Reckoning

Laura Bloomer is the founder of Redaim which provides technical tools and case management software for investigative agencies remediating online image-based abuse on the internet. She is also a start-up mentor & advisor, and a previous Trustee to UK domestic abuse charity S.T.O.R.M Empowerment.

In this episode, Laura discusses:

• What image-based abuse is and why convictions regarding this type of abuse are so low
• Accountability measures coming into place to eliminate image-based abuse
• The barriers that victims of online image-based abuse face when reporting and how reporting can re-traumatize victims
• How technology can reduce barriers to make it easier for people to report online harassment
• User safety as a business risk and the trade offs start ups face between growth vs. user safety
• The potential for bystander reporting opportunities when it comes to image-based abuse
• Positive trends around ethical investing and business practices, and how younger generations are challenging the status quo

Tracy DeTomasi is the CEO of Callisto. Callisto is a non-profit that creates technology to detect repeat sexual assailants. Tracy DeTomasi has held leadership positions across the nonprofit sector over the past 20 years, where she developed and implemented trauma-informed programming and curricula. She was instrumental in changing domestic violence laws in the US and has worked on projects globally with The Commonwealth of Nations, Ecuador, Australia, The United Kingdom, South Africa, and Ghana. Previously, Tracy was the Co-Founder of Good People Collective, the Interim Executive Director at NO MORE, and the VP of Domestic Violence Services at the YWCA. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Tracy has extensive experience working in the field of gender-based violence, giving her a deep understanding of the ecosystem of survivors, offenders, and allies. She has consulted with organizations to develop tech-based tools, such as an app that educates users about violence against women, a smartphone device for sexual violence prevention safety, and virtual reality trainings to address Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and Anti-Sexual Harassment.

In this episode, Tracy discusses:

• The history of Callisto and how Callisto has evolved over the years
• The prevalence of sexual assault on college campuses
• Relations between Callisto, students, and Title IX coordinators
• Scaling Callisto to all schools in the United States
• What makes the Callisto platform safe for survivors
• The options survivors have post-assault
• Rehabilitation of gender-based violence offenders
• How some offenders justify committing gender-based crimes
• Survivor needs vs. privacy standards

Jennifer Long is the CEO of AEquitas. AEquitas’ mission is to improve the quality of justice in sexual violence, intimate partner violence, stalking, and human trafficking cases by developing, evaluating, and refining prosecution practices that increase victim safety and offender accountability. AEquitas provides prosecutors with the support, training, mentorship, and resources necessary to objectively evaluate and constantly reexamine and refine their approach to justice in these cases. Jennifer (MGA, JD) also serves as an expert on issues related to the prosecution of sexual violence, gender-based violence, and human trafficking.

In this episode Jennifer discusses:

• How AEquitas has evolved since its founding in 2009
• How AEquitas helps ensure effective prosecution of crimes against some of the most vulnerable members of society
• How media verbiage can influence perception of sex crimes
• The challenges and victories of prosecuting sexual violence cases
• Misassessment of victim culpability
• The public desire to understand offenders
• Her mixed emotions around whisper networks
• The role of the community in sexual violence cases

Ariella Steinhorn is the CEO and Founder at Lioness. Lioness is a storytelling platform and new media company that brings forward stories about encounters with power. Ariella has guided hundreds of whistleblowers, former employees, and others through the process of bringing their story forward in the press and to the public, and has broken non-disclosure agreements herself to change culture through stories.

In this episode Ariella discusses:

• How Lioness started as a place where potential whistleblowers can go before talking with a journalist to get advice
• The evolution and public acceptance of whistleblowing
• Implications of revealing or concealing identity when whistleblowing
• The risks of whistleblowing and how it can be masochistic for those who whistleblow
• Economic, psychological, legal, and physical consequences of being a whistleblower including loss of health insurance and professional credibility
• How defamation laws in different countries can affect a whistleblowing case
• Best practices for not going public, but telling others about harm they’ve experienced

In this episode of Reckoning, Kathryn Kosmides speaks with Ashley Rumschlag. Ashley Rumschlag is the CEO of DomesticShelters.org, the first and largest free online directory of domestic violence programs and shelters in the U.S. and Canada. DomesticShelters.org, which is a service of Theresa’s fund, makes it faster and easier for victims of domestic violence, as well as program and shelter providers, to quickly find services and information best suited to their location, language, and needs.

