At the young age of 14, Daisy was assaulted by her older brother’s friend in Maryville, MO. The perpetrator and his friends coerced her to drink to the point of complete black out, and after the assault left her outside her house in below freezing temperatures. She was then bullied at school, on social media and her house was burned down. Considerable evidence was brought against the perpetrators, but because of suspected corruption, the charges were dropped. The group Anonymous then rallied on her behalf with #JusticeforDaisy and Daisy sparked a national conversation about sexual assault and continues that conversation even after her passing. RIP Cat.
OUR TEAM
WE ARE SAFEBAE
SafeBAE defines the core issues of rape culture and sexual assault as the single most dangerous and impacting events in the lives of young people today. The statistics show the rate of assaults as significantly higher than any other age demographic, yet our culture offers little in the way of education or opportunities to change this epidemic. SafeBAE was founded by us in 2015. Daisy, Ella, and Jada are teen sexual-assault survivors and together with Charlie (Daisy’s brother) and Shael (our executive director) we created SafeBAE in an effort to prevent what happened to us from happening to anyone else (the BAE in SafeBAE stands for “before anyone else.”) During the filming of the Peabody Award-winning Netflix documentary, ‘Audrie & Daisy,’ we began incubating the idea for SafeBAE when we realized the single most common and important theme among all our stories was the lack of sexual-violence prevention, consent education and Title IX knowledge there was in our high schools. It was clear to us that education about these issues needs to happen pre-college, in middle school or early high school, when attitudes about intimacy and boundaries and dating safety were just forming.
CO-FOUNDERS
Jada Smith is the outspoken survivor who sparked the #JusticeforJada campaign. At 16 years old, Jada was drugged and assaulted at a party. After assaulting her, the perpetrators posted pictures online of her unconscious, drugged body with the hashtag #jadapose that began trending in her community with reenactment pictures of her assault. After Jada’s rape went viral she fought back, appearing on major news outlets, which ignited support from people all over the globe including celebrities such as Willow Smith and Gabrielle Union. A movement was born to support Jada and call for the prosecution of her perpetrator with #JusticeforJada pictures. Jada is still seeking justice and continues to advocate for sexual assault and cyberbullying prevention.
After moving to a small town in Texas at the age of 14, Ella was beaten, drugged and raped by a peer. For weeks after, Ella was bullied and harassed by the perpetrator and his friends and was shamed for the assault committed against her. Ella’s family eventually relocated back to California for her safety. Throughout her early healing, she created her own school club, Buttervly, which evolved into a local Southern California organization. She has gone on to graduate from Corona Del Mar High school and earn her degree from the Los Angeles Film School. With a newly minted production company, Lancelot Media Inc, Ella has developed and produced much of SafeBAE’s digital and social media content, recruiting a team of young, female lead, trauma informed collective of film makers.
Charlie Coleman is a recent graduate of Baker University with a Bachelors in exercise science and 4 year varsity baseball letterman. His impactful contribution to the acclaimed film Audrie & Daisy shows his incredible voice as both a brother of a survivor, an ally, a coach and mentor to young athletes. His previous experience speaking at schools has led him to want to reach as many young athletes as possible.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Shael Norris has dedicated her career to ending sexual violence. She is passionate about empowering young people to be change agents in preventing violence. She was a founding staffer of V-Day, overseeing the College and Community Campaigns for 19 years. After decades of work focused on college sexual assault, she sought a grant to establish SafeBAE to focus specifically on younger students. Her three children and dedication to making schools a safer place was the driving force which led to the creation SafeBAE.
Shael Norris
Co-Founder | Executive Director
STAFF
Ella Fairon | Media Director
After moving to a small town in Texas at the age of 14, Ella was beaten, drugged, and raped by a peer. For weeks after, Ella was bullied and harassed by the perpetrator and his friends and was shamed for the assault committed against her. Ella’s family eventually relocated back to California for her safety. Throughout her early healing, she created her own school club, Buttervly, which evolved into a local Southern California organization. She has gone on to graduate from Corona Del Mar High school and earn her degree from the Los Angeles Film School. With a newly minted production company, Lancelot Media Inc, Ella has developed and produced much of SafeBAE’s digital and social media content, recruiting a team of a young, female lead, trauma-informed collective of filmmakers.
