Michael Lenczner
School Fellow
Michael Lenczner has over 15 years of experience working at the intersection of technology and the nonprofit sector. He splits his time between serving as the CEO of Ajah, a Montreal-based company that develops online tools for fundraisers, and being the Director of Powered by Data, a nonprofit initiative launched by Ajah that helps the nonprofit sector use data to increase its impact.
In 2003, Michael founded Île Sans Fil, a community wireless group now operating over 500 public hotspots in the Montreal area. Working in open data since 2005, he has co-founded national, provincial and municipal lobbying groups such as Montréal Ouvert, as well as coordinated numerous hackathons on issues such as sustainability, corruption and municipal services. He co-founded Ajah in 2010 and in 2013, Ajah created Powered by Data. Shortly after, Powered by Data was recognized as a leading innovation in global philanthropy.
Michael also serves on several nonprofit boards and advisory groups related to technology, democracy, and the nonprofit sector. He is a frequent participant in community – university research partnerships, and has published in academic and non-academic journal articles on new applications of data and technology in the areas of public administration and service delivery, policy development, and epidemiology.