Since joining DomesticShelters.org in 2017, Ashley has introduced numerous significant website enhancements, created the DomesticShelters.org Facebook group, and helped launch the Purple Ribbons Awards, which is a webinar series for domestic violence professionals.

In this episode Ashley discusses:

• How DomesticShelters.org was created and how it became a part of Theresa’s fund
• The ways in which domestic violence victims can use DomesticShelters.org to connect with an advocate who can point them to the right resources
• How the media sensationalizes and glamorizes domestic violence
• The subtleties of abuse and how victims often minimize their own experiences
• DARVO and the abuser playbook of common tactics used to maintain power and control
• The Amber Heard vs. Johnny Depp case and what is reflects about society’s views on domestic violence and why survivors are hesitant to report abuse
• How to best support DV victims with appropriate language and actions
• Some early warning signs of abuse including isolation from support systems and how offenders speak to victims in a disrespectful manner

Katie Ray-Jones is the CEO of the National Domestic Violence Hotline where she provides leadership for the only hotline in the nation for survivors or victims of abuse, connecting them to shelters, domestic violence programs across U.S, Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S Virgin Islands. Currently Katie is a member of the national task force to end domestic and sexual violence. In this episode, discuss what it is like for someone to call the hotline, the impact the pandemic had on survivors, and how online/in person abuse are connected.

In this episode Katie discusses:

• The complexities that exist with gender based violence and domestic violence
• How the term domestic violence has changed throughout the years especially with the emergence of new technology
• How the National Domestic Violence Hotline has evolved throughout its 25 years of existence
• What happens when someone calls the National Domestic Violence Hotline
• The effect of the pandemic on domestic violence
• How abusers use tech to maintain power and control
• How tech advancements and virtual realities, like the Metaverse, are being used to cause harm

Hera Hussain is the founder and CEO of Chayn, a nonprofit that creates resources on the web relating to gender-based violence. Hera believes in using the power of technology, trauma-informed design and hope filled framing to solve issues taking place around the world.

In this episode, Hera discusses:

• How Chayn is a unique survival resource for people impacted by domestic violence
• Why trauma-informed design matters in the digital age and why speed isn’t necessarily a deterrent to designing thoughtfully
• How tech companies knew early on about the abuse taking place on their platforms, but worked around those problems until recently
• Chayn’s project, Orbit, which is about creating a trauma-informed intersectional lens to help develop tech, policy, and research on tech-facilitated abuse
• Considerations for tech companies wanting to implement trauma-informed design principles on their products
• How women are inhibited from creating on the web due to digital harassment
• Chayn’s partnership with Bumble and Bloom
• Proactive and reactive approaches to reporting and limiting domestic abuse
• How tech companies can set the tone for their platform using community guidelines

In this episode of Reckoning, Kathryn Kosmides speaks with Noam Schwartz about trust, safety, and prevention in the tech industry. Noam is the CEO and Co-Founder of ActiveFence which provides a solution that enables Trust & Safety teams to be proactive about online integrity so they can keep their users safe from online harm across content formats, languages, and abuse areas.

In this episode, Noam discusses:

• How he built ActiveFence
• The history of trust and safety on the internet … it’s been around longer that you might think
• Why companies are investing millions of dollars into trust and safety platforms
• Proactive vs. reactive online harm prevention
• Proving ROI of trust and safety to apprehensive customers
• Where to start as a small business looking to implement trust and safety technology

In this episode of Reckoning, Kathryn Kosmides speaks with Jimanekia Eborn  about trauma, sexual education, safety post-trauma, and dating post-trauma. Jimanekia is the founder of Tending the Garden which is a space for marginalized survivors looking for community, healing, education, and growth. In this conversation, Jimanekia discusses rape and murder, so please be warned.

