FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 7, 2021
Contact: Joelle Andraos, Director of Partnerships, Open North
Jean-Noé Landry Announced as New Obama Foundation Scholar
Montréal, Canada — Today, the Obama Foundation announced that Former Open North Executive Director Jean-Noé Landry is among its fourth cohort of Obama Scholars, two groups of 12 emerging leaders from around the world who will study at Columbia University and the University of Chicago, respectively, for the 2021-2022 academic year.
Between 2015 and 2021, Jean-Noé served as the Executive Director of Open North, Canada’s leading non-profit organization that advises communities and governments of all sizes on data governance and literacy, digital transformation and open technology strategies. During that time, Open North grew from a civic tech start-up into a leading international multidisciplinary, multi-sector open government nonprofit. Prior to his work with Open North, Jean-Noé worked alongside civic and political pro-democracy leaders in the Balkans, Afghanistan, Russia, Kenya, Tunisia, and Ukraine. As an Obama Scholar, Jean-Noé will focus on deepening his skills and knowledge in guiding public, private, and community stakeholders towards the responsible and collaborative use of data and technology to solve complex socio-political and environmental problems. He continues to serve Open North as Special Advisor to the organization’s leadership.
In service of the Foundation’s efforts to support the next generation of global leaders, the Obama Foundation Scholars program partners with UChicago and Columbia to combine academic learnings with one-of-a-kind experiences led by the Obama Foundation. The program’s aim is to empower emerging leaders with a proven commitment to service with the tools they need to make their efforts more effective and impactful upon their return home.
“It is truly remarkable to see the steadfast commitment of these rising leaders working to meet the economic, educational, and social needs of their communities across the globe,” said Obama Foundation President Valerie Jarrett. “These individuals have displayed profound courage, dedication, and the spirit needed to create lasting change in the world, especially during challenging times. I’m thrilled to welcome this cohort of Scholars.”
At Columbia University, the Obama Scholars will complete a nine-month residency with Columbia World Projects, an initiative that mobilizes the university’s faculty and researchers to work with governments, nongovernmental organizations, businesses, and communities to create tangible solutions to real-world issues. This cohort will also participate in seminars, personal and professional development workshops, audited coursework, and other programming designed in consultation with the Foundation.
Launched in 2018, the Obama Foundation Scholars program is designed to inspire, empower, and connect emerging leaders with the tools they need to make their efforts more effective and impactful across their global communities. To learn more about the 2021-2022 cohort, please visit obama.org/scholars.
To learn more about Open North, click opennorth.ca.
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