Hello to those of you who don’t know me yet.
My name is Gloria and I’m a map nerd!
I founded Map Nerd Consulting in 2021 but I have been working as a geospatial consultant since 2020. As a geospatial consultant, I worked really closely with raw data such as data collection, map making, developing database structures, and communicated the processed data. I never saw myself starting my own business – I assumed I’d take the more ‘traditional’ path of graduating, getting a job, working my way up the ladder, retiring, and that’d be the end of my career. But I guess I should know by now that things rarely go as planned. At least things are more fun when they don’t! I figured I’d been consulting successfully for a year so why not make it official. And thus was born, Map Nerd Consulting.
My goal of starting my own business was to continue bridging people to data. I really enjoy using GIS and my more technical skills for environment conservation, restoration, and climate change mitigation. I also love sharing this technology with people outside of the environmental science, forestry, and ecology fields. Something I still see perpetuated today, is that science is for scientists. There are many barriers for non-sciencey people to understand information from these fields as well as to enter. And being a black woman in these predominantly white fields, I’ve always felt compelled to make it easier for the next person of color to get to where I am.
My passion is to make all the nerdy map technology accessible to everyone.
An important part of my passion is sharing the why and the how. Why is GIS and spatial information so important? How can GIS be applied in new and creative ways to show what’s beyond the surface? Why is it important that communities of color are aware of how GIS technology can be used? How can everything spatial be made more accessible?
As of now, this blog doesn’t have any rhyme or reason other than to share knowledge and thoughts on mapping and visualizing the world around us!
Some topics to expect:
- How to create different visuals
- How to customize your maps
- What are resources for learning GIS and mapping
- How to get more involved with the GIS realm
- Thoughts and questions about current events
- Sharing information on creative and innovative publications and posts
Spatial data isn’t just for scientist – it’s for everyone!
I would love to connect with all of you and hear your comments, opinions, and thoughts on posts! And if you have anything you’d like to see covered, let me know. I hope to continue on this journey with all of you!