01
AI Readiness
What Is Trusted Data for AI and How Do You Get It?
Trusted data for AI has checked quality, defined meaning, traceable lineage, an owner and governed access. Here is how to get it, one use case…
Atlan staff
Emily Winks
Data Governance Expert
Emily Winks is a data governance expert who came to data through library and information science. Over 18+ years she has moved from children's librarian to information architect at WeWork to Atlan's Founder's Office, bringing a cataloging discipline to how enterprises classify, govern, and trust their data. She writes on data governance, enterprise data management, and the context layer.
/ Profile
About Emily.
After graduating with a Master of Library and Information Science and a certificate in Records Management and Archives, Emily began her career as a children's librarian. After seven years in libraries she left to join the corporate workforce — she doesn't sing The Hokey Pokey (as often) anymore, but still puts her whole self in when it comes to navigating the ambiguities of data, making digital information clear, and empowering others to do the same.
She spent her library years at the Smithtown Special Library District and as a Senior Librarian at the New York Public Library before moving into information architecture. At WeWork she progressed from Information Architect to Senior Information Architect to Data Product Architect, building the classification and data structures behind a fast-scaling business.
Emily joined Atlan's Founder's Office in 2023, where she works at the intersection of data governance, enterprise data management, and the context layer — writing on how organizations classify, govern, and make their data trustworthy for both teams and AI agents.
Press, talks & code
Certifications & training
Recent articles by Emily Winks.
12 showing
- 02Data Catalog
How Can a Data Catalog Support Self-Service Analytics? 5 Jobs
A data catalog supports self-service analytics by helping users find, understand, trust and safely access data inside the BI tools they already use.
- 03Data Governance
Dresner AI, Data and Analytics Governance Market Study 2026
What the Dresner AI, Data and Analytics Governance Market Study 2026 covers: scope, use cases, the 77% trust finding, method and vendor ratings.
- 04Data Governance
How to Build the ROI Case for a Data Governance Investment
Build the ROI case for a data governance investment line by line: a copyable template of cost and benefit lines, how to measure each, and…
- 05Databricks
Genie One MCP: How Agents Reach Unity Catalog Data Over MCP
How the Genie One MCP server lets agents query Unity Catalog data: tools, connection URL, OAuth, Unity Gateway grants and the other managed MCP servers.
- 06Data & AI
Unity Catalog Business Glossary and Domains: GA or Preview?
Checked 28 Oct 2026: Unity Catalog domains and the Discover page are GA, the business glossary ships as Pages in Beta, and Genie Ontology is…
- 07Microsoft Purview
How Does Purview Govern Microsoft Fabric and Power BI?
Purview governs Microsoft Fabric and Power BI with sensitivity labels, DLP, audit, insider risk and Data Map scans. What each control covers, and its limits.
- 08Data Catalog
Open Source vs Commercial Data Catalog: Total Cost of Ownership
Open source vs commercial data catalog total cost of ownership: 10 options scored on license, infrastructure, people and switching, plus a TCO worksheet.
- 09Data Governance
How to Fix Data Quality Problems at the Source with Governance
How to fix data quality problems at the source with governance: name an owner where data is made, write a data contract, enforce rules at…
- 10Ontology
Ontology vs Taxonomy: What Is the Difference?
Ontology vs taxonomy: a taxonomy sorts terms into a broader-narrower hierarchy; an ontology adds typed relationships and rules a machine can reason over.
- 11Semantic Layer
How to Create Databricks Metric Views: YAML, SQL and UI Steps
How to create Databricks metric views: the permissions you need, the Catalog Explorer steps, CREATE VIEW WITH METRICS YAML syntax and MEASURE() queries.
- 12Semantic Layer
Semantic Layer vs Data Model: How Do They Differ?
A data model defines how data is stored. A semantic layer defines what it means. See how they differ side by side, how they stack,…
Transparency
Editorial relationship
Atlan staff byline
Emily is a member of the Atlan team. Articles published under her byline reflect her own analysis and expertise; Atlan's editorial team works with her on structure and clarity but does not author content attributed to her. She reviews and approves every piece published under her byline before publication.
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