Jasmine Uribe | Development Director
Jasmine Uribe (she/her/ella) is a leader in the dating violence and sexual assault prevention movement, with 15 years of experience working with youth and adult allies across the country to inspire leadership and amplify the voices of survivors of violence. With her Child Development degree from California State University, she addresses and understands the multi-faceted needs of individuals who experience and perpetuate violence. As a nationally recognized consultant and Founder and CEO of Leaders Ending Violence, LLC, Jasmine works to advance non-profit program development and organizational sustainability efforts. She believes in empowering communities through the development of innovative programs and culturally specific resources that enact change and holds a professional and personal mission towards the development of programs and opportunities that inspire change, break down barriers where they exist, and build authentic relationships along the way.
Dan Kipp | Education Director
Dan Kipp is an educator and an advocate working to prevent violence and promote peace. His work is informed by degrees in Sociology and Gender Studies, experience in the domestic violence movement, as well as extensive training and practice in Non-Violent Communication and Empowerment Self-Defense. Dan is the proud co-parent of 30 (and counting) houseplants and two chihuahuas (who you can follow on Instagram @small_paolo).
Asaah Costen | Programs Director
Asaah Coston “Ace” (he/his) is a native of Brooklyn, New York. He holds over 16 years of experience in public health, in youth-led advocacy, community action, and working with youth as partners throughout the five boroughs of NYC. In the years of working in public health, Ace, along with his colleagues, has supported young people in developing, through PSA More Than Just Sex curriculum, and multiple sexual and mental health social media campaigns. He has worked closely with schools and organizations in New York City, primarily Bronx, Washington Height, and Harlem to deepen youth engagement and facilitate comprehensive sexuality education using evidence-based curriculums “Be Proud, Be Responsible” and “Reducing the Risk” with over 400 students each year. As an advocate for social and reproductive justice, Asaah is passionate about providing safer spaces where young people can amplify their voices, nurture their creativity, and feel included.
Hannah Stone | Youth Outreach Director
Hannah is a lifelong social justice advocate who began her work with SafeBAE as a BAE Breaker. After launching her community’s chapter, Hannah worked with community organizations such as the Arkansas Coalition Against Sexual Assault, the Ozark Rape Crisis Center, the Chamber of Commerce, and the local city council to spread awareness and collaborate on preventative projects that will ensure SafeBAE’s legacy lives on in her state. Hannah is entering her freshman year of college and will be majoring in Political Science, Sociology, and Criminal Justice, in hopes to remain a lifelong social activist.
Eavan Hanke | Assistant Youth Outreach Director
Eavan Hanke is a 17-year-old student in Los Angeles. She began her work with SafeBAE as the West LA chapter lead and certified peer educator. She frequently hosts “Consent Culture Education” sessions for students and worked to create a campaign with Survivor Love Letter this past year. She believes students deserve more when it comes to consent education and resources and is passionate about her work with SafeBAE.
Gabriela Nadeau | Social Media Director
Gabriela is a 21-year-old college student studying fashion and illustration in New York City. She is a passionate advocate for sexual assault survivors. In her free time, Gabriela loves drawing, reading, and playing roller derby.
Caitlin Dube
Director of Transformative Schools and Innovation
Caitlin Dube is an educator, poet, activist, and parent with over 15 years of experience working with young people, most recently in independent schools. She is passionate about comprehensive sexual education, healthy communication, mindfulness, and sex-positive parenting. Caitlin’s experience developing and facilitating a comprehensive, dynamic, learner-centered curriculum focused on human development, intersectionality, restorative justice, and culturally responsive pedagogy has led her to pursue a Master’s degree in Human Development at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education. Her passion is to enable all people to learn about identity, inequity, diversity, and empowerment; and to provide social-emotional learning and social justice foundations in order to best prepare students to lead social change in a multicultural society. Caitlin is inspired to provide information, skills, and strategies to empower youth to critically examine rape culture and the systems of oppression that uphold it, and provide loving alternatives in order to shift us all toward a compassionate future where all people live in just relationships with themselves and their community.
