In September 2020, the CANA Foundation partnered with CANA’s Learning and Development program to create an analytics course tailored to the veteran perspective. As a veteran-owned company, we see the immense value that veterans bring to our team and projects every day. This course was an opportunity for our team to give back, make connections, and share their unique perspectives on the skills needed to succeed in government and commercial analytics work.

Led by CANA’s Lucia Darrow, several CANA team members, including Walt DeGrange, Jason Fincher, Connor McLemore, Rocky Graciani, and Kim Mamula volunteered their time to the development and delivery of the course. The course focused on concrete career advancement through analytics and coding skill development, portfolio development, and connection to the analytics community. Students were encouraged to uncover their “analytics superpower,” the crucial intersection of their interests, coding skills, and mathematical knowledge.

The course was concluded with a community networking event: The Veterans in Analytics Panel Discussion. CANA was joined by Joshua Wilson (America’s Warrior Partnership), Randi VanNyhuis (The Walt Disney Company), John Alexander Harris (Boxelder Analytics), Daniel W. Hudson (ReefPoint Group, LLC), and Jerome Dixon (CANA) for an exciting and honest conversation about breaking into a career in analytics and data science.

If you have any questions about the CANA Foundation, its initiatives and partnerships, please reach out to Kenny McRostie, CANA Foundation Manager, at kmcrostie@canallc.com or visit our website at http://www.canallc.com/giving-back. If you would like to learn more about CANA’s Learning and Development offerings, please reach out to Lucia Darrow, Senior Operations Research Analyst, at ldarrow@canallc.comor visit https://www.canallc.com/learn.