In this episode, Jimanekia discusses:

• Modeling behaviors as a trauma leader to create safe spaces
• Her path from experiencing various assaults to other survivors
• Her healing groups for survivors
• What the aftermath of experiencing trauma looks like
• Misconceptions about healing (We recommend listening to another Reckoning episode called The Path to Healing with Dani Ayers as a follow up to Jimanekia’s episode)
• The misconceptions around anger and triggers
• The dangers of comparing and contrasting trauma with other people
• In depth tips and advice for dating as a trauma survivor
• How safety in a relationship looks different for every survivor 
• What you should know if you want to date someone whose been traumatized

In this episode of Reckoning, Kathryn Kosmides speaks with Ron LeGrand about intervening in young people’s lives to prevent destructive behavior in the future, men and gender based violence, how he addressed his own past troublesome behavior, and restorative justice for survivors and offenders. Ron is a Policy Director at National Criminal Justice Association and the President and CEO at The LeGrand Group Consulting, LLC which provides legal and business consulting services including, but not limited to public Policy/government relations with an emphasis on criminal justice reform, sentencing reform and gender-based violence.

In this episode, Ron discusses:

• Working with the youth to prepare them for academic and personal excellence in the future
• The role of adults in preventing juvenile delinquency
• Potentially erroneous forms of discipline being related to general trauma and patterns
• Approaching conversations with men about gender based violence
• Personal stories of forgiveness and accountability
• Accountability and acknowledgment in relation to restorative justice
• The intricacies of restorative justice for all parties involved
• Punishment vs. correction

In this episode, Kathryn Kosmides speaks with Tracey Vitchers, a non-profit executive, democratic political advisor, and an expert on sexual violence prevention and survivor advocacy. Tracey serves as the Executive Director of It's On Us a nonprofit founded in 2014 to combat campus sexual assault. It is considered the most extensive student organizing program since it launched in 2017.

In this episode, Tracey discusses:

• Her time as Executive Director of “It’s On Us”
• Sexual assault violence that occurs on campus and educating students about gender based violence
• How the creation of the organization began with a mission to call young men to join the movement of preventing assaults
• The impact presidential administrations had on the organization's work such as Trump’s administration wanting to get rid of Title IX
• Partnering with Tinder for its first ever prevention education program for college students that educates students about sexual assault and safety when dating online.
• Institutions and organizations like universities were not originally constructed for women, queer people, or people of color and that is connected to gender based violence and reporting

In this episode of Reckoning, Kathryn Kosmides speaks with Dani Ayers about the Me Too Movement, cancel culture, rape culture, and healign after trauma. Dani is the CEO of the metoo International, which was originally founded in 2006 to help survivors of sexual violence, particularly young women of color from low wealth communities, find pathways to healing after sexual assault.

In this episode, Dani discusses:

• The Me Too Movement beyond the viral hashtag
• Healing as post-traumatic growth
• Me Too’s intention isn’t to “cancel” everyone
• The spectrum of rape culture
• How healing looks different for every survivor

In this episode of Reckoning, Kathryn Kosmides speaks with Eva Galperin about cybersecurity, stalkerware, survivor-centric justice. Eva is the Director of Cybersecurity at The Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit whose mission is to ensure that technology supports freedom, justice, and innovation for all people of the world.

In this episode, Eva discusses:

• What justice is and what it could look like
• Justice vs. revenge for survivors of abuse
• Shifting from the identity of survivor to healer
• How advocates and allies can prioritize the needs of abuse survivors instead of assuming what the survivors want
• Abusers not being abusive all the time
• The pros and cons of restorative justice

In this episode of Reckoning, Kathryn Kosmides speaks with Tracey Breeden about how big tech is starting to take accountability for the safety of their users. Tracey is the Vice President, Head of Safety & Social Advocacy at Match Group, a leading provider of digital technologies designed to help people make meaningful connections including Tinder, Match, Hinge, PlentyOfFish, and OkCupid.