SUMMER INSTITUTE PLANNING COMMITTEE
Asaah Costen
Asaah Coston “Ace” (he/his) is a native of Brooklyn, New York. He holds over 16 years of experience in public health, in youth-led advocacy, community action, and working with youth as partners throughout the five boroughs of NYC. In the years of working in public health, Ace, along with his colleagues, has supported young people in developing, through PSA More Than Just Sex curriculum, and multiple sexual and mental health social media campaigns. He has worked closely with schools and organizations in New York City, primarily Bronx, Washington Height, and Harlem to deepen youth engagement and facilitate comprehensive sexuality education using evidence-based curriculums “Be Proud, Be Responsible” and “Reducing the Risk” with over 400 students each year. As an advocate for social and reproductive justice, Asaah is passionate about providing safer spaces where young people can amplify their voices, nurture their creativity, and feel included.Lillian Frame
Lillian Frame (she/her) has been involved with SafeBAE since 2019 when she helped create and execute the 2019 Consent Summit. Born in Maine, she currently resides in Washington, D.C., where she is pursuing her degree at American University in Political Science, with the eventual goal of working on educational policy. This year she continued her mission to protect and ensure the voices of survivors are heard when she met with the Department of Education as part of the EDActNow Campaign to encourage the department to reform Title IX. Lillian is dedicated to coalition building, encouraging intersectionality, and making schools safe for all students.Lauren Gonzalez
In July 2020, Lauren did an internship with Girls Inc. of San Antonio. She created an Advocacy Tool Kit Project on a Sexual Violence Project that we presented to School Leaders to discuss making Policy Changes to local school districts and the state board of education. This program has evolved into Teal Week, a sexual violence prevention week Lauren created to educate students from 4th grade through 12th. The San Antonio Rape Crisis Center collaborated with Lauren to inform teenagers of the dangers of sexual violence. She became a teen representative for my community advocating for teen dating violence and sexual assault awareness. For their annual sexual assault awareness webinar, Lauren was the first teenager to present how to bring attention to rape culture and advocate for victims.Samar Rafiqzad
Samar Rafiqzad is a 19-year-old Pakistani-Afghan American from Northern Virginia. After experiencing sexual harassment in her high school, she became a devoted activist and in May 2021 she shared her story publicly. As a woman of color and a member of the LGBTQ+ and Muslim communities, she understands the unique struggles they face and is devoted to representing and uplifting these voices through her work at SafeBAE.Chandler Rupert
Chandler Rupert is a community organizer and activist from Columbus, Ohio. He organizes queer youth and students to achieve environmental, educational, gender, reproductive, labor, and racial justice. As a student at The Ohio State University, Chandler served as the president of the university’s new Students for a Democratic Society branch. In addition to this, he has served on the Community Advisory Board of Kaleidoscope Youth Center (the largest LGBT+ Serving non-profit in Ohio) and as a Voter Engagement Organizer with URGE: Unite for Reproductive and Gender Equity. Academically, Chandler is interested in political ecology, queer ecologies, and children’s geographies, and he is working towards a personalized Bachelor’s degree in Political Ecology.Aidan Stark-Chessa
Aidan Stark-Chessa is an activist from Falmouth, Maine. He loves surfing, hiking, biking, and being outside. He is a passionate member of the Maine Boys to Men Youth Advisory Council and loves teaching young men and boys about how gender pressures affect them. He loves conversation and human connection and is excited to try to bring about a positive change in the world through his work at SafeBAE and in his life as a whole.BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The board includes our co-founders, as well as the following dedicated team. We have memorialized in our founding by-laws that we are committed to maintaining a 2/3 youth representation on our Board at all times.
Justine Wentzell-Chang | co-President
Justine Wentzell-Chang is a storyteller, entrepreneur, and activist. In 2018, she published her book Pocket Full of Dreams, the story of her experience in an abusive relationship and the healing journey that followed leaving it. With her book, she speaks with students about healthy and unhealthy relationships, encouraging them to take care of themselves and each other and to help create a culture without abuse. True to the title of her book, Justine lives life always with a pocket full of dreams. Her career has taken her from law school to country music, a swell as the film and TV industry, and also starting her own copywriting and brand strategy business working with other mompreneurs and family-run businesses. She has also served on the Recording Academy’s Advocacy Committee since 2016 and is a founding member of Amnesty International’s Los Angeles chapter.Len Eschweiler | co-President
Len is an accomplished global senior executive with consistent success in sales management, field operations, and executive business leadership for SaaS, fin-tech, and e-commerce. A focus on go-to-market, metrics-driven revenue leadership has resulted in several successful strategic acquisitions and IPOs. Expertise in scaling high-performing teams in high-growth environments and a successful builder of category-leading companies.
