To most people, numbers are used to count, measure, and label, but in the data analytics world, they are everything. “Numbers are an unquestioned source of truth,” says Marketsmith Lead Visualization Architect Ed Clarke. Ed’s strengths include his ability to work in a wide range of sectors and his attention to detail. His work to ensure that every action generates a click or recorded touchpoint has become increasingly valuable to our agency and clients. As marketers, being able to collect, organize, and isolate actionable insights is essential. With extraordinary talent like Ed on our team, the possibilities are endless.
Reaching Milestones in Visualization
While seeking employment in the analytics field to leverage his education while earning real-world work experience, Ed joined the Marketsmith family by working on i.Predictus, an automated data cleanse solution producing custom data visualization, omnichannel analytics packages, cross-channel attribution, and custom modeling to help brands interpret and apply data for the greatest return on investment. He was exposed to many challenges, which helped him gain an understanding of data standardization and the value of attribution and automation. This stage of Ed’s career played a significant role in shaping and strengthening the skills he demonstrates today. Seven years later, Ed is Marketsmith’s lead visualization architect in the operations department, and he contributes work to each and every client we partner with. As a dashboard programmer, Ed can flex some creative muscle in using his programing and technical expertise, along with critical thinking, to produce unique solutions and innovative ways to visualize and paint a picture with the available data points. To Ed, being able to influence strategy and decision making through those pictures of data is where his passion for data analytics lies. Storytelling through data points and outcomes is a landscape that’s constantly evolving and changing as new software is developed. This is what Ed appreciates the most—the meaning behind the numbers.
Ed continues to educate himself and perfect his practice through training and support within the Power BI community. In addition to his undergraduate education, Ed is Google Analytics certified, allowing him to understand the impact of top-of-the-funnel traffic and the sources driving those users to the desired destination. Marketsmith’s commitment to cutting-edge technology led to the rebrand of i.Predictus in 2018 and the transformation into the MarketsmithIQ platform we know today. Leading the team today, Ed has positioned MarketsmithIQ as a catalyst to transition away from manual Excel reporting and into cloud-based data visualization and strategy.
Ed told us that he is honored to have had the pleasure of being part of the tremendous growth of our organization, but specifically cites the evolution of Marketsmith’s reporting methodology. During his first year, reporting was heavily and exclusively based through manual processes, and today it powers every move we make in real time. Throughout his Marketsmith journey, he has learned and observed the importance of strong teamwork across departments and working toward a common goal.
“I take great pride in being a part of the automation and business intelligence solution that has allowed us to scale and take on more business”
– Ed
Leadership and Activism: A Focus on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Intersectionality (DEII)
 As if his commitment to data and visualization wasn’t enough, there is so much more that makes Ed an inspirational leader within the agency. His newest role as president of our DEII initiative has introduced us to an Ed who is driving systemic change across our industry.
 Both inside and outside the work world, Ed is a human rights activist and strives to find ways to support marginalized communities in his available time. He expresses his passion by spreading awareness in friend circles and personal social networks. As the president of Marketsmith’s DEII initiative, Ed leads the agency discussion on diversity, equity, inclusion, and intersectionality to educate and elevate the team. Having the uncomfortable conversations is a way that Ed has lifted the Marketsmith community in the past. In 2021 he held a candid conversation with our founder, Monica C. Smith, about her experience as a member of the LGBTQ community and the mother of a transracial family. He challenges us in ways that are necessary for our personal and professional growth.
Outside of work, Ed continues to flex his creative muscle through sketching and listening to music. As an avid music fan and frequent concert goer, he hopes to attend more concerts after the pandemic. Ed also loves to stay active by participating in competitive sports with friends. We are lucky to have Ed, and we continue to be in awe of his growth and the growth he brings to our analytics team.