In this episode, Tracey discusses:

• The evolution (or lack thereof) of policing with respect to gender and gender-based violence
• How trust and safety has evolved as an industry 
• How building for the most vulnerable communities begins to solve safety for all
• How finding and using your voice empowers others to do the same
• Having difficult conversations with male colleagues about gender-based violence

In this episode of Reckoning, Kathryn Kosmides speaks with Sophie Sandberg about street harassment, sexual harassment, and catcalling culture. Sophie is a street artist, gender justice activist, and founder of both Catcalls of NYC and Chalk Back. Catcalls of NYC is a grassroots initiative that uses public chalk art to raise awareness about gender-based street harassment in New York City. Chalk Back is an international youth-led movement committed to ending gender-based street harassment with public chalk art, digital media and education.

In this episode, Sophie discusses:

• Catcalling culture in New York City and how it can leave catcall victims helpless and uncomfortable
• How gender norms shape and influence who catcalls and who gets catcalled
• The spectrum of catcalling and how it manifests
• What happened when she spoke with a catcaller
• The legality (or lack thereof) of catcalling and why some catcall victims don’t report the catcalling to police
• Storytelling as a means to share stories of catcalling and harassment
• Reasonably preventing street harassment

In this episode of Reckoning, Kathryn Kosmides speaks with Sheri Kurdakul about collecting evidence, survivor accountability, and abuser accountability. Sheri is the founder and CEO of VictimsVoice which is a domestic violence documentation tool that meets the strict legal standards of court admissibility and is built to meet HIPAA, VAWA, FVPSA, VOCA, and GDPR regulatory standards for privacy and security.

In this episode, Sheri discusses:

• How her then ten year old daughter inspired Sheri to create the domestic violence documentation tool, VictimsVoice
• The importance of documenting domestic violence evidence in a way that is legally permissible
• The complexity of evidence documentation laws varying from state to state
• When people typically get protection orders
• What encompasses domestic violence as it’s not only between intimate partners
• Healing for herself and other domestic violence survivors
• The complexities of the American criminal justice system and how it decentralizes domestic violence survivors

In this episode of Reckoning, Kathryn Kosmides speaks with Lenora Claire about stalking. Lenora is the CEO of Lenora Claire Consulting LLC, a company that offers on-set victim/survivor liaison services and consulting on content, and providing experts for on-camera and in-person speaking engagements. Lenora Claire Consulting LLC facilitates respectful treatment and depictions of victims and survivors in true crime media.

In this episode, Lenora discusses:

• Her experience having a celebrity stalker for 10 years
• The challenges of navigating the carceral system as a stalking victim
• Using her privilege to amplify the voices of other stalking survivors
• Tech-enabled stalking prevention
• How the law hasn’t caught up with stalking especially in the digital age
• Abuse of the civil courts

In this episode of Reckoning, Kathryn Kosmides speaks with Tara Hairston about information sensation and how it can be used to push important conversations forward. Tara is Senior Director, Technology, Innovation, and Mobility Policy at Alliance For Automotive Innovation which is the singular, authoritative and respected voice of the automotive industry.

In this episode, Tara discusses:

• How the information ecosystem encourages visceral responses to current events
• Deep fakes and doctored videos such as the Tom Cruise, President Obama, and Nancy Peliso fake videos
• How the COVID lockdowns affected stalkerware patterns
• Technology-facilitated abuse beyond stalkerware
• Anti-abuse thread modeling’s limits
• How we can pressure media, government, and tech companies to be accountable for technology-facilitated abuse

In this episode of Reckoning, Kathryn Kosmides speaks with Katie Diasti about period poverty and menstruation education. Katie is the CEO and founder of Viv, an earth-friendly direct-to-consumer period care brand innovating in the sustainable consumer goods space.

In this episode, Katie discusses:

• Ingredient transparency in period products
• The stigma associated with periods
• Things we can do to reduce the taboo and stigma around periods
• Pink tax
• How we can ensure that everyone has a dignified menstrual cycle