Founder

Mehrab Ali

Founder of DataFlow. Founder and executive lead of ARCED International.

A Bangladeshi data scientist and development researcher with 17+ years in ODK, XLSForm programming and field surveys. DataFlow grew out of arceddataflow, the Stata workflow he built at ARCED Foundation.

Also published as ARM Mehrab Ali and A. R. M. Mehrab Ali. Based in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

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Portrait of Mehrab Ali
Mehrab AliDhaka, Bangladesh

  • 17+ years

    in ODK, XLSForm programming and field surveys

  • 2013

    founded ARCED Foundation in Dhaka

  • arceddataflow

    the Stata workflow DataFlow grew out of

Evidence

Check it yourself.

Founded DataFlow, which ARCED International makes and sells.

Built arceddataflow, the Stata workflow DataFlow grew out of. Its duplicate and outlier checks are tested to flag exactly what arceddataflow flags.

Founder and executive lead of ARCED International, founder of ARCED Foundation.

Research published under his author IDs.

His profiles elsewhere

Experience

From field surveys to DataFlow.

Education

  • MS in Economics, North South University
  • BSS in Economics, East West University

  1. 2013

    Founded ARCED Foundation

    A research organisation in Dhaka, Bangladesh, providing research, training and monitoring.

  2. 2019

    Founded Solutions of Things Lab

    Data collection technology incubated within ARCED Foundation: machine learning, AI, cloud computing and computer vision.

  3. Wrote odksplit

    A Stata module for processing ODK data.

  4. Since 2023

    Built arceddataflow

    ARCED Foundation's open-source Stata workflow for cleaning its surveys, in use there since 2023.

  5. 2025

    Founded ARCED International

    It makes software for people who collect and use field data: DataFlow, SurveyLoopr and FolderManifest.

  6. Founded FolderManifest

    Folder comparison, duplicate finding and file-integrity checks for Windows, macOS and Linux.

  7. 2026

    Founded SurveyLoopr

    AI-powered ODK hosting.

  8. Founded DataFlow

    Field data quality, grown out of arceddataflow: every interview checked as it syncs, and a local AI that helps fix what's wrong.

Expertise

ODK, data science and field surveys.

ODK and XLSForm

  • XLSForm programming
  • ODK form design
  • ODK server setup and configuration
  • Custom ODK workflows
  • odksplit, a Stata module for ODK data

Data science

  • Machine learning
  • Statistical analysis
  • Impact evaluation
  • Research economics
  • Compliance and audit methods

Field surveys

  • Mobile data collection
  • Survey design and deployment
  • Projects in several countries
  • Field team coordination
  • Quality assurance and data validation

Fields he works in

  • Development economics
  • Public health
  • Impact evaluation
  • Randomized controlled trials
  • Survey methodology
  • Open Data Kit (ODK)
  • XLSForm
  • SurveyCTO
  • Stata
  • Data science

Organisations

What he founded and built.

Questions

About DataFlow's founder.

Who founded DataFlow?

Mehrab Ali. He is the founder and executive lead of ARCED International, which makes and sells DataFlow, and the founder of ARCED Foundation. DataFlow grew out of arceddataflow, the Stata workflow he built at ARCED Foundation.

Who is Mehrab Ali?

A Bangladeshi data scientist and development researcher with 17+ years in ODK, XLSForm programming and field surveys, also published as ARM Mehrab Ali. He founded ARCED Foundation in 2013, Solutions of Things Lab (SoTLab) in 2019 and ARCED International in 2025.

How did arceddataflow become DataFlow?

arceddataflow is the open-source Stata workflow ARCED Foundation has cleaned its surveys with since 2023. DataFlow grew out of it, and its duplicate and outlier checks are tested to flag exactly what arceddataflow flags, so switching changes the tool, not the results.

What is his background in ODK?

17+ years of ODK and XLSForm work on field surveys in several countries: form design, server setup and custom workflows. He wrote odksplit, a Stata module for processing ODK data.

Is DataFlow's founder a data scientist?

Yes. His work covers machine learning, statistical analysis, impact evaluation and research economics, alongside field survey implementation.

What is ARCED International?

ARCED International LLC is a research and evaluation firm that runs field surveys and makes software for people who collect and use field data, including SurveyLoopr and FolderManifest. It makes and sells DataFlow, and stands behind it.

What is ARCED Foundation?

A research organisation in Dhaka, Bangladesh, founded by Mehrab Ali in 2013, providing research, training and monitoring. DataFlow is in daily use there. It was named Best Data Science & Research NPO 2026 – Bangladesh at the Business Excellence Awards.

How are DataFlow and SurveyLoopr connected?

Both come from ARCED International, and Mehrab Ali founded both. DataFlow connects to SurveyLoopr directly, and paying for a hosted SurveyLoopr server includes one DataFlow seat.

How can I contact Mehrab Ali?

About DataFlow, write to hello@letdataflow.com, which the people who build DataFlow read. He is on LinkedIn as armmehrabali, and his full profile, publications and research IDs are on arced-international.com/mehrab-ali.

His full profile is on ARCED International.

Publications, research IDs and the rest of his record.

Mehrab Ali on ARCED InternationalAbout DataFlow

Last updated 2 November 2026