Aela Mansmann
Aela is a lifelong activist dedicated to giving a voice to the unheard. As president of her Civil Rights Club, she led her school in a gun safety walkout in early 2018. She also helped to create a “Words for Good” week project to build empathy in the school community. She returned to her former school district in the Spring of 2018 to testify in support of consent education legislation in the state of Rhode Island. In June of 2018, she proposed a school-wide follow-up event to the walk-out, to help build school community and kindness among her peers as well as show support for schools directly affected by gun violence. Her principal gave her a full day with the entire school to plan activities, actions, and support which included making care packages to send to student survivors. She is an active member of the Civil Rights team, Debate Club, Field Hockey Team, Drama Club, Mock Trial, and the Gay/Straight Alliance as well as joining SafeBAE as a national BAE Breaker.Michelle Hope
Michelle Hope is a dedicated Sexologist, educator, and activist with a Master’s degree in Human Development and extensive post-graduate training in sexuality. As a veteran speaker, Michelle has over 15 years of experience delivering impactful informative lectures and training across the nation. Her work with Harlem Children’s Zone and Teens Pact, in marginalized urban communities, has provided her with deep insight and comprehension of the holistic implications of sexuality on one’s life. She had dedicated her career to understanding and communicating to the masses the complex intersections of various social identities: race, class, gender, and sexual orientation, through a Social Justice Lens. She has taken deliberate actions in exploring and developing a unique language to speak to communities of color. Michelle feels as though her experience in building community coalitions, activism within marginalized urban communities has shaped her perspectives mobilizing people social change. Her passion and commitment to the work have provided her with a unique style that can captivate and educate across various populations; with a proven track record of mobilizing people through coalition building to create positive change at the grassroots level.
Torrey DeVitto
Torrey DeVitto is an actress, musician, philanthropist, and producer. She is best known for her role as Melissa on Pretty Little Liars, Dr. Fell in The Vampire Diaries, as in One Tree Hill, and Dr. Natalie Manning in Chicago Med. She joined the board of SafeBAE in 2019 and is one of the producers of “Saving Daisy.” She is involved in a number of other organizations, including Hospice, RAINN, and Peta.
Joy Gorman Wettels
Joy Gorman Wettels is a partner at Anonymous Content[4] and executive producer of the Netflix/Paramount series 13 Reasons Why,[5][6] and is featured in the after-show Beyond the Reasons.[7] Gorman is also the producer of the Apple/Paramount TV series,[8] Home Before Dark, inspired by the life of Hilde Lysiak, a 9-year-old investigative journalist. She developed the show from inception with Dana Fox, Dara Resnik, and Jon M. Chu, who directed.[9][10][11]Gorman Wettels has also produced The Meddler (2015) for Sony Pictures Classics,[12] and Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World (2012) for Focus Features.[13] Gorman produced the documentary This is Personal which premiered at Sundance in 2019.[14] Produced with Rebecca Walker, it is a portrait of intersectional feminism starting at the 2017 Women’s March.
Ari Zeitlin
Ari Zeitlin is a first-year student at St. Lawrence University. He is a sexual assault survivor. He is a full-time student-athlete, rowing for 5 years and lettering as a varsity rower. Outside of rowing Ari enjoys rock climbing, surfing, and hanging out with friends. At the start of the 2018-19 school year, Ari joined SafeBAE as part of a student leadership board dedicated to planning and piloting a Regional Consent Summit in Maine with other local students and BAE Breakers. He has been a lifelong volunteer and activist aiding his community and always helping others.Aidan Stark-Chessa
Aidan Stark-Chessa is an activist from Falmouth, Maine. He loves surfing, hiking, biking, and being outside. He is a passionate member of the Maine Boys to Men Youth Advisory Council and loves teaching young men and boys about how gender pressures affect them. He loves conversation and human connection and is excited to try to bring about a positive change in the world through his work at SafeBAE and in his life as a whole.Lhiannon Collins
Lhi is a current senior at Emmanuel College in Boston, finishing her Bachelors in Political Science. She joined SafeBAE in the 2017-2018 school year as a high school senior in Mansfield, Massachusetts. While in high school, despite her BAE Breaker group facing pushback, they were able to host a successful Parent Education night in collaboration with a local place of worship and a local domestic violence agency. Her BAE Breaker group also participated in “Survivor Love Letters” for Valentine’s Day 2018, and donated hundreds of survivor love letters to local shelters and agencies. Lhi was also part of Hidden Voice’s inaugural Visionary Leadership Cohort in 2021. As a survivor herself, she is very interested in public policy, and has also spent time on local Massachusetts political campaigns. Her experiences in activism, the political world, and navigating her own survivorship have made her a strong believer in the power of community and young people. These experiences have fostered her passion for access to comprehensive consent-based sexual education, access to mental health resources, and empowering young adults to share their own stories and experiences.Dr. Samantha Cuillier
