Influential Women Highlights Angelica Thompson, Ph.D.: CEO of Data Works, Inc.
Dr. Angelica Thompson is a research and impact leader who helps organizations move beyond measuring programs to understanding what works, for whom, and under what conditions. Her work sits at the intersection of data, strategy, and systems change, translating complex evidence into actionable insights that drive equitable outcomes.
With over 17 years of experience, Dr. Thompson has led large-scale evaluations across K–12 education, higher education, workforce development, and nonprofit systems. She holds a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology & Research from the University of Memphis and is the founder and CEO of Data Works, Inc., a minority- and woman-owned firm that partners with organizations to strengthen programs through rigorous evaluation and evidence-based strategy. Her expertise includes impact evaluation, organizational learning, and building capacity for data-informed decision-making.
Dr. Thompson also serves as Vice President of Research & Evaluation at Per Scholas, where she leads the organization’s national learning agenda and evaluation strategy. She partners with executive and program leaders to assess outcomes, strengthen implementation, and build the evidence needed to scale workforce solutions that expand access to economic mobility in the tech sector.
She is guided by a core belief: equity-focused innovation requires evidence. Access alone is not enough—sustainable change demands clarity about outcomes, differential impact, and the willingness to act on what the data reveal.
Dr. Thompson attributes much of her success to her family. Her mother, a retired RN, instilled the values of care, resilience, and responsibility, while her father, who worked for the Department of the Navy and holds an MBA, modeled the importance of structure, integrity, and long-term thinking. Growing up in a home where education was always prioritized and effort was never optional, Dr. Thompson, the eldest of three daughters—all of whom earned advanced degrees—benefited from a foundation grounded in preparation, perseverance, and purpose.
She also credits her continued success to her wife, describing her as her rock and biggest cheerleader. Her unwavering support, encouragement, and belief allow Dr. Thompson to lead, grow, and embrace new challenges with confidence.
One piece of career advice has guided Dr. Thompson throughout her professional journey: “You’re not here to fit into broken systems—you are here to redesign them.” She encourages young women entering her field to master the fundamentals and recognize the power of clarity. She emphasizes the importance of asking thoughtful questions, understanding data deeply, and communicating insights in ways that others can act on. Competence, she notes, is the cornerstone of credibility—passion alone is not enough.
“You don’t need to know everything to belong in the room—but you do need to be prepared,” she says. Dr. Thompson urges women to advocate for themselves, seek mentors who challenge and stretch them, and embrace the value of their perspective—especially in systems that were not originally designed with their voices in mind.
Dr. Thompson identifies innovation without evidence as the field’s most pressing challenge. Organizations are often under pressure to launch new models and scale quickly, or risk appearing stagnant to funders and communities. Yet rigorous evaluation frequently lags, particularly subgroup analyses that clarify what works, for whom, and under what conditions. She emphasizes that responsible innovation requires evidence about outcomes, implementation, and impact across populations. Strong evaluation does not slow progress—it empowers it, enabling more effective and equitable solutions.
The core values guiding Dr. Thompson’s work and life are integrity, accountability, and care for people.
Integrity: Telling the full truth of the data, even when it is uncomfortable.
Accountability: Being responsible to the communities behind the programs she evaluates, representing their voices accurately, and pushing for systems that better serve them.
Care for People: Recognizing that behind every dataset are real lives, and that how we listen, respect lived experiences, and show up consistently matters as much as the results we produce.
Through her work, Dr. Thompson demonstrates that data-driven decision-making and equity-focused innovation are not mutually exclusive—they are complementary forces that can drive systemic change. Her leadership continues to shape how educational institutions, workforce programs, and nonprofit organizations evaluate effectiveness, prioritize impact, and empower communities.
For Dr. Thompson, evidence is more than numbers—it is a tool for meaningful transformation, a lens for fairness, and a compass for designing systems that serve everyone equitably.
Learn More about Dr. Angelica Thompson:
Through her Influential Women profile, https://influentialwomen.com/connect/Angelica-Thompson, through her profile on Per Scholas, https://perscholas.org/about/board-staff/angelica-thompson/ or through her website, https://www.drangelicathompson.com/
Influential Women
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Influential Women
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