Aleksi Aaltonen

Biography

I am an Associate Professor at the Stevens Institute of Technology, where I study data and data-based innovation and organizing. My research has been published in top academic journals such as Management Science, Information Systems Research, MIS Quarterly, and Journal of Management Information Systems.

I have served as a Deputy Editor-in-Chief at the Journal of Information Technology since January 2025, the President of SIG Data since July 2026, and as a member of the Research Advisory Committee at Numeris since February 2026. I also maintain the Data Studies Bibliography.

Most of my research fall under three themes:

• Data and data-based innovation and organizing in the age of AI
• Open knowledge collaboration (e.g., Wikipedia, StackOverflow, OpenStreetMap)
• Digital platform competition, multihoming, and ecosystem evolution

In July 2024, I started as an Associate Professor at Stevens Institute of Technology. I moved to Stevens from the Fox School of Business, where I spent 2018–2024 as an Assistant Professor. Before moving to the US, I was at Warwick Business School, where I held an Assistant Professor position since 2014 after selling my company to Facebook. I completed my PhD at the London School of Economics and Political Science in 2012.

I am an award-winning teacher. In my teaching, I draw from my entrepreneurial experience and from working for private and nonprofit organizations.

I have designed, built, and managed digital services for organizations such as Nokia, and the CMI – Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation founded by the Nobel Peace Laureate and former President of Finland Martti Ahtisaari. In 2012, I cofounded and helped to raise 1.7 million euros funding for an activity tracking app Moves. Apple chose Moves as the Best App of 2013 in the Fitness Revolution category, and the company was acquired by Facebook in April 2014.

From 2009 to 2016, I was the Chairman of the Board at Demos Helsinki think tank. The organization more than doubled its turnover; established itself as an influential actor in the Finnish society, and expanded its operations abroad during my tenure.

I am available to give talks and to write about my research for broader audiences as much as being a father of a 11-year-old boy allows.