CEO and Founder, BrightQuery and BQ AI, Finance and Artificial Intelligence
Jose Plehn Dujowich is the CEO, Chief Data Officer, and Founder of BrightQuery (BQ) and BQ AI. With over ten years of experience collaborating with U.S. statistical agencies like the IRS, Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Small Business Administration (SBA), he has developed a strong foundation in economics, finance, data analytics, and artificial intelligence (AI). His expertise covers various fields, including employment, payroll, financial and credit ratings, and industrial organization.
In 2019, Jose Plehn launched BrightQuery to offer a comprehensive database on U.S. firmographics, financials, corporate family structures, and legal data. The platform’s data pool includes over 100 million legal entities, 70 million organizations, 150 million individuals, and 250 million locations, sourced from filings across numerous regulatory bodies, such as the IRS, SBA, SEC, and over 80,000 government jurisdictions. As BrightQuery marks its fifth anniversary in 2024, it has established itself as a key resource for anyone seeking a data-backed view of the economy.
In 2023, he founded BQ AI to extend BrightQuery’s mission by developing an advanced model of the global economy, beginning with the United States. BQ AI draws on BrightQuery’s extensive data resources, linking detailed company information with larger economic patterns across industries, regions, and governmental sectors. This initiative allows BQ AI to bridge micro-level data with macroeconomic trends, aiming to give users a comprehensive view of economic interactions.
Jose Plehn is supported by the National Science Fund (NSF) and directs several AI and data analytics projects. One significant NSF project, “AI-Ready Data Products to Facilitate Discovery and Use,” investigates how a National Secure Data Service (NSDS) could support federal agencies by enhancing access to AI-ready data. This research aims to balance the benefits of AI while addressing the security and reliability of sensitive data.
Before founding BrightQuery, he co-founded Powerlytics, where he played a key role in developing a platform that aggregates anonymized IRS tax data for U.S. businesses and households. His academic career includes roles at prominent institutions, such as the UCLA Anderson School of Management, where he served as Faculty and Executive Director of the Fink Center. At UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, he was an Adjunct Professor and Executive Director of the Center for Financial Reporting & Management, and he founded the Berkeley Charter of Professional Accountancy (BCPA), now a leading program in accounting. His research has earned recognition, including the American Accounting Association’s Notable Contribution to the Accounting Literature Award for his work on “Demand Uncertainty and Cost Behavior.
Jose Plehn holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Chicago and a dual Bachelor of Science from MIT, specializing in Management Science and Economics. Born in New York, he spent his early years in Mexico City and later in Geneva, Switzerland, gaining a multicultural perspective that he carries into his professional work.
Through BrightQuery and BQ AI, Jose Plehn Dujowich remains dedicated to expanding the capabilities of data analytics, offering tools to understand the complexities of the economic landscape better.