Dr. Samantha Cuillier is the Title IX and Equity Investigator for the Office of Equity and Access. She is passionate about contributing to a world in which all students can pursue their civil right to an education free from discrimination and harassment. Prior to her role at Adtalem Global Education, she worked as the Associate Director for Title IX and Gender Equity at Cal State San Bernardino and as a Complaint Resolution Officer for the Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination at UC Berkeley. She also earned her doctorate degree in Family and Human Development from Arizona State University in 2017. In her free time, she finds balance playing with her son, golfing with her husband, rooting for her favorite professional hockey and football teams, and creating digital scrapbooks.Mark Dobosz
Mark Dobosz has spent nearly 40 years working in a variety of leadership roles for not-for-profit and for-profit organizations including executive leadership, fundraising and development, operations, marketing, public relations, community and government relations operations, and teaching. He served as Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of The Office Depot Foundation and on the boards of several professional and non-profit organizations. Mark has helped to raise over $40 million in his work of starting and running a national foundation from the ground level, assisting with multi-million-dollar campaigns, and budgets, developing new fundraising programs, sponsorship programs, and special events programs. He is the author of the award-winning book “Simple Man Simple Message”, and a contributing author to “Do Your Giving While You’re Living” by Edie Fraser and Robyn Spizman and “Business Planning Tools for Non-Profit Organizations,” First and Second Editions. Mark has an undergraduate degree from St. Mary’s College, Executive Certificates in Nonprofit Leadership and Management, and Transformational Nonprofit Leadership from the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame and is currently pursuing a master’s in Nonprofit Management from the University of Central Florida School.Lillian Frame
Lillian Frame (she/her) has been involved with SafeBAE since 2019 when she helped create and execute the 2019 Consent Summit. Born in Maine, she currently resides in Washington, D.C., where she is pursuing her degree at American University in Political Science, with the eventual goal of working on educational policy. This year she continued her mission to protect and ensure the voices of survivors are heard when she met with the Department of Education as part of the EDActNow Campaign to encourage the department to reform Title IX. Lillian is dedicated to coalition building, encouraging intersectionality, and making schools safe for all students.Cheyenne Tyler Jacobs
Representation and activism are at the center of everything Cheyenne creates. She believes in creating platforms and content that not only engages but inspires its individuals to be “successful” in the path they feel fit. Her writing can be found on numerous platforms from Read Poetry to The Army of Survivors. She is also a keynote speaker and spoken word artist who has spoken in front of numerous audiences. She is a speaker and presenter for End Rape on Campus and hosts her own workshops and lectures through the She Will Speak Series. She founded the She Will Speak Series in 2018 originally to create bi-annual anthologies. Since its inception, it’s grown to do workshops, panel discussions, and training.Zachary Mallory
Zachary Mallory (They/Them) is a Kansas City native, born and raised. Zachary is a survivor of domestic gun violence and sexual violence and has been an active community member since they were 16 years old. Zachary is 25 years old and is heavily involved in their local community and on a national level. Zachary is beyond excited to be joining the Board of Directors at SAFEBae as Daisy’s story really hit home. Zachary is an advocate for ending domestic violence, sexual violence, gun violence, and advocates for equitable policy to enhance systems and protect survivors. Zachary is autistic and shares their story in hopes to inspire others. Zachary is an advocate for mental health and suicide prevention.Donnesha McBride
Donnesha McBride was born and raised in Miami, Florida, attending the nation’s fourth-largest school district. Her passion for education and community impact was inspired by life-saving educational opportunities in which she made friends with Toni Morrison, Maya Angelou, Ta Nehisi Coates, Audre Lorde, Alice Walker, and many more through reading and engaging in community service projects that made an impact in underrepresented communities. Deeply rooted in education, Donnesha received a dual BA in 2016 Organizational Leadership and Political Science while minoring in Sociology and continued her education at Penn State, earning a Masters in Organizational Development and Change with a concentration in Education Policy Reform. She is currently working on a Doctor of Philosophy Ph.D. in Organizational Development and Leadership with a specialization in Organizational Diversity with plans to implement change in educational organizations impacting students. In her free time, Donnesha enjoys being a woman of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, serving “All ManKind”, a change agent within the NAACP, a toastmaster’s member, being an advocate through the Penn State Alumni Association while exploring new foods, exercising, and doing adventurous things like traveling and jumping out of planes.Chalina Morgan-Lopez
