What’s your backstory — how did you end up starting (or joining) an agency?

For my undergraduate thesis, I used data from satellites that normally detect nuclear explosions in the atmosphere. I used the data in a slightly less terrifying way to detect the light emitted by settlements at night to model the size of urban areas and their populations. I chose this project because I felt that it had real world use in helping countries that didn’t have the means to conduct a population census or to determine the extent of their urban areas. And, I admit, that as a cold war kid it seemed pretty cool to be working with “exploding satellite nuclear data”. But defining predictive models and extensively using statistics was very unusual in my undergraduate geography degree, and remained unusual even in my master’s degree where I predicted the behavior of the customers of a banking division of a major retail chain. But being able to work on a real-world problem for a real company forced me to learn the skills that would be useful in the marketplace and when applying for a geospatial job as a business geographer. The skills I developed were in modeling, statistics, math, programming, and report writing. And as I mention to geography student job seekers, at least basic skills in programming are needed because you can then automate tasks in a geographic information system (G. I. S.) and make the software do what you want it to do, while also enabling you to work better with spreadsheet software such as Excel and with databases such as Microsoft Sequel Server, and in statistical applications such as SAS and S. P. S. S. I have a friend that works for a shipping company in Florida and he always jokes that I am the only person he knows from our undergraduate geography degree that still works with geography and maps on a daily basis, and I feel lucky that I am able to do so. I attribute some part of that luck to the fact that on my G. I. S. masters degree at University College London I had access to many different G. I. S., statistical, and modelling software applications, and I simply chose the ones that met my needs with the smallest amount of fuss so that I could get the results I needed and develop skills that were not tied to any single piece of software.

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What makes your agency different from others in your space?

Vertically Integrated Development (No Outsourcing)Unlike many companies that rely on third-party developers, consultants, or open-source cobbling, Maptitude is built entirely in-house by the Caliper team. This allows for:Tight integration across mapping, routing, territory creation, and data visualization tools. Seamless feature enhancements based on real user needs without dependency delays. A faster and more controlled release cycle across desktop and SaaS platforms. Most competitors rely on partner ecosystems or plugins—Maptitude is purpose-built from the ground up by a single team.

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What’s a principle or value your agency lives by?

Simplicity That Enables Sophisticated AnalysisThe Maptitude team believes in making complex GIS and location intelligence tools accessible to non-experts. This principle drives everything from UI design to feature prioritization. Rather than requiring a deep background in geography or data science, Maptitude is built to help users quickly make business decisions, whether they're optimizing territories, finding ideal locations, or analyzing demographics." We believe powerful geospatial analysis shouldn't be locked behind complexity.".

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What software or tool do you swear by?

In-House GIS & Mapping FrameworksThe Maptitude team primarily relies on internally developed software, notably:Maptitude Desktop: Their flagship product, used not only by customers but also likely by internal teams for testing, development, and demos. Maptitude Online: Their SaaS platform, which they maintain and evolve through internal sprints, particularly for collaborative mapping and territory management.

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What’s one resource (book, podcast, etc.) that changed how you work?

A standout resource that the Maptitude team recommends—and even lists in their Required Reading List for new staff—is:The Phoenix Project by Gene Kim, Kevin Behr, and George SpaffordThis book dramatically reshaped how many tech-focused teams, including Maptitude, approach collaboration, workflows, and system-wide thinking. Why It Matters to the Maptitude TeamDevOps Mindset: The book champions breaking down silos between development, operations, and business stakeholders. This aligns closely with Maptitude’s vertically integrated team that avoids outsourcing and instead emphasizes tight internal collaboration. Flow, Feedback, and Continuous Improvement: The story outlines the “Three Ways” (Flow, Feedback, Experimentation)—all relevant to how Maptitude balances regular SaaS sprint cycles with massive waterfall desktop releases. Systems Thinking: Emphasizes that local optimizations don’t matter if they hurt the overall system. This resonates with how the Maptitude team integrates data, features, and UI design into a coherent, user-centered product.

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What’s your favorite thing about being in this industry?

There’s something uniquely satisfying about seeing data come to life on a map. Whether it's helping a health organization optimize clinic locations or empowering a business to balance its sales territories, the work done in this field:Bridges the abstract and the tangible: You don’t just analyze spreadsheets—you show people where, why, and how things happen. Influences real decisions: The insights you generate lead directly to actions—like opening stores, saving fuel, or drawing political districts fairly. Feels foundational: Every business, government agency, and nonprofit lives on Earth. So location data is relevant everywhere.

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What is one (1) fact or statistic about your industry that most people don't know?

“Location data influences over 80% of all business decisions.” According to multiple industry studies—including those from IBM and Deloitte—spatial context plays a role in the vast majority of business decisions, whether explicitly through tools like Maptitude or implicitly through operations, logistics, and customer behavior analysis. Why It MattersMost people associate mapping with things like navigation or real estate. But in reality:Retailers use it to define store catchment areas and analyze foot traffic. Banks use it to assess branch performance and loan risks. Public health agencies use it to track outbreaks and plan interventions. Elections rely on it for redistricting and voter access. Despite this, spatial analysis is underutilized by non-GIS experts—which is exactly the gap tools like Maptitude aim to close.