As Data Science emerges as a new field, academic institutions around the world are following different routes toward establishing organizational units for the critical education and scholarship. There are several options for housing data science efforts on academic campuses (eg: Program, Department, Center, Institute, College) reflecting the diverse base of the scholars and the intrinsic interdisciplinarity of the field. Each institution has its own unique path and story to tell, with challenges faced and overcome. The goal of this session is to provide an opportunity for heads of academic data science programs to share their stories: highs, lows, successes, and challenges. The lightning talks will provide opportunities for sharing of lessons learned along the way. The hope is that this sharing will benefit the academic community as we continue to build this transformational field.