data and Open Government.
For the last three years, he has worked with the Toronto Public Library providing a series of ketihCHATS on these subjects for general audiences - including parents and teens. His background is in education, presentations, speaker coaching and communications having worked with Centennial College, TVOntario, the Ministry of Education, Municipal Governments and numerous corporate and not-for-profit clients.
Jury Konga
Jury Konga is the Executive Director of the GO Open Data Association. He has over 40 years’ experience in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors in diverse areas including GIS services, land information management, public policy development, IT consulting, intelligent community assessment and Open Government and Open Data strategic and tactical plan development and implementation. Jury spent 10 years as GIS Services Manager and Acting CIO for the City of Richmond Hill.
He was the principal author of the Do-It-Yourself Open Data Toolkit while working with Open North, Canada’s leading non-profit in the open gov-open data space. Jury also developed the Open Data Framework for Canada’s G4 cities (Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton and Ottawa) in 2010 as well as open data strategies for the City of Waterloo, City of Kitchener and the West Parry Sound Geography Network municipal cooperative.
Jonathan Brown
Jonathan is a critical thinker with over 30 years experience leading innovative projects in the K-12 sector. The 21st Century Teaching and Learning Hybrid project had a direct impact during Covid-19 by minimizing disruptions to teaching and learning. He understands school funding (see the Deloitte Adult Education Business Model Review) and how to leverage partnerships to maximize existing resources. He has delivered synchronous and asynchronous workshops using a variety of digital platforms and the Ontario Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).
Jonathan now volunteers his time organizing and participating in mapathons and hackathons related to sustainable development. His interests include Artificial Intelligence, big data and machine learning and the impact of digital technology on liberal democracy. He has an extensive international network and holds Master’s degrees in History (McMaster University) and Political Theory (University of Toronto) as well as a Bachelor of Education (University of Toronto) and Supervisory Officer’s Certificate (Principal’s Council of Ontario).