Aaron Sparks helps nonprofits turn data into better decisions. He believes that communities make better choices when they have good information and that getting good information requires asking the right questions in the right way.

Aaron brings a unique combination of experiences to this work. He has a background in state and local government, where he wrote grants, analyzed policy, and provided strategic communications. He holds a PhD in Political Science and a Master’s in Public Administration. Aaron spent nine years as a university professor designing surveys and measurement tools to understand human behavior and decision-making, in addition to a full teaching load. His research has been published in Nature Sustainability, Environmental Psychology, and Environmental Politics, and he remains an active researcher today. This fall marks his tenth year teaching at the university level, where he continues to teach research methods to graduate students in the MPA program at the UNC School of Government.

Aaron works with clients on community surveys, stakeholder engagement, and strategic planning to help organizations understand their audiences, surface what matters most, and make the case for action with supporting evidence. Much of that work happens behind the scenes: building the data pipelines, dashboards, and analytical tools that turn raw survey and prospect data into something a the team can act on.

Aaron lives in Durham, NC, with his wife, three daughters, and a goldendoodle.

Fun fact: When not working or spending time with his family, Aaron enjoys playing pickleball, rock climbing, reading, and carving wood spoons from storm-fallen trees.