(upbeat music) >> At the beginning of last decade technology industry was a buzzing because we were on the cusp of a new era of data. The promise of so-called big data was that it would enable data-driven organizations to tap a new form of competitive advantage. Namely insights from data at a much lower cost. The problem was data became plentiful, but insights, they remain scarce. A rash of technical complexity combined with a lack of trust due to conflicting data sources and inconsistent definitions led to the same story that we've heard for decades. We spent a ton of time and money to create a single version of the truth. And we're further away than we've ever been before. Maybe as an industry, we should be approaching this problem differently. Perhaps it should start with the idea that we have to change the way we serve business users i.e. those who understand data context. And with me, to discuss the evolving data space, his company and the upcoming Data Citizens Conference is Felix Van De Maele, the CEO and Founder, of Collibra. Felix, welcome. Great to see you. >> Great to see you. Great to be here. >> So tell us a little bit about Collibra and the problem that you're solving. Maybe you could double click on my upfront narrative. >> Yeah, I think you said it really well. We've seen so much innovation over the last couple of years in data, the exploding volume complexity of data. We've seen a lot of innovation of how to store and process that data, that volume of data more effectively, more cost-effectively. But fundamentally the source of the problem as being able to really derive insights from that data effectively when it's for an AI model or for reporting is still as difficult as it was let's say 10 years ago. And it only... In a way it's only become more difficult. And so what we fundamentally believe is that next to that innovation on the infrastructure side of data you really need to look at the people on process side of data. There are so many more people that today consume and produce data to do their job. That's why we talk about data citizens. They have to make it easier for them to find the right data in a way that they can trust that there's confidence in that data to be able to make decisions and to be able to trust the algorithm of that model. And that's really what Collibra is focused on. Initially, around governance. How do you make sure people actually or companies know what data they have and make sure they can trust it and they can use it in a compliant way. And now we've extended that into the only data intelligence platform today in the industry where we just make it easier for organizations to truly unite around the data across the whole organization. wherever that data stored on premise and the cloud whoever is actually using or consuming that data. That's why we talk about data citizens. >> I think you're right. I think yours is more complex. There's more of it. And there's more pressure on individuals to get advantage from it. But I want to ask you, what sets Collibra apart because I'd like you to explain why you're not just another data company chasing a problem with it's going to be an incremental solution, it's really not going to change anything. What sets Collibra apart? >> Yeah, that's a really good question. And what fundamentally sets us apart, or makes us unique is that we look at data or the problem around data as truly a business owner and a business function. So we fundamentally believe that if you believe that data is an asset, you really have to run it as a strategic business function. Just like you run your HR function, your people function, your IT function your sales and marketing function. You have a system to run that function. And you have Salesforce to run sales and marketing. You have service now to run your IT function. You have word day to run your people function. Like you need the same system to really run your data function. And that's really how we think about Collibra. So we're not another kind of faster better database. We're not another data management tool that makes the life of a single individual easier. We're truly a business application that focuses on how do we bring people together and effective rates so that they can collaborate around the data. It creates efficiency. So you don't have to do things ad hoc. You can easily find the right information. You can collaborate effectively. And it creates the confidence to actually be able to do something with the outcomes or with the results of all of that work. And so fundamentally, looking at the problem as a business function that needs a business system. We call it the system of record or system of engagement. For the data function, I think it's absolutely a critical and really unique in our approach. >> So Data Citizens your big user conference. Data Citizens '21 it's coming up June 16th and 17th cubes stoked because we love talking about data. This is the first time we're bringing theCUBE to that event. And so we're really gearing up for it. And I wonder if you can tell us a little bit about the history and the evolution of the Data Citizens conference? >> Absolutely. I think the first one it started six years ago where we had a small event at a hotel downtown New York mostly customers as their user conference, a lot of the banks, which are at the time are the main customers at 60 people. So very small events. And it's exploded ever since this year, we expect over 5,000 people. So it's really expanded beyond just a user conference to really become more of almost a community conference and an industry conference. So we're really excited. A big part of what we do, why we care so much about the conference. That's an opportunity to build that data citizens community. That's where we hear from our customers, from all attendees that come to the conference, bring those people together that all care about the same topic and are passionate about doing more with data, being able to connect people together as a big part of that. So we've always... We're always looking forward to event from that perspective. >> Well, a lot of competition of course, for virtual events these days with them. What's in it for me? Who should attend? And what can attendees expect from Data Citizens '21? >> Yeah, absolutely. The good thing about the virtual event is that everybody can attend. It's free, it's open from across the world, of course. But what we want for people to take away as attendees is that you learn something pragmatic. So the next day on the job, you can do something. You've learned something very specific. We've also been excited and looked at what is possible from an innovation perspective? And so that's how we look at the event. We bring a lot of customers and organization that are going to share their best practices. Very specifically, how they're handling data governance. How they're doing data cataloging. How they're doing data privacy. So very specific best practices and tips on how to be successful, but then also industry experts that can paint a picture of where we're going as an industry, what are the best practices? What do we need to think about today to be ready for what's going to come tomorrow? So that's a big focus. We, of course, we're going to talk about Collibra and our product. What do we have in store from a product roadmap. And innovation perspective, how we're helping these organizations get there faster and all that aspect as we bring in a lot of partners as well. And so that's a big part of that broader ecosystem which is really interesting. And I finally, like I said it's really around the community. That's what we hear continuously from the attendees. Just being able to make these connections, learn new people, learn what they're doing how they've kind of solved certain challenges. We hear that's a really big part of the value proposition. So as an attendee, the good thing is you can join from anywhere. All of the content is going to be available on demand. So later it's going to be available for you to have to look at as well. Plus you're going to be part, or you're going to become part of that data citizens community. Which is a really thriving and growing community where you're going to find a lot of like-minded people with the same passion, the same interest, that we can all learn a lot from. >> I rather like the term data citizen. I consider myself a data citizen and it has implications just in terms of putting data in the hands of business users. So it's just sort of central to this event, obviously. What is a data citizen to Collibra? >> Yeah. It's a really core part of our mission and our vision that we believe that today everyone needs data to do their job. Everyone in that sense has become a data citizen in the sense that they need to be able to easily access trustworthy data. We have to make it easy for people to easily find the right data that they can trust, that they can understand and they can do something with and make their job easier. On the other hand, like a citizen, you have rights and you have responsibilities. As a data citizen, you also have the responsibility to treat that data in the right way. To make sure from a privacy and security perspective, that data is as again like I said, treated in the right way. And so that combination of making it easy, making it accessible, democratizing it but also making sure we treat data in the right way is really important. And it's a core part of what we believe that everyone is going to become a data citizen. And so that's a big part of our mission. >> I like that. We're going to enter into a contract. I'll do my part and you'll give me access to that data. I think that's a great philosophy. So the call to action here, June 16th and 17th go register at citizens.collibra.com go register because it's not just the normal mumbo jumbo. You're going to get some really interesting data. Felix, I'll give you the last word. >> No, like I said, like you said, go register. It's a great event. It's a great community to be part of at June 16th and 17th you can block it in your calendar. So go to citizens.collibra.com. It's going to be a great event. >> Well, thanks for helping us preview this event. It's going to be a great event that we're really excited about. Felix, great to see you. And we'll see you on June 16th and 17th. >> Absolutely. >> All right. Thanks for watching everyone. This is Dave Vellante for theCUBE. We'll see you next time. (upbeat music)