Stefaan Verhulst, PhD, co-founder and chief research and development officer at the GovLab at New York University
Fri Oct 17 2025
In this episode of “What If? So What?” Jim Hertzfeld sits down with Stefaan Verhulst, Chief Research and Development Officer at The GovLab, to explore why it’s time for organizations to stop treating data as a private asset and start treating it as infrastructure for innovation.
Stefaan believes that the future of digital transformation depends on how we organize, govern, and share data across sectors. He discusses how data collaboratives are helping companies and governments tackle complex challenges—from public health to AI governance, and why trust, transparency, and capability building are now the hallmarks of modern data leadership.
Key discussion topics include:
• Data as infrastructure: shifting from ownership to enablement
• Building responsible data ecosystems that balance innovation and ethics
• The role of trust and governance in scaling AI responsibly
• How cross-sector collaboration can unlock new business and social value
Listen to learn how forward-thinking organizations can use data not just to compete, but to contribute.
Thank you for listening!
You can also watch the episode: https://www.youtube.com/@perficient/podcasts
Have a question for Jim? AMA - submit questions: podcast@perficient.com
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In this episode of “What If? So What?” Jim Hertzfeld sits down with Stefaan Verhulst, Chief Research and Development Officer at The GovLab, to explore why it’s time for organizations to stop treating data as a private asset and start treating it as infrastructure for innovation. Stefaan believes that the future of digital transformation depends on how we organize, govern, and share data across sectors. He discusses how data collaboratives are helping companies and governments tackle complex challenges—from public health to AI governance, and why trust, transparency, and capability building are now the hallmarks of modern data leadership. Key discussion topics include: • Data as infrastructure: shifting from ownership to enablement • Building responsible data ecosystems that balance innovation and ethics • The role of trust and governance in scaling AI responsibly • How cross-sector collaboration can unlock new business and social value Listen to learn how forward-thinking organizations can use data not just to compete, but to contribute. Thank you for listening! You can also watch the episode: https://www.youtube.com/@perficient/podcasts Have a question for Jim? AMA - submit questions: podcast@perficient.com FOLLOW JIM https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimhertzfeld/ https://x.com/jimhertzfeld FOLLOW PERFICIENT: https://www.perficient.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/perficient/posts/?feedView=all https://www.instagram.com/perficient/