Chalina Morgan-Lopez is a 17-year-old activist based in Raleigh, NC. Her work revolves around gaining equitable school environments for all students in which everyone is safe and represented – this has caught the attention of local legislators in Wake County. She has been outspoken in social justice on behalf of the Latinx community and the Black Lives Matter movement and has been featured in local news for advocating for the needs of women of color. This intersects with her passion for consent education and bringing awareness to the prominence of sexual violence in schools.Dr. Dia Pfleger
Dr. Dia Pfleger is founder and CEO of DPA Global Consulting, LLC. Dia is a seasoned human resource professional for over 22 years. Her expertise is working with non-profit organizations and education support organizations/education institutions on diversity equity, and inclusion, as well restorative justice. She is also an adjunct professor who teaches Business Ethics and Social Justice courses.Samar Rafiqzad
Samar Rafiqzad is a 19-year-old Pakistani-Afghan American from Northern Virginia. After experiencing sexual harassment in her high school, she became a devoted activist and in May 2021 she shared her story publicly. As a woman of color and a member of the LGBTQ+ and Muslim communities, she understands the unique struggles they face and is devoted to representing and uplifting these voices through her work at SafeBAE.Rosalyn Rivera-Valentin
Rosalyn Rivera-Valentin is an insightful and accomplished leader in Operations Management, primarily in the pharmaceutical sector and retail industry. Proven expertise in Lean Manufacturing, talent development, acquisitions, start-ups, managing at scale, and multi-site global leadership. She is passionate about mentoring and helping others to achieve their best version of themselves. Rosalyn enjoys spending time with her family, walking on the beach, and listening to all kinds of music.Jen Viencek
Jen Viencek is a program and business manager in the tech industry. She provides the most value to organizations she works with through improving processes, operationalizing ideas, and connecting people with resources and solutions they never knew they needed. As a trauma survivor and the mother of a 19-year-old daughter, she has a passion for consent education and ending the cycle of abuse that is passed down from generation to generation.BOARD OF ADVISORS
Michael Golland
Michael has vast experience as an entertainment attorney. He represents individuals and entities in all facets of the entertainment and media industry including television, film, Internet, licensing and merchandise, publishing and music. Mr. Golland serves as production counsel for his film, television and alternative media clients (actors, writers and producers-for-hire): and handles intellectual property and general corporate matters for his clients including company formation and operations, asset acquisitions, employment matters and dispute resolution. Michael’s clients include content producers, actors, writers, directors, composers, financiers, sales agents, distributors and technology companies. He is a member of the Moot Court Board and recipient of the Judge Barry Russel Award for Outstanding Achievement in Federal Courts and Practice, 1993.
Amanda Morgan
Amanda is founder, owner, and chief consultant of Morgan Training and Coaching LLC, a consulting firm specializing in leadership development, corporate training and executive coaching. For the past nineteen years, Amanda has worked with a myriad of global, fortune 100 financial services and insurance companies, as well as esteemed non-profit organizations in the academia, social services and healthcare sectors. As a learning and development consultant, Amanda works with senior business leaders and human resources executive to strategically build and plan enterprise-wide leadership development programs. She conducts in-depth organization and team assessments to understand the unique culture, dynamics and challenges that exist in order to develop the most appropriate solutions. Amanda takes highly integrated approach to development and focuses on designing and delivering high impact training workshops that fuel superior performance, accelerate professional growth and unlock individual potential.
Marla Swanson
Marla works with nonprofits and philanthropic foundations as an independent consultant on funding strategies, organizational development, and strategic communications. Currently, she works with Breakthrough, based in the U.S. and India, making violence and discrimination against women and girls unacceptable through culture change. For 12 years prior, Marla worked for the International Women’s Program at the Open Society Foundations with a particular focus on communities facing discrimination. Marla holds a MA in International Policy Studies from the Monterey Institute of International Studies.
