Batch: Achievements
- Founded Our World in Data in 2011 to make global research accessible
- Built a resource visited by 100 million people annually by 2025
- Cited over 50, 000 times in academic research
- Established a research team at Oxford in 2015 without initial VC funding
- Collaborated with economists like Piketty and Atkinson on inequality studies
- Participated in Y Combinator Winter cohort in 2019, rare for a nonprofit
This is Max Roser
Yo, you gotta hear about Max Roser. This guy’s the real deal in the world of data and global problems. He’s a total boss who started Our World in Data back in 2011, just throwing it together himself because he saw a need, making all the crazy research and stats about stuff like poverty, climate change, war, hunger, everything, super easy to get and understand. No bullshit, just straight facts to help solve the world’s biggest issues.
He’s not just some data nerd, though. Max is also a prof at Oxford, a Professor of Practice in Global Data Analytics, and heads up the Oxford Martin Programme on Global Development. Basically, he’s deep into using data to make a real impact. The dude has built a massive resource that 100 million people check out every year as of 2025. That’s wild. His work’s been cited over 50,000 times. So, he’s not only passionate but also respected big time in the research world.
What’s nuts is how he jumped into this space. He funded Our World in Data himself at first, no big VC backing, just pure drive, then in 2015, he brought a legit research team into Oxford. That’s some serious hustle. And dude’s collaborated with heavyweights like Piketty and Tony Atkinson, shaping the conversation on inequality and economics. Plus, he’s worked on cool projects like the SDG-Tracker and the Chartbook of Economic Inequality.
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Talk to herAnd get this, in 2019, his project made it into Y Combinator’s Winter cohort. That’s rare for a nonprofit. Shows how original and effective his work is. And in 2025, he even got an honorary doctorate from KU. That’s the kind of respect you can’t fake.
So, what does this say about Max? He’s all about making knowledge accessible. He started from the ground up, funding himself, building a resource to actually help people understand the world’s biggest problems. He’s not in it for fame or money, but to create real change through data. The process’s about grit, passion, and a relentless drive to make info serve a purpose. Basically, Max Roser is the guy you wanna watch if you care about using tech and data to fix shit that really matters.
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