Yan Naung Oak

A bit about me

I've always been a jack of all trades. I studied at a small liberal arts college in America for my undergrad, and majored in Physics and Economics. I then did a masters in economics in Singapore, while developing a passion for technology. After my masters, I got a chance to return to Myanmar, where I'm from, to be part of the nascent tech scene there, which led me to work in data journalism and civic technology in a regional context.

I was born in Yangon, Myanmar, but spent a good chunk of my life living in Singapore. I am currently based in Chiang Mai, Thailand. From there, I lead a remote team of data analysts, developers, designers and data journalists at Thibi, helping media and civil society organisations across Southeast Asia use data and technology more effectively in their work.

I love to write, and tinker, and see connections in seemingly random things. This digital garden is where I cultivate those connections—between data and storytelling, between technology and society, between the Global South and the rest of the world.

Here's what I've been up to for the last few years:

Keep in touch:

You can follow me on my Substack, "Living with Shoggoths", and on LinkedIn.