I'm Tal Roded, a data scientist and economic researcher, and the writer behind NYCuriosity. Through NYCuriosity Studio, I take on a small number of custom projects for organizations that need reliable analysis and writing: turning messy data and hard questions into analysis, dashboards, reports, and writing that a board, a funder, a newsroom, or the public can actually act on.
What I do
Seven ways to hire the work behind NYCuriosity
Interactive Dashboards & Tools
Custom, interactive dashboards and data explorers, like the ones on data.nycuriosity.com. Built to make your data legible to a board, a funder, or the public, with a clean pipeline and documentation behind it.
From my published workThe NYC Council Legislation Trackers: what each of the 2,158 local laws enacted since 2014 costs, requires of city agencies, and allows them to do.
Data Analysis & Visualization
Rigorous analysis with publication-ready charts. Causal inference, forecasting, econometrics, and program evaluation, translated into visuals a non-specialist audience understands and trusts.
From my published workCharting NYC's subway construction costs against peer cities, PPP-adjusted, to show the Second Avenue Subway cost roughly 8x Copenhagen's.
Research Reports & White Papers
Full research: original analysis, sourced and designed for a specific audience, from a focused study to a flagship report.
From my published workA sourced analysis of how nearly all of NYC's post-pandemic job growth landed in a single lower-paying sector, published in Vital City.
Policy Memos & Briefs
One focused question, answered with data: a 2 to 5 page brief with a chart or two, delivered in under two weeks.
From my published workA brief showing Clinton Street carries 4 to 6 times its neighbors' traffic, with a Low Traffic Neighborhood redesign to fix it.
Searchable Knowledge Bases
Your records, from resolutions and minutes to testimony and reports, turned into a searchable archive with AI-assisted topics, so members, staff and the public can find what was decided and why. Built for community boards, civic groups and agencies.
From my published workThe Block Party resolution engine: 39,266 resolutions from 27 Manhattan and Brooklyn community boards, searchable at blockparty.studio.
Custom Writing & Ongoing Advisory
Data-backed writing of any length, or ongoing analytics support on retainer. If it sits where data, policy and clear communication meet, let's scope it.
From my published workBylines in the Manhattan Institute, Vital City, Streetsblog NYC, Searchlight and Reboot Democracy.
Talks & Workshops
Talks, workshops and briefings on civic data, AI for public records, and how New York City governs itself, for conferences, agencies, classrooms and boards. Each comes with the deck and the data behind it.
From my published work"Building an AI-Powered Knowledge Base for NYC Community Boards" on the main stage at CivStart's State of GovTech 2026 in Washington, DC, after earlier versions at NYC School of Data and the NYC OMB Institute, and a September 2026 session for the Responsive Cities Network at Harvard Kennedy School.
How I work
I sell analysis, never conclusions
I'm an NYC policy writer and an appointed member of Manhattan Community Board 3, so independence governs every project, commissioned or not. You pay for the analysis; the findings are whatever the data shows. The work is nonpartisan, and I don't take advocacy or lobbying assignments.
I decline engagements that conflict with my Community Board seat or with NYCuriosity's editorial coverage, I disclose funded work wherever it is relevant, and I share my methods and sources with you.
How it works
From inquiry to delivery
Tell me about it
Send your goal, rough scope, timeline, and budget range.
1:1 call
A 30-minute call to confirm scope and that it's a mutual fit.
Proposal
A written proposal: deliverable, timeline, price, and terms.
Book it
A 50% deposit and a short agreement to get us started.
Build & deliver
I do the work with a check-in, then deliver the final product.
Proof of work
Every tool here is public, with its methods
Everything I publish shows its methods and source data. Three case studies walk through how the biggest builds work:
Cited by and published in
Newsrooms and policy groups cite and publish the work
Start a project
Tell me what you need
Share your goal, rough scope, budget range, and timeline. I'll review it for fit, including any conflicts of interest, and get back to you within a few days. If it's a match, we'll set up a 30-minute 1:1 call.
Prefer email? [email protected]
Questions
Answers before you write
How long does a project take?
A memo takes 1 to 2 weeks, data analysis and dashboards 2 to 5 weeks, and full reports 4 to 8 weeks, depending on scope and how ready the data is. Rush timelines carry an added fee.
How is a project priced?
Every project gets a written proposal with a fixed price after our 1:1 call, based on the deliverable, the data work and the timeline. A 50% deposit starts the work and the balance is due on delivery.
Can you keep it confidential or sign an NDA?
Yes. By default I may reference finished, non-confidential work as portfolio, but fully confidential engagements are available and I'm happy to sign a reasonable NDA.
What won't you take on?
Advocacy or lobbying content, anything with a predetermined conclusion, and any engagement that conflicts with my Community Board seat or with NYCuriosity's coverage. When in doubt, I'll tell you up front.
Who owns the final work?
You own the final deliverable. Unless we agree otherwise, I retain the right to reference non-confidential work as portfolio, always in an analytical, nonpartisan framing.