Do Good and Do Not Look Back: On Data Solidary

Podcast Episode — with Sofie De Broe [Link to episode]

In our professional lives, we often talk about data as if it were a separate entity—something to be "governed," "managed," or "secured." But in my latest podcast episode, Sofie De Broe (Scientific Director at Sciensano and Professor at Maastricht University) and I peel back the layers of technology to find what lies beneath: Data Solidarity.

This conversation is a bit of a hybrid. I invite the "data-nerds" to stay for the heart at the end, and the "non-techies" to hold on through the technical start—because the place where these two worlds meet is where real change begins.

What is Data Solidarity?

Sofie explains that we currently live in a world of commodification, where our human experiences are turned into tradable goods.  Data-solidarity is the counter-movement. It is the idea that data arising from collective behavior should be managed for the collective good.

• Data as a Common Good: Instead of seeing data as private capital for tech giants, we should treat it as a shared social infrastructure.

  
  

• Voluntary Contribution: It means individuals choosing to share their data for the "General Interest"—such as faster disease detection or better public healthcare.

  
  

• A Shift in Power: It is about moving from the citizen as a mere "resource" to the citizen as a co-owner of our digital future.

  
  

The "Agent of Change"

We explored what it means to be an agent of change.

Sofie defines this as someone who feels a deep "irritation" when they see a system that is unfair or suboptimal.

It is a drive so strong that they act even when it is not popular, or when it comes at a personal cost.

It is a vulnerable path, but as Sofie notes, even the most isolated change-makers often have "hidden fans" who are waiting for someone to catch the first breeze of a new wind.

A Personal Compass: "Do Good and Look Not Back"

The heart of this episode lies in the values we carry from our past. Sofie shared a mantra her father, a nephrologist who witnessed incredible acts of altruism in organ donation, always repeated:

"Do good and look not back." (Dutch: Doe wel en zie niet om)

It means acting out of conviction rather than self-interest—doing the right thing without checking to see if you are being rewarded or thanked.

This quote hit home for me. A few months ago, I asked my own mother for one piece of life advice, and she gave me that exact same phrase.

Why I Have Hope

Sofie is honest about the grief and chaos in the world today. But she sees this chaos as a potential "tipping point." Perhaps we need this friction to finally say, "This is not the world we want for ourselves or our children." 

The episode ends as a conversation between two women, searching for ways to "do good" while remaining open about our own vulnerabilities and imperfect humanity.

Change doesn’t happen all at once.

It happens in small moments.

In how we choose to relate to something as seemingly distant—and yet as deeply human—as data.

Listen to the full episode with Sofie De Broe now. 

[Link to episode]

If something in this conversation resonates with you—or even causes discomfort—stay with it. That is often where something new begins.