Joey Brenneman
Joey is the Artistic Director at STAR Theater for Social Change based in NYC. STAR uses age appropriate/culturally sensitive theatrical methods to empower youth with skills to lead healthier lives. The program also helps parents and professionals to better understand and communicate more effectively with young people. STAR performs three different original musicals geared toward three different age groups, 5th grade through high school. Joey’s other New York directing credits include Truth Values, A Burial Place, SLUT, Vestments of the Gods, Two Girls, The Timing of a Day and Abstract Nude. Also a playwright, Joey is currently an artistic resident at Access Theater developing her new play, An Uninterrupted Thought. Joey’s produced plays include Better Left Unsaid, Fast Break, Of Loss and Grace and Off (Heideman Award Finalist). She has also written and directed several films. Her film, Taking a Step Back, was selected by the Urban Visionaries Festival and won the “Best of Specials” award from MNN. She is the mother of two and is married to actor, Craig Waletzko.
Emma Myles
A native of Northern California, Emma trained at the internationally recognized William Esper Studio in New York City. Past film and TV credits include Orange is the New Black (3-Time SAG Award Winner), Child of Grace, Girl Most Likely, Please Give, Spinning Into Butter, Conviction, Happy Yummy Chicken, How To Make It In American, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, and Odd Mom Out.Upcoming projects include the 6th season of Orange is the New Black where she will continue to recur as Leanne Taylor.
Tonjie Reese
Tonjie is Detroit native, preventionist, and creative. She is the founder of eleven24, a training and consulting agency that utilizes identity affirmation, media literacy, and youth-centered programming methods to enhance prevention programs. Her passion for ending relationship abuse and sexual violence began as a sophomore in high school when she participated in an interactive traveling play focused on teen dating violence, and has continued through her roles as a prevention program director, shelter advocate, community educator, and national community initiatives coordinator. Tonjie holds a BS in Behavioral Science and a MA in Education, Leadership, and Change. Tonjie is driven by the belief that everyone has a role in violence prevention. “It’s up to us to define what our role will be!”
Tracey E. Vitchers
Tracey has spent her professional career combatting sexual violence. She is Director of It’s On Us and was formerly the Chief Development Officer at Callisto, a nonprofit that creates technology to combat sexual assault, empower survivors, and advance justice, overseeing all fundraising and operations activities. She serves as Chair of the Board for End Rape On Campus, as a member of the Governing Board for Safe Haven of Pike County, and as an advisory board member with Culture of Respect. She previously served as Chair of the Board for SAFER. She has a B.A. from Williams College and a M.A. in Comparative Women’s Studies in Culture & Politics from Utrecht University.
Sarah Mayo
Sarah earned her Bachelor’s degree at the University of La Verne in Sociology and Psychology. She developed a passion for working with teens through volunteering as a mentor for high school girls through an after-school program called Beautiful Butterflies. Sarah continued her work with teens in education and strived to help teens bridge the gap in graduation rates and academic and personal growth in San Bernardino high schools. Sarah completed her Master’s program in Social Work with an emphasis on Community Mental Health. Sarah continues to serve in the non-profit sector as an associate clinical social worker, working towards licensure as an LCSW. Sarah is driven to provide a safe space for healing, growth, and empowerment within the community.
Gavrielle Reyes
Gavrielle Reyes is the Program Coordinator at the Bella Abzug Leadership Institute (BALI). She is Cuban-American bruja feminist and she received her BA in Film with a concentration in Gender Studies from Hunter College. She is a survivor of sexual assault and a fierce advocate for education and resources within the organization as well as in all spaces she finds herself in. She seeks to use her knowledge of film and media to tap into the zeitgeist of modern feminist movements and evoke change by doing power differently. Her aim is to empower the newest generation of young folks to invest in themselves, know their worth, and uplift one another.
MENTEES
Ellie McAnuff
Ellie McAnuff is a sophomore at George Washington University studying civil engineering with a concentration in sustainability. She is a survivor of sexual assault. Ellie was a point person of her high school’s youth activist group specializing in environmental issues and now is on the executive board of her college’s student-run sustainability organization. She also enjoys volunteering her time at local schools and has since middle school. Ellie is enlisted in the AmeriCorps in Washington DC and has served 300 hours this past year and accrued 1000 over high school. Ellie also enjoys practicing yoga and teaching it to her peers as well as going to the beach and being vegan.
