About Amber Ivey

Four people sitting on a stage, engaged in conversation, with blue curtains in the background and bottled water on small tables beside them.
Panel of five women and one man seated on a stage during a discussion or conference, with an audience in the foreground.

I’m Amber Ivey, also known as AI. Yes, those are my real initials. My parents clearly knew something the rest of us did not. I help governments, nonprofits, foundations, and mission-driven organizations use data and artificial intelligence responsibly. My work focuses on AI governance, data strategy, public sector innovation, data-driven decision-making, and AI literacy. Today, I’m Vice President, Impact Advisory at Social Finance, where I co-lead the AI Learning and Innovation Hub, a national sandbox that helps public agencies test AI tools before they buy, scale, or build policies around them. My broader work helps governments use funding, data, partnerships, and public-sector capacity to deliver better outcomes for people. That can mean linking taxpayer dollars to results, helping agencies make sense of their data, building governance structures that support improvement, or designing programs that move from good ideas to real impact. I’m also the founder of the Ivey Collective, an AI and data strategy consultancy, and the creator of AiDigiTales, home of the AI for Kids podcast, AI for Kids Weekly, and screen-free AI literacy tools for children, parents, and teachers.

Basically, I work on data and AI for adults by day and AI literacy for kids by night. Because the people most affected by these tools should not be the last to understand them.

What I Work On

My work sits at the intersection of data, technology, public policy, and law. I help leaders move from “we should probably do something with data and AI” to clearer decisions, stronger guardrails, and better outcomes.

Through the Ivey Collective, I focus on three areas:

  1. Responsible data and AI strategy: data and AI governance, readiness, risk assessment, use-case prioritization, and implementation support for public sector and mission-driven organizations.

  2. Data-driven decision-making: Helping leaders connect programs, funding, performance, and public dollars to measurable results for the communities they serve.

  3. AI literacy for real people: Workshops, keynotes, trainings, and tools that make AI easier to understand, from cabinet secretaries to fifth-graders.

Before this

Before Social Finance, I helped lead the rebrand and rebuild of the Bloomberg Center for Government Excellence at Johns Hopkins University, managed more than $25 million in grants, and helped launch the Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance, a program with the goal of training 100 mayors and senior leaders across the Americas to use data for better outcomes.

Before that, I led civil legal system modernization work at The Pew Charitable Trusts and co-authored the first 50-state review of how governments use administrative data.

Earlier in my career, I worked across two Maryland gubernatorial administrations focused on government improvement, performance management, and data-driven decision-making. I started in the private sector as a logistics manager at a Fortune 50 company, where I learned how data drives efficiency before bringing those skills into public service.

Why This Work Matters

I do not believe AI is magic. I do not believe every problem needs a chatbot. And I definitely do not believe organizations should buy tools they do not understand just because everyone else is doing it.

But I do believe data and AI can help leaders make better decisions, improve services, and expand opportunity when the work is done responsibly.

That means testing before buying, building guardrails before things go wrong, and making AI understandable to the people expected to use it or live with its impact.

Credentials

  • Juris Doctorate (J.D.)

  • Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.)

  • 12+ years in data and performance management and 8+ years in AI for the public good

  • Researcher and co-author, first 50-state review of government use of administrative data

  • Named a Global Data Power Woman by CDO Magazine

  • Anthem Award Winner for the AI for Kids Podcast

Featured in:

  • Afro Tech

  • Baltimore Fishbowl

  • Black Enterprise

  • Government Technology Magazine

  • Kidliomag

  • Policy & Practice

  • SXSW

  • Technically

  • WYPR - Local NPR Station

Let's connect

Looking for a speaker, advisor, trainer, or thought partner on data, AI governance, public sector innovation, or AI literacy?

Book a call, email booking@ambermivey.com, or connect with me on LinkedIn.
Graduates and faculty members seated on stage during a graduation ceremony at the University of the District of Columbia, with Amber Ivey speaking at a podium and a floral arrangement in front.