Dr. Cecilia Dones

Dr. Cecilia Dones is a data and analytics practitioner-academic whose work explores how emerging technologies shape trust, meaning-making, and human connection. She is the founder of 3 Standard Deviations, a consultancy focused on helping organizations navigate AI and data-driven systems with clarity, ethics, and human-centered intent.

Dr. Dones brings over 15 years of experience spanning industry and academia. She has held leadership and advisory roles within Fortune 500 organizations, including L’Oréal and LVMH, and has taught and guest lectured at leading institutions such as Columbia Business School, MIT Sloan, and U. Penn Wharton. Her work sits at the intersection of analytics, communication, and behavioral science, with a focus on translating complex technical capabilities into practices that support trust, accountability, and effective decision-making.

Her academic training reflects a rigorous quantitative foundation paired with interdisciplinary inquiry. Dr. Dones earned her Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and International Business from NYU Stern School of Business, with minors in Psychology and East Asian Studies, and a Master’s degree in Statistics from Columbia University. She completed her doctoral degree at Baruch College’s Zicklin School of Business, where her research examined interpersonal trust within immersive and digitally mediated environments and its implications for leadership, communication, and governance.

Dr. Dones is the author of Signal & Connection, a newsletter exploring technology, data, authenticity, and trust. She firmly believes that meaningful opportunity is created in the spaces between industry and academia.

She teaches AI and the Future of Communications.