What do I actually mean by an 𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 data firm?

The term has been in my LinkedIn headline for a while now. But what do I actually mean by an ethical data firm?

For many people, summer is a time for reflection, a moment to take a step back. For me, this was even more true than usual this year. In August 2024, I broke my ankle. The year that followed was one of physical recovery, but also of personal transformation.

During the many walks I took as part of my rehabilitation, I often found myself wondering: how is it that at i-spark we have such a clear internal culture, yet externally it sometimes feels complex to put into words? We’ve always been deeply people-focused. But nearly every company claims that. So what makes us genuinely able to say it? What exactly sets us apart?

This summer, I believe I found the missing piece of that puzzle.

What’s been part of i-spark’s DNA for years, something we’ve always felt internally, I’ve now defined explicitly: an ethical framework. An attempt to capture the essence of what we believe in.

It’s built on three pillars:

The philosophical – the moral convictions that guide our choices: integrity, transparency, and responsibility.

The human – how we treat each other, our clients, and our work: harmony, empathy, and physical & mental well-being.

The practical – how we make decisions day to day: craftsmanship, commitment, and reliability.

These three pillars are broad and not tied specifically to data or AI. Even if we were running a bicycle factory, our principles would likely be the same.
Given our work in data and AI, I’ve expanded the framework to include three themes I believe are central to ethical and responsible practice in our field:

– RSG (Risk, Security, Governance) in the broadest sense
– Data quality and integrity
– AI reality: working solutions without the hype

In the coming months, my colleagues and I will be sharing more about what these values and themes mean to us in practice, as a way of inviting reflection and dialogue.

If it resonates, inspires, or simply feels familiar to you, then it is already serving its purpose. 🌟