How did it all start?
At just 13 years old, Trisha decided to be an Upstander, not a bystander
In the fall of 2013, when Trisha was just 13 years old, she read a news story about a young girl from Florida who had been viciously cyberbullied by her peers. After receiving horrifying messages like “Why are you still alive?” this girl–just 12 years old–died by suicide. Trisha was shocked, heartbroken, and outraged. She knew the digital status quo had to change–and she felt called-to-action to make that happen. It was that passion that led Trisha to invent the concept for ReThink, which she hoped could be a proactive way to stop cyberbullying before it happened. Trisha’s broader vision? To create an internet that centers youth interests; that is kind and inclusive; and that is safe by design.
Today, Trisha regularly advocates for that internet as a globally recognized responsible technology activist. She has delivered talks around the globe, from the TED stage, to premier conferences, to schools and universities. She previously served on the board of the Tyler Clementi Foundation and now serves as a Board Advisor at the Carson J. Bride Effect. She is also a member of the Issue One Council for Responsible Social Media and a NextGen Advisor at the Sustainable Media Center
One conversation, initiative, and young person at a time, Trisha hopes–as she did at 13–to raise cyberbullying awareness, stop online hate, and make kindness, care, and empathy the norm, online and offline.