Shea O’Neill

Shea manages the majority of U3’s data and analytic needs and works across the company on a variety of projects. With a background in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Tableau, Shea has helped U3 to leverage public and institutional datasets to visualize novel trends in housing, transportation, and economic development. Shea also developed and continues to lead U3’s Buy Local Initiatives, where he develops individual and collective strategies to help organizations divert more of their procurement spending to local and diverse businesses within their communities. As part of this work, Shea has helped launch and continues to manage data for initiatives in Buffalo (Buffalo Purchasing Initiative), Memphis (Memphis Medical District Collaborative and Buy Memphis), Rhode Island (SupplyRI), and Milwaukee (Milwaukee Anchor Collaborative).

In 2019, Shea began to expand U3’s external research footprint. Each year Shea leads one to three independent research projects. In the past Shea has pursued topics such as formation of Anchor Districts, housing insecurity and the relationship to financial aid, and a multi-year project to identify and support small colleges in financial distress.

This work is enriched by Shea’s background in GIS and data management. Shea came to U3 from the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a Masters in City Planning with a focus on GIS and Community and Economic Development. Outside of U3 Advisors, Shea continues to grow his knowledge of GIS by teaching graduate level courses at the University of Pennsylvania. When he is not working or teaching, Shea enjoys biking, running, playing piano, and spending time with his wife and two children in West Philadelphia.