Meet Jared Knowles

Q: What do you do for a living? I'm the founder of Civilytics Consulting, a microbusiness that specializes in applied social science research and data science in support of social services and improving government services. We work with clients across the country ranging from governments to non-profits to academic researchers analyzing data and public documents. Q: What's an example of what that means? Well, a good example is in 2021 when the America Rescue Plan was passed, we published estimates for the amount of aid every city and county in the country would receive ... thousands and thousands of estimates. In the process of recreating the aid formula, we caught a change in the legislation that shifted $5 billion away from states like Massachusetts and Pennsylvania to states like Nevada and Maryland that was the result of a small technical change in how and where the population data for the aid formula came from. If you are interested, please check out our website or subscribe to our monthly newsletter to see what we do and learn about the issues we are helping communities engage with. Q: How did you land in Watertown? I'm originally from Montana, went to school in Oregon, met my partner in school in Wisconsin, and came here for her work. I've been in the area since 2016 and in Watertown's East End since 2017. Q: What do you like about the East End? And what do you find a challenging living here? The East End is walkable, and has a lot of good restaurants and shops within easy reach. I really enjoy being able to get a lot of what I need without driving. And the bike access is getting better and better. Plus the excellent library isn't too far away! The downside is that navigating the streets among the potholes, constant construction, and poorly signed roads can take a lot of getting used to as someone who didn't grow up here.

Q: So what do you do for fun? We've really enjoyed sprucing up our yard and garden and growing flowers last spring and summer. When its cold outside I enjoy experimenting with home automation and open source software, playing real-time strategy games, and playing my guitar. And I'm always looking to meet new people in Watertown and connect.