Sameer Vasta

Sameer Vasta works on public policy, government relations, public affairs and communications for MaRS Data Catalyst. He’s also a flâneur, letter-writer, hopeless romantic and hugger extraordinaire.
Over the past decade, he has helped organizations like the Government of Ontario, the World Bank and the Aga Khan Development Network create structures and frameworks to help them do their work better. Sameer led the creation of the online engagement strategy (including consultations on the open data strategy) for the World Bank, and led the governance modelling and financial modelling for the Ontario Public Service digital communications restructuring.
He currently works with MaRS Data Catalyst to understand and influence the legislative and regulatory environment for the use, sharing, and opening up of data in various sectors, including healthcare, energy and education.
Sameer has a BA from the University of Toronto in social/cultural anthropology with a focus on organizational structure and new technologies.
You can read about some of Sameer’s thoughts on open data in a short feature on Yonge Street Media, and you can find him on LinkedIn, Twitter and SlideShare.
You can watch his talk on using open data for business and social change from PodCamp Toronto below: