01
AI Context
The 14 Best AI Conferences in 2026 for AI and Data Leaders
The 14 best AI conferences of 2026 for AI and data leaders, with verified dates, locations, registration details, and a framework for choosing which to…
Atlan staff
Emily Winks
Data Governance Expert
Emily Winks is a data governance expert who came to data through library and information science. Over 18+ years she has moved from children's librarian to information architect at WeWork to Atlan's Founder's Office, bringing a cataloging discipline to how enterprises classify, govern, and trust their data. She writes on data governance, enterprise data management, and the context layer.
/ Profile
About Emily.
After graduating with a Master of Library and Information Science and a certificate in Records Management and Archives, Emily began her career as a children's librarian. After seven years in libraries she left to join the corporate workforce — she doesn't sing The Hokey Pokey (as often) anymore, but still puts her whole self in when it comes to navigating the ambiguities of data, making digital information clear, and empowering others to do the same.
She spent her library years at the Smithtown Special Library District and as a Senior Librarian at the New York Public Library before moving into information architecture. At WeWork she progressed from Information Architect to Senior Information Architect to Data Product Architect, building the classification and data structures behind a fast-scaling business.
Emily joined Atlan's Founder's Office in 2023, where she works at the intersection of data governance, enterprise data management, and the context layer — writing on how organizations classify, govern, and make their data trustworthy for both teams and AI agents.
Press, talks & code
Certifications & training
Recent articles by Emily Winks.
12 showing
- 02AI-ready data
The 9 Best AI-Ready Data Tools for the Public Sector in 2026
Compare 9 AI-ready data tools for public sector on FedRAMP or StateRAMP status and context depth: catalog, lineage, semantics, access, quality.
- 03Enterprise AI Infrastructure
The 8 Best Enterprise RAG Chatbot Frameworks in 2026
Compare 8 enterprise RAG chatbot frameworks for 2026, from LangChain and LlamaIndex to Rasa and Copilot Studio, scored on conversational durability.
- 04AI Agent Context Layer
Build vs. Buy: AI-Ready Context for Healthcare
Should healthcare build or buy AI-ready context infrastructure? Compare HIPAA liability, PHI de-identification, BAA terms, and audit trail requirements.
- 05Knowledge Retrieval
What Is an Internal Knowledge Assistant?
An internal knowledge assistant answers employee questions from company knowledge with citations; accuracy depends on the context beneath it, not the vendor.
- 06AI Agents
What Is an Enterprise Copilot?
An enterprise copilot embeds AI inside tools like Microsoft 365 and Salesforce, but most stall on missing context. Learn why, and what makes one trustworthy.
- 07Semantic Layer
What Is a Semantic Layer?
A semantic layer translates raw data into governed business terms. Learn what it is, the main types, and how it powers analytics and AI agents.
- 08AI Context
What Is Context/26?
Context/26 is Atlan's virtual AI context conference on October 14, 2026. See what it covers, who should attend, and how it differs from Activate.
- 09AI Agent Governance
Self-Service Analytics Governance: Build or Buy for AI Agents?
A practitioner comparison of building versus buying agent-aware governance for self-service analytics: agent identity, policy checks, and audit trails.
- 10Agent context layer
How Do You Build a Context Layer Reference Architecture?
A vendor-neutral, seven-phase context layer reference architecture for AI agents, with decision points, validation checkpoints, and a Gartner-aligned sequence.
- 11AI Agent Context Layer
Context Layer Total Cost of Ownership: Build vs Buy vs Bundle
Compare the true cost of building, buying, or bundling a context layer: engineering headcount, lock-in risk, and the real 3-year TCO behind each path.
- 12AI Agents
AI-Ready Context for Telecom: Should You Build or Buy?
Telecom AI agents fail from OSS/BSS fragmentation and CPNI compliance load, not weak models. See when to build an AI-ready context layer, and when to…
Transparency
Editorial relationship
Atlan staff byline
Emily is a member of the Atlan team. Articles published under her byline reflect her own analysis and expertise; Atlan's editorial team works with her on structure and clarity but does not author content attributed to her. She reviews and approves every piece published under her byline before publication.
Reach Emily