Arielle Stern
Arielle Stern is a high school student from Los Angeles with a passion for politics and public service. She is the co-chair of the organization, I am a Teen Voter, centered around increasing civic engagement among the youth. Additionally, she is the president of her school’s Women’s Empowerment Club and GSA. When not in school, Arielle spends her time serving as the Youth Board member of her neighborhood council, volunteering on local political campaigns, and leading peer education workshops about sexual violence prevention.
Raegan Riffle
Reagan is a senior at her rural high school in NH and has been involved in local activism for her entire high school career. During her eighth grade and early freshman year, Reagan started her school’s first “Social Justice Club” for students who wanted to learn more about local and national policy and how they as young people had a responsibility to learn about it. Since then, she has started letter writing projects, worked on political campaigns, participated in the March for Our Lives movement, been a founding member of her town’s Rural Youth Union, and led various student leadership clubs within her high school. Although her town is small, her survey work and personal experience with sexual violence motivated her to start her most recent work; founding a local organization called End Sexual Violence on Campus — NH. Since her junior year, Reagan has been organizing events in her region and advocating for the implementation of nationwide consent-ed, access to trauma-informed counseling, and uprooting rape culture at the local and national level. Her work on this project is where she first found SAFEBAE. Reagan is an avid runner, foodie, singer, writer, and podcast listener.
Maggie Davis-Bower
Maggie Davis-Bower is a political science major at Pitzer College and a student activist. At 15, she survived a mass shooting while shopping at the mall for a homecoming dress. In the aftermath of the Parkland shooting, her trauma compelled her to take action, initiating a school walkout/rally protesting gun violence in schools which was attended by 2,000 other students in her hometown of Bellingham, WA. She then co-founded and lead a student activism organization, Students For Action, which focuses efforts on running voter registration days at high schools, lobbying elected officials for common-sense gun legislation, and activating and empowering the youth voice. Maggie then became a sexual health educator for Planned Parenthood’s Teen Council program. In this position, she taught comprehensive sex-ed to high school classrooms, lobbied for reproductive justice bills, and educated nursing students on using inclusive language and how to interact with teen patients. In addition to these programs, Maggie has served on candidate endorsement committees, volunteered for two-state senate campaigns, and is currently interning for a state house of reps candidate. Maggie is a strong believer in the power of the youth voice and believes dialogue and education around consent culture and sexual assault are essential in order to reduce sexual violence and empower survivors which is why she applied to the SafeBAE mentee program.
SAFEBAE RESEARCHERS
Tacianna Indovina
Tacianna has her master’s degree in clinical mental health and is in the process of earning her Ph.D. in counseling psychology. She is dedicated to educating young men and women about consent, bystander intervention, victim blaming, and treatment of survivors.
Elizabeth D. Peeler
Elizabeth earned her Master of Science in Public Health from the University of South Carolina with a concentration in Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior. She is passionate about educating students about sexual violence prevention in an inclusive and supportive environment.
CREATIVE PARTNERS
Anna Baumgarten
Anna is a writer, actor, and film producer. She hails from the Michigan mitten where she studied screenwriting at the University of Michigan (go blue!) and graduated with a liberal arts degree in film & television. As a survivor of sexual assault, she is passionate about using her talents and skills to influence change through media. Her short film Disfluency is what brought her to SafeBAE’s attention. Disfluency explores rape culture and the aftermath of an assault. Anna is currently a writer’s assistant at MTV’s Ridiculousness. She is always looking for opportunities to creatively collaborate onstage and onscreen.
Laura Holliday
Laura Holliday is a writer, director, and actor based in Los Angeles. Her short film “Persephone Goes Home” earned her the Sundance Ignite Fellowship, a competitive year-long mentorship with Sundance Institute for filmmakers under 24. Laura has studied screenwriting and filmmaking at Idyllwild Arts Academy, and Art Center College of Design where she will graduate this fall with a BFA in Directing. She is currently in post-production for her first directorial feature “Daddy Issues,” a female-driven comedy that subverts the oversimplified implications of its title. Professionally, Laura has written and directed content for Lifetime, Funny or Die, Fullscreen, and PopTv. She is passionate about using media for activism.
Bedik Bedikian
Bedik Bedikian is a cinematographer based in LA. Bedik is a graduate of film school with a bachelor’s. He has worked on commercials, music videos, narrative films, and more recently web-based content.