Meet Shefna Baldwin

Hello. Tell us about who you are & what your role is at OpenCorporates.

Hi, I’m Shefna and I’ve recently joined OpenCorporates as a Data Analyst where I’ve been given the duty of handling new and pre-existing datasets. My main tasks include discovering new information on datasets and cleansing said data to allow for it to be more usable by the public. The aim is to present unrestricted information on all companies around the world and I am excited to be a part of it!

What drew you to OpenCorporates?

Before I joined OpenCorporates, I was working on a project within a bank that came about due to a money laundering fiasco. It was definitely an interesting project to be part of as a graduate.

The OpenCorporates blog was what initially drew me in. I remember reading an article about information that was available on OC which led to the eventual billion dollar fine of a different bank. I realised, that in order for me to make a difference, I needed to be part of the timeline at an earlier stage.

Where did you grow up?

East London is home; I was born and brought up here.

What’s your favourite childhood snack?

Pom Bears, Jazzies and Flying Saucers!

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would that be?

Somewhere with a warmer climate, ideally by the sea. Having said that, I think I would miss the city life too much and I do enjoy being able to experience all seasons within a day in London.

What do you like doing in your spare time?

In my spare time, I try to tend to my artistic side through paintings & watercolours.

My siblings mean the world to me, so any time in their company is time well spent. I’m also currently in a phase of wanting to be able to run a long distance without feeling the need to collapse but that’s a work in progress.

What’s your favourite book/movie/tv show and why?

My favourite book would have to be ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’ by Khaled Hosseini – a beautifully written tale about the lives of two Afghan women spanning over 30 odd years; this was the first time I felt heart break at the hands of a paperback.

I know the script for Miss Congeniality well enough that it’s borderline scary. She’s an FBI agent posing as a beauty contestant?!

Fellow Friends fans out there might have gathered from the above that I could happily watch endless episodes of Friends while waiting for the next season of GoT to be released.