Former Microsoft executive launches Measure Well to improve community data use

Founded with Ballmer Group and TechSoup, the US initiative will support cradle-to-career partnerships with data infrastructure, AI skills , peer learning, and impact measurement. Former Microsoft executive Erin McHugh Saif has launched Measure Well to support US place-based partnerships with data, technology, and AI Former Microsoft executive Erin McHugh Saif has launched Measure Well, a US data and technology initiative designed to help local partnerships use artificial intelligence and shared information across education, workforce development , health, housing, and economic mobility programs. Measure Well was founded in partnership with Ballmer Group and TechSoup and will work with place-based partnerships, national networks, intermediaries, and backbone organizations across the United States. Place-based partnerships bring together organizations working toward shared outcomes in a specific community. Participants can include K-12 schools, colleges, universities, nonprofits, employers, local government, and community groups. Measure Well’s initial offer includes a data and technology self-assessment, a resource library containing more than 100 assets, peer learning communities, and workshops on using evidence to communicate results. More than 20 organizations and contributors have supplied materials for the resource library. McHugh Saif has served as Chief Executive Officer at Measure Well since September 2025, with the organization now moving into its public launch and inviting partnerships to test its resources. Former Microsoft executive moves into place-based data work McHugh Saif spent six years at Microsoft and was most recently Chief Product Officer for Microsoft Tech for Social Impact. Her work included responsibility for product, engineering, research, and design teams supporting Microsoft Cloud for Nonprofit and Microsoft Community Training. Microsoft Community Training expanded to more than 25 million learners during her time at the organization. McHugh Saif also states that she helped launch and scale nine cloud, AI, and platform products for nonprofit and public-sector organizations. Her earlier roles included product and platform positions at Salesforce, roundCorner, and TIBCO Spotfire. Announcing Measure Well on LinkedIn, McHugh Saif wrote: "Today, we're launching Measure Well, an organization that empowers cradle-to-career and place-based leaders to use data, technology, and AI to advance economic mobility in their communities." At Measure Well, she is establishing the strategy, operating model, technology plans, and partnerships behind the initiative. Its work will bring together philanthropic, nonprofit, government, education, and private-sector organizations. Measure Well targets gap between data collection and use Measure Well says 90 percent of place-based partnerships collect data, but only five percent use it to support decision-making. The organization also says less than three percent of philanthropic investment goes toward technology support for place-based partnerships. Measure Well has not published the underlying methodology for either figure. Its work will focus on helping organizations connect information held across schools, colleges, workforce programs, local government, and community services. Measure Well says data is often distributed across different systems, making it difficult for partnerships to identify which programs and investments are producing results. The initiative lists preschool readiness, elementary reading, middle school mathematics, high school graduation, postsecondary attendance, and job attainment among the cradle-to-career outcomes its resources will support. Measure Well plans to help organizations assess their current data practices, improve data governance, introduce appropriate uses of AI, build technical skills, and make more consistent use of evidence when allocating resources. The organization will also support impact storytelling, helping partnerships combine data, evidence, and lived experience when communicating with communities, funders, and other organizations. Resource library and workshops open to partnerships Measure Well has launched a preview resource library containing more than 100 data and technology materials. The collection includes data governance frameworks, data-sharing templates, responsible AI guidance, and other resources contributed by place-based partnerships and practitioners. More than 20 organizations and individuals have contributed so far. Measure Well is seeking feedback on the preview before expanding its search tools, navigation, organizational structure, and planned personalization features. A guided Data and Tech Journey Self-Assessment is also available to help organizations review their current systems and identify priorities for improving infrastructure, governance, skills, and technology use. Measure Well’s learning communities will provide a route for data practitioners and community teams to compare approaches, discuss implementation challenges, and share resources. The initiative has also opened registration for a free Impact Workshop Series developed with Strive Together. The series covers three areas: moving from indicators to impact, using data visualization and evidence, and creating impact stories to support investment. Measure Well says it can also provide guidance on data infrastructure, cybersecurity, and AI upskilling. The organization has not disclosed the financial terms of its partnership with Ballmer Group and TechSoup or set a public target for the number of partnerships it expects to support during its first year. The resource library is now available in preview, with Measure Well requesting feedback from organizations using it. Registrations are also open for the three-part Impact Workshop Series as the initiative develops its wider data, technology